Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-06-10
CHAPTER XIV.

The trial OF Herbert made great
STIR, He was young, good-looking and
intelligent, and possessed that telling
requisite Of the first-class murderer
he was member of one of the best
families in the state. For several
weeks the case had been lost sight of,
and now that it was actually set for
trial for the first Monday in Febru-
airy, 1t became again the sensation Of
the day. The general impression was
that if Herbert frankly admitted kill
ing his unnatural parent, the jury's
verdict would have been-to quote the
irreverent language of Frank Hills
man: well done, good and faithful
servant; go and kill him some more"
The popular sympathy was with
him, though the popular Judgment
considered him guilty. Curiosity sent
hundreds of people, among them
number of ladies', to the court house
to witness the trial.
Those who were present made y
mental picture of the scene with de-
tails like these: That the face of the
judge was ominously severe and
solemn; that the prosecuting attor-
ney was easy and self-satisfed; that
the voice of the clerk was rasping
and Unconditional in its staccato-like
enunciation, reading an indictments
for murder as if it were railway an
nounccment to dinner; that lawyer
Everett looked ruddy and uncon-
cerned; that Col. Franklin, who sat
among the attorneys present, frowned
heavily, and evidently disapproved
very heartily of the accused; that the
prisoner seemed to have no apprecia-
ton of the gravity of his situation.
but was apparently more uncon-
cerned than anyone else in the court
room; that his wife was well-dressed,
plump, rosy-cheeked. and evidently
very well contented with her hus-
band, herself, and the world at large,
except that she was trifle excited
ut being so conspicuous in the court
room. This was the picture pretty
fully outlined.
Herbert Wright was very much i'm
proved since the day when he en-
tered the Office of the chief of police
end told his story Of the finding of
his fathers body. He had been we'll
taken care of by his friends ut the
jail, supplied with wholesome food
and dressy clothes; and now, we'll
groomed, cleanly-shaven and scrupu-
lousy neat, he looked the gentleman
he had always been.
A few hours were consumed in
obtaining the jury, the prosecution
doing the major part of the challeng-
ing. the defense apparently being
willing to try the case before any 10
men in the court room. While there
were no outward signs of it, the
prosecution was not q little our
prised at this manifest Indifference
of Lawyer Everett who was usually
9 most painstaking critic Of the inn
panelllng Of Jury.
The Jury selected, the Indictment
was reud and the trial was begun.
The case against Herbert Wright
was presented with what appeared
to be miraculous completeness. It
was proved that on the day before
the murder there had been quarrel
between young Wright and his
father; that the former had asked
for money, which had been refused,
and that he had gone away in an
angry frame of mind; that his wife
was sick and without the necessaries
Of life, and that he was utterly des-
perate. 1t was then shown that Her
bert was seen shortly after five
o'clock near the place where his
father had been murdered. Half an
J hour later he was in the city pawning
gold watch, pair of sleeve buttons
and knife which had belonged to
John T. Wright, and which he had
about him when he was murdered.
When the prosecuting attorney got