The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-06-22


believed in the Immortality of the soul
of cats, broke through the guard and
did manage to bestow resounding kiss
on the minister's cheek.
BLESS you, cannot thank you-my
heart is too full" said Mr.. Keller, the
tears flowing from his remaining eye.
He was deeply affected and leaned his
head on Rev. Mr.. Fletcher's shoulder and
audibly sobbed Followed by his friends
he walked slowly to his home, and be-
fore entering the house he moved his
arms in adieu.
On his way to his home Rev. Mr.. Keller
had to pass the residence of Thomas G.
Barker, and who should be standing at
the window but the wretched wife of the
man who shot him. The poor woman
quickly turned from the window and the
crowd had the good taste to move quickly
on.
She sat through the proceedings of
court yesterday afternoon during the
Judges charge, but when the case was
submitted to the jury she kissed her hus-
band and left the court room with her
friend, Miss Germond both holding their
handkerchiefs to their eyes. A few
friends met them at the depot and es-
denied herself to a great number of peo-
pie who called to offer their sympathy
1t was understood this morning that
counsel for the Rev. John Keller will at
once proceed to commence a suit for dam
ages against Barker, but how he expects
to collect anything is a mystery, for Bar
ker is without funds and his prospect
of being able to gain anything for years
fo ic fo f1o laac CT c6a On
the other hand, Barkers counsel are
talking of preferring a criminal charge
against the Rev. John Keller for assault
on Mrs. Barker. BY the law of New Jer-
sey crime like this is outlawed if not
brought within two years from the time
of its alleged commission. Since the al
legged assault took place, so Mrs Barker
says, eighteen months ago, the lawyers
have plenty of time to take action in the
matter. They will not say what they
propose to do yet
1t was announced this morning that two
clergymen of the Newark Protestant
Episcopal, Diocese of Newark will prefer
charges against Mr.. Keller under that
section of the canon of the church which
deals with the conduct of members of the
clergy. This will be done so that Mr.
Keller may clear himself of the charge
Rev. E. A. White, of the Committee on
Constitution and Canons, who was for
merly a member of the bar, it is said, will
prefer the charges. A special meeting
could only be called by Bishop Thomas
A. Starkey for the purpose of trying the
charges. Rev. Mr.. Keller would have due
notice and time allowed for the prepara-
ton of his defence.
Bishop Starkey when seen at his home
in East Orange last night said:-
''Rev. Mr. Keller's standing in the
Church is precisely the same as 1t was
before the assault on him was committed
It has never been changed. The Church
has always had the utmost confidence in
him, never doubted his innocence and has
stood Loyalty by him. His reelection as
secretary of the convention was proof
Of it. He is still my chaplain as he has
always been. There is no action for-the
Church to take in the matter"
Naturally lawyers have been comment
ing on the rulings of Judge Blair and
criticising every phase of this now IA
nous case The management of the trial
by both prosecutor and defendants law
yers has come into the scope of review
by the gentlemen of the long robe. For
some reason or other the defendant
lawyers have been charged with ham
mering, so to speak, the alleged outrage
into the case by trick and so have 1t
laid out before the jury. There is one
thing certain that if it had not been
mentioned the jurors would have known
all about it from the newspapers, which
exploited the narrative repeatedly. From
a legal standpoint the defences attitude
could be thus summed up
'sThe legal proposition is to prove that
a man is insane, evidence of his belief
in a certain narrative Irrespective of the
truth of falsity of the narration) is Of
fered The Court permits medical ex-
pert to testify that in subjective exam
ination of the defendant he discovered
that defendant believed the narrative, but
refuses to permit the expert, or any one
else on the part of the defence, to go
into the details of the narration Are not
the details, that is, the melting causes
of the act, necessary in order to show
the state of mind of the defendant? By
some it can certainly be urged that the
Court permits conclusion to be offered
in evidence but refuses to permit the
facts on which the conclusion is based :"
Judge Parker, private counsel for Rev.
John Keller, made an explanation this
morning about the monies loaned to Mr..
Keller by Mrs Barker and of which she,
in her letters, demanded the return. Dur
ing the trial the prosecution was not per-
mitted to go into the reason for the
loans and the judges statement throws
some light. He says that from time to
time Mrs. Barker advanced to Mr.. Keller
these sums to buy things necessary for
the church, such as communion wine.
bread for the sacrament, altar cloths,
vestments for the clergyman, robes for
the choristers, hymn books and supplies
of varied character, she being a member
of the famous Chapter of the Church
having charge of the furnishing of the
| mission chapel.
"You will remember said Judge
Parker, .that in the course of the testi-
mony Mr.. Keller was asked
"swhy did Mrs. Barker leave your
church?'
"This question was put by the defense
on cross-examination with a view to get
ting in the famous story, but the prose-
cution objected, fearing it would open the
door for rebuttal by Mrs. Barker Now.
| the real reason was that Mrs. Barker had