The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-06-29

lame made TO walk, and the dead re-
stored To- life since according 10 the
polls, they had one and all exercised
their high privilege as freemef: he
showed how money had been as plentl-
full at the polls for the unterrafied az
broken heads had been for the virtuous.
lie showed how this Inspector had been
''slugged" and that inspector had been
"shanghaied" and how the brother or
a third had been appointed on the po-
lice force. He showed who II was that'
after returns were all In save from one
d strict, took that midnight ride up 10
the old Ninth ward which caused such
a fateful change I'm the official figures.
Al this point IL became evident thar
some of the underlings would confess
To save themselves. The boss became
alarmed and sent for the contestee
"Eor heavens sake. withdraw" he
begged. "or Slaughter VIII nave a pali
and chain on every one of u.s.
There was a double-lead editorial
I'm the leading party paper, the supreme
court held an inquest and Mr.. Iaugh-
ter was declared District-Attorney Tor
the next three years-hence the title
Squire" by which IL seems so naturai
TO call him.
The Sauire's administration was uni
que. He had no trouble at all with the
ord nary criminals. They simply plead
ed guilty rather than suffer him TO roar
at them. Such submission was Judic-
iOus. When MIR. Slaughter was not OPP
posed he was inclined 60 mercy; hence.
as a rule. sentences were moderate dur
ing his term ihe feeling OF these dur
fortunates toward him, by the way,
was one OF profound admiration. ThG
respect force, realizing how poor sub
stitute for az is the cunning which th"N
possess. But the politicians had hard
time of II. There was an emigration
IL fs.Va 4aI
and those who dared to remain lost
credit with their constituents through
the utter futility of their pulls. The
quickest way 20 make the Squire fight
"a case hammer and tongs and Iout-
rance was to ask him not 10 do so, espe-
cially II there was some material rea-
son back of the request.
Ii Is not 10 he suppOS q. however, that
Mr. Slaughter was always successful ia
his battles. He handicapped himself
like horse that oNer-reaches. His ag-
gressiVe, qualities were too manifest;
when he attempted to be conciliatory
he was clumsy Thus. many jury
man kept a grudge against him for
some sneer inflicted during the prelim-
Gnary examination OF talesmen. But an
adverse verdict was merely an incident
To him and not "A conclusion. This was
illustrated BY the notorious Williams
case.
In this murder trial appeared all the
persons OF a commonplace tragedy.
There was the defendant. a man of
fifty. III educated wealthy, as natural
a leader of men as he was slave or
his own passions; his Wife the victim.
sickly, discontented. prematurely aged
and jealous: and the temptness. young
smiling. as heartlessly potent OF evl
as i'm the olden days when she dwelt
in the village OF Sorek.
Williams was tried for shooting his
wife to death. cowardly assassina-
tion. OF which he alone could be the
benefic AIRY. lie had boastei of what
he would do. and of how his money
and political influence would protect
him: and the resu1r nat fUffUwcri.-
was ably and unscrupulously defended.
The few and simple facts proved by the
prosecution were fairly buried under
mass of testimony, sworn 10 by nifty
different witnesses, establishing an
abb. The Squire i'm closing the case
for the people made the speech OF his
life. For thirty-sx hours he swung the
hammer of Thor in "A terrific denun-
citation which left not "A loOphole of
escape. And yet after a decorous de-
lay, the jury reported that they were
unable 10 agree, standing eleven To one
for acquittal and Williams passed out
Il
smile on his face.
II say, Squire" said Judge March
mont, 'If you had talked for another
day | think you would have convinced
the twelfth man."
Six years passed. and Williams again
stood in court but this time livid and
trembling. as Mr.. Slaughter. special
counsel for the State, at the conclusion
OF second trial. moved that the SEN
tence of death be now imposed on the
defendant. In the interim ne never for
one moment had desisted from a grim
determination 10 bring the criminal to
justice. IL ia said that in his secret
patient tracing OF the machiations by
which that volume OF perjury had been
Piled up. he had spent $4,000 OF his
own money If this was SO. you may
be sure that he never regretted the
cost. He had smitten his enemies hip
and thigh. The defendant was hanged
his counsel was debarred, his witnesses
were either fugitives or convicted
felons.
Mr.. Slaughter acted on this occasion
as special counsel for the State" IL
will be noted for at the expiration
OF his term as District Attorney he had
been relegated into private life by the
almost unanimous voice OF his fellow
citizens. True he piuckily ran again
and made a vigorous campaign. but
MS opponent, nominated Dy "A cOaHtiOn
of the two parties, had majority
greater than the votes which he re-
| ceiVed.
Hard to heat indeed was Mr.. SIaugh-
Ter: and yet a dTttcate little haffd-eHee
laid him low. IL was while he was
| preparing the Grammont will case as
counsel for ghe contestants, that the
wife of Charley Grammont. the pro-
| ponent. carried of bundle OF let
| ters and papers. fatal-t 10 her husband 4
cause. from under the Squire's very
nose. She had gained access TO him.
| II seems, in the guise of a book agent .
and a trim figure, n sympathetic voice
and pair OF bright eyes die the rest.
i make haste to pass over 50 humiliat
ing an accident. and recall IL solely
| because it was connected with the one
and only time In my memory when
the lion was too depressed TO roar
IL was about an hour after this fair
| deceiver had made what proved 10 he
1 her last visit. and had followed her
! demure passage through the middle
I room with eyes or respectful admira
tion that I thought | heard my name
| family called, and. much astounded
| thereby, hurried into AIR. Slaughter 8