The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-09-25
THE JURY find Cz0LG0Sz
GUILTY IN FIRST DEGREE
The Actual 7 ime Consumed in the Trial of the
Assassin Eight Hours and Twenty
Six Minutes.
HE WILL Be SENTENCED ON THURSDAY
should establish beyond a reasonable
doubt that the defendant was guilty OF
the crime charged against him.

should establish beyond q reasonable
doubt that the defendant was guilty Of
the crime charged against him.
There are in our country individuals,
not l hope, in any very large numbers,
but we know they are scattered all over
our country, who think that in case
like this or even in charges of much less
degree, it is entirely proper that the
case should be disposed of by lynch or
mob law. We can hardly take up paper
without we learn that in some part Of
this free and Independent country, some
man has been murdered on the suspicion
or belief that he was guilty of some
crime. This state of things does not eX-
ist in our community, but it does in
some parts of our State as every intelli-
gent man knows.
PLEADS AGAINST LYNCH LAW.
ct is charged here that our client is
an anarchist, a man who does not be-
lieve in any law or in any form of gov
ernment and there, are, so we are told,
other individuals who entertain that opin-
ion We all feel that such doctrines are
dangerous, are criminal. are doctrines
that will subvert our Government in time
if they are allowed to prevail.
Gentlemen of the jury, while believe
firmly in that, l don't believe it creates
danger to this country equal to the be-
lief, becoming so common, that men who
are charged with crime shall not be per-
mitted to go through the form of a trial
in a court of justice, but that lynch law
shall take the place of the calm and dig
nified administration OF the law by our
courts of justice.
when that doctrine becomes sufficient
ly prevalent in this country, If it ever
does, our institutions will be set aside
and overthrown and if we are not mis-
informed as to the state of mind OF
some people in some parts of our coun-
try, the time is fast approaching when
men charged with crime will not be per-
mitted to come into court and submit to
calm and dignifed trial, but will be
strung up to a tree on the bare suspicion
that some one may hold the belief that
. they have committed some crime.
ut is not long since l read in a paper
that a colored man in the South had
his life taken because he had insulted
a white man. What it was the paper
did not say, but he was strung up. l
suggest, gentlemen, that class of the
community who are crying out in our
cities and are sending letters to lawyers
suggesting that the man who is charged
with the crime that this defendant is
should not be permitted to have trial
before a court of justice, are more
| dangerous class to the community than
the anarchist about whom we read SO
much.
TO UPHOLD THE LAW.
| Nov it is the duty of every American
+, citizen or every good man to stand firm
| ly by the law and put his voice against
| any idea that man should be punished
Hfor any crime until he is proven guilty
| in court, beyond any reasonable doubt.
my associate and myself are here
| to uphold the law My associate and
myself are here for the same purpose
that the learned district attorney is here
| fors to see that this trial progresses in
a legal, orderly and proper manner. We
must in every way possible put down
and suppress this feeling that cases may
be disposed of without the intervention
| of courts of justice.
Il remember gentlemen, when | was
a young man living in Auburn studying
my profession the news came that a col
ored man had gone up on the shores OF
Owasco Lake and there had murdered
practically an entire family named Var
Ness. The news created intense excite
ment The people gathered on the streets
| to hear the news. In the course Of the
afternoon it was learned that the man
! Freeman, had been arrested and was be-
| ing brought to the city to be incarcer-
ated. The people upon the streets became
more and more excited. They began to
| talk about mobbing the colOred man
when he arrived William H. Seward
who lived then in that city appeared
upon the street and counseled modera-
tion, counseled the people to wait ano
see whether the man was really guilty
| of the crime or not and permit him to
have legal trial. But the people pro-
tested. He was guilty, they said. and
must be disposed Of Mr. Seward insist
cd and they incarcerated Freeman in jail
| 1t soon became Known that Mr.. Seward
! had volunteered to defend the negro
when he was put on trial and Indignation
arose against him, but that far-sceing
man, that statesman saw that there
was an opportunity of giving an object
| lesson to the world as to the proper dis
position of that case and for two long
months that trial went on with Seward
defending the negro. 1t occupied some
three weeks in obtaining jury and ] sat
/ by during almost the entire proceedings
of that trial and listened to the defense
| that Mr. Seward interposed. Not that
he cared anything for the negro, but he
wanted to maintain the law giving every
man trial and to put down mob vio-
| lence.
THIS TRIAL AN OBJECT LESSON.
.sThis trial here is a great object les
son to the world. Here is case where