The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-06-21
TODAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

At half past ten o'clock Marshall Van
Winkie began his summing up for the de-
fendant Barker. After few preliminary
words about his position formerly as
Prosecutor but now as counsel for del
fendant, said
'.In view of the ruling of the Court
which excluded certain matters which we
deemed our main defense, must of nec-
essity give YOU a general and, to me, un-
satisfactory statement. Now the evidence
in its present unsatisfactory condition dis
closes an outrage perpetrated on Mrs.
Barker by Rev. John Keller. We said TO
ourselves those newspaper men represent
ing millions of people who want to know
the outrage by the clergyman on this
woman. You, gentlemen of the jury, have
right to paint the blackest outrage and
you have right to inquire into it. Now
has this man had a fair trial under the
constitution which guarantees every man
fair trial?'
Mr. Van Wrinkle laid it down as legal
proposition that the jury should excuse
the act because of his justification. Again
if the story was not yet if he believed It
to be true and acted on that behalf he
was acting under a delusion and as
matter Of law he should be excused.
.'You have enough foundation" said
Mr. Van Wrinkle, ito acquit this man or
the grounds I have stated"
Pointing to Mr. Keller the lawyer dra-
matically said:-
'sYou may ignor Mr.. Keller altogether.
but yoJ. may convict Mr. Barker because
his story has not been produced. You
may say that Barker cannot be excused
because his story has not been produced
Whose fault is that? We were not allow
ed 10 tell it. Now each case must depend
on the facts as they exist but sometimes
undue Importance IS given to facts me-
glecting others. know this that a man
who commits the crime this man is
charged with means on conviction seven
years. but if you convict a man of rape.
that is a. higher crime and means Is years
imprisonment, so that if you compare the
two the rape is by twice the higher
crime.
Now, Mrs. Barker is an Episcopalian.
So am I. She is chief person in this,
and / say that no woman should asail
a church which has been her best pro-
tector. The Gospel has elevated women
to be an estate on earth Religion IS Pc
culiarly woman's consolation, as the
flower to the sun, and l say that man
who ruins woman by reason OF her
religious tendencies and has the oppor-;
tunity Is guilty of the blackest crime.
The lawyer disavowed any attack on
the church, but he insisted that any en-
dorsement of Mr.. Keller by the church
was an intellectual mistake and an of
tense against good taste and Judgment
unless that clergyman had been investf-
gated
Mr. Van Wrinkle was about to produce
and read from the articles governing the
Episcopal Church when the Prosecutor
objected and the Court sustained the OBJ
lection.
The lawyers criticism was directed
against the Newark Diocesan Conference
when, in May last, at their annual meet
ing, they passed a vote Of confidence in
Rev. Mr.. Keller, it's secretary, and chap
lain to Bishop Starkey.
to me cannot say enough of this man,
the defendant. His wife was his ideal
his happiness Along came Mr.. Keller
and went in and out of that house at
all times and seasons. He was a minister
of the Gospe1-that's enough. Mr.. Keller
went bicycling with Barker who gave
him a bicycle. You are men of the world
and know that the evidence disclosed
close companionship with Mrs. Barker.
What do you find? Mr.. Keller was a
man, a celibate, and in history you find
restrained, committing the heinous
crimes You fiEd the opportunity the
man and the woman. and you know
turning Hereby on Mr. Kellerl that ia
Argyle place something happened In
April 1926 In that house What was X !?
What It WAS Barker never knew until
january 1881, In the way he did. From