The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-03-09
HARRISoN'S MURDER CASE.
How He Won One of the Few That
Voorhees, Ever Lost.

How He Won One of the Few That
Voorhees, Ever Lost.
The scars are almost healed. The
small boys of the Civil War period are
growing gray, and Hoosiers who used
to be afraid to go into Kentucky and
kentuckians who dared not cross into
Indiana now jug" for catfish from the
same skif and swap war lies and plug
tobacco in perfect amity. The war
must be over
Ben Harrison's appearance in one of
the greatest lawsuits in the worlds
history-the boundary dispute between
venezuela and Great Britain-is not
his first celebre by any means. He
may recall one in which he participated
when he was twenty-five years young
er than he Is now, with Dan Voorhees,
as opposing counsel. He may remem-
Der 1t because it was one of the few
murder cases Voorhees, ever lost. The
State OF Indiana had found fault with
one Bill Smith-that was not his name,
but twill serve-becauSe Bill had killed
a farmer. 1t was a most unprovoked
murder, for Bill and ii party of royster-
ing companions had stoned the farm
ers house, and when he appeared with
out the moat to make physical protest
they set upon him most savagely. He
was stabbed to death with a Jack
knife in the hands of Smith. Harrison
was called in to assist the Prosecuting
Attorney. 1t was great day at the
county seat, and the courthouse was
packed to witness the battle royal be-
tween the two giants of the forensic
arena. Smith was a very unpromising
candidate, for nature and bad ances-
try had made low-browed degenerate
of him to begin with, and his own ef-
forts had not improved his makeup
While the witnesses were being ex-
amined he leered grInned and spurt.
ed tobacco juice vigorously extracted
from quid which, from the swelling
In his cheek seemed to be about the
size of an ordinary egg of commerce.
voorhees,, calling each juror by his first
name-"Bill," "Jim" or "Jack." as was
his wOnt-made a most impassioned
plea for the young man, begging his
twelve peers to "give him Just one
more chance" He rung the changes
on that tent for three or four hours,
and the more eloquent Voorhees, be-
came the more Smith grinned and ex-
perforated.
When Voorhees, had finished Harri-
son walked close mp to the prisoner,
regarded him most attentively for
length of time that seemed an hour to
the jury and spectators, and an age to
the culprit, and after he had finished
his survey exclaimed in mock continu-
tion of Voorhees's speech: "Yes: give
him one more chancew and the deadly
sarcasm in his tone was like a thrust
to the heart Of the defendant With ma
lignant deliberateness Harrison sized
the degenerate again for an intermin-
able length Of time, and the Jury could
not help doing the same. GIVE him
one more chancew hssed the cold
blooded, cruel HARRISON and then the
faying began. If ever n man was YER
bally skinned alive that same Bill
Smith was, and Voorhees, acknowl-
edged after the trial that his clients
fate was sealed when Harrison first
called the jury's attention to the pris-
oner's utterly depraved appearance and
then sneered, "Give him one more
chanceP Smith got twenty years.
which Mr.. Voorhees, declared was q
light sentence, considering all the cir.
umstances.-Minneapolis News.