The Wilmington daily Republican., 1902-03-28
lNHUMAN
STBP-M0THER.

Mt. Holly, N. j., March 27.-The
battle Of Mrs. May Haines to break
down the testimony Of murderou.
tiendishness given against her started
today, and, in the belief Of the pris
oner's friends, with promising pros
pects
Though the most damaging evi.
dence was during two days piled high
by the State ia making outfits charges
that the woman beat and poisoned tc
death pretty little Gwendolin Haines.
her step daughter. when the prosecu.
tlon closed today the circumstantial
chain seemed to lack a number of
links.
The jury OF public opinion, that
has settled the case time and time
again, with always the sams verdict
guilty--was to night divided. That
division was caused by the argument
that the State had notproved beyond
a doubt that the arsenic found
enough OF it to kill eight persons
entered the child's body before death,
and that no evidence had been pre-
sented to show that Mrs. Haines ever
had in her possession any arsenic or
ever attempted to procure any.
The same arguerS claim also that
the injuries 10 the child, which doc
tors have sworn would in themselves
cause death, have not actually traced
to beatings by the step mother, and
that in the absence of actual proof
her story that the wounds were re,
ceived in falls must be given some
weight where life is at stake: that
no matter how strong is the moral
certainty Of guilt, when it comes to
the making Of verdict the law says
cnly The evidence must be taken into
consideration.
Thus it is that Mrs. May Haines
has more than fighting chance at
the outset of the defense. She
herself will 60 on the witness stand
and will tell her own story Of the
death of little Gwendolin. No doubt
her story will be very interesting. That
Mrs. Haines has magnetic person.
aIty, despite the coldness of her elon-
gated and pallid face, was evidenced
to day when many refined and intelli-
gent women came forward and bore
testimony to her good reputation. 50
1t is to be expected that she will com.
mand the attention of every iuryman
throughout her recital.
The interest Of the Woman in
Blacks trial was suggested in the
crowds that tiocked to the Court
House today, most of the people only
to be refused admission, because there
was no room left on the inside. The
majority of the curious ones were
women, as usual, the men having been
ont numbered in the Court room tif-
teen to one. That is largely account
ed for, of course, by the fact that wo-
men are admitted before the doors are
publicly thrown open.
Scores of these women came from
Philadelphia and even cities
farther away.
1t was a day interesting and dull
by turns. Mrs. IIaines' face, still the
subject of study in the eyes of every
spectator, bore a change, and a re-
one. The hard look had
given place to something else
But what? When she entered in the
morning followed by her children and
husband, she looked weary, seemingly
'roken spirited. When she had taken
Ter accustomed seat and looked at the
ury it was seen that the lips were
till set in trmness, but the mouth
acked the sign of defiance. The
mile was not the sneer of the two
lays gone before. What was that
else that shone in that
eretofore face of cold calm? People
Gho studied it wondered ii after the
rightful ordeal Of yesterday, it was :
+ last fear.