Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-16
PRINCE WAS ACQUITTED.
Continued from Page 2.

4
pody there was no crime. 1 say that
my unfortunate client was mentally
irresponsible. His mind when lie shot
cannon was as helpless rs u little
chiids, and 1t is Princes mind you are
trying. You ca nhang the poor body.
out not before trying his mind. Didn't
he have enough to distract him? 1 will
leave that to you. The district attor-
n ps! says you are going to convict
Prince on his own testimony. The man
says his mind was blank from the time
| ne fired the first shot. Who are you
going to believe, Mrs. Cannon or
Prince.
God pity any man who can believe
Mrs, Cannon in the light of what tes-
timony your have heard. She comes
upon the stand with revenge written
| upon every line of her face. She ad-
mrs writing letter that would have
been disgrace to bawdy house. hell.
tire and ell. Hasn't she testified falsely
and are you going 10 place upon
pedestal at the expense of Prince. You
viii believe him against hundred
| such witnesses. Gentlemen OF the jury.
hang the prisoner or acquit him. Hang
MN and you have robbed the gibbet
OF its ignominy. The district attorney
says Princes defense was made up.
Then. why did he kill him. 1t comes
with poor grace from the district at
torney 10 say that the defense was
made up in this case. II you believe
that Princes impulse was irresistible
then you will acquit him. | am not
speaking for Prince alone. but am
speaking for outraged humanity. the
family altar. There is nothing more
sacred than the sanctity of the fam
lily altar. Robert G.. Ingersoll. the ag
nostic, even admitted it. Are you going
to uphold the sanctity of the family
altar or tear it down. and debase it.
The district attorney is going TO ask
n
wouldn't bring in himself. The district
attorney has wonderful recuperative
powers and like Richlieu of old. he is
stronger when in a dying condition.
Gentlemen you can set this man free
but never restore his peace of mind.
He can go back and provide n morsel
for his children. but the awful stain
Will show forever. You can punish him
as you will, but never as much as he
has been punished. You can publish to
the world that here in old Virginia n
man can break up a home. pay so
fine and so back to his broken home
| again. l don't believe the district at
| torney can make you bring in Il YER
dict like that. Under the instructions
| of the court, you can bring in only
true verdict. The prisoner is entitled
| TO the presumption that he is mno-
| cent. Let 1t be flashed across the con-
| tirent that n Virginia man has been
punished for defending his wife and
children. Then go back to your homes
and say: We have for the first time
in the history of the law punished
man for defending his household.
Would you kill n burglar? He can but
take your goods. The man slayer can
take your life, the adulterer takes that
which is dearer to you than your life.
than all OF your household goods.
dearer than all OF the treasures ON
earth. Yet the man says I'm going
TO do 1t again. and YOU must stay
your hand The adulterer does worse
than the burglar, he robs you OF your
posterity."
The adulterers shadow rests over
more than one household. 1t rests over
the home of Princes poor old mother,
and she says, What has become OF my
boy?" (Here Prince collapsed. and
cried like an infant) mo matter how |
long a man lives the blood which has
been set boiling by such an outrage |
will never cool. No man who has ever |
been called a man would have done
different than did Prince. Prince
stands blasted man whether his life
be long short. Your verdict Will
either be reward to the adultercr or
n warning to hypocritical friends who
would invade mans home. desccratc
his bed and violate his wife Mr.
rhorp concluded at noon exactly and II
was the concenSuS of opinion that his
brilliancy. Such an appeal has rarely
been heard in n court of justice. and
not only was the prisoner compelled
to weep, but one of the older members
of the jury shed tears, While many
strong men spectators were visibly at
fected
District Attorney Allan began his
closing argument at 12:l0 O'Clock yes
terday afternoon. Mr.. Allan said he !
appreciated the eulogy of his friend
Thorp, but the bouquet he had thrown |
at him was full of thorns. SO import !
ant did he CAllan) consider this case
that he declined 10 have a hireiing as |
sociated in this case. His duty as n !
sworn officer compelled him to do this. |
II shall plead as loudly for morality |
and virtue as for the conviction of a |
red-handed murderer whose crime
was committed under the very caves |
of the sacred temple of justice itself. |
There hasn't beena word by the defense
as to another desolafed home. There |
hasn't been a reference to that awful |
taking-off of the wrongdoer. if wrong |
doer he may be. Get thee behind me- |
seems to be the cry of the counsel for |
the accused.
I'VE know why the defense fought |
on technical grounds. They wanted TO |
avoid trial in this court and take |
Prince before n jury of his neighbors. |
Is it because the statistics show No. |
folk is one of the wickeiest cities in the |
country. and the accused was one of |
the guardians of this city The de- |
Tense hoped to segregate the jury from |
the judge in this court. The cases |
cited by the defense have no COMPARE |
son or relevancy to the one at bar.
This case which my friend has had for
four months was not prepared for a |
United States Court. but State court
The only error my friend has commit