Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-07-06

\SulU Lue so4HmcO coUn0el), ana ldvlnf
done his duty 1t wcald be for the jury
to perform theirs.
Within few days there had beer
found in the prisoners house small
bottle-stopper Of very singular ap
pearance, and was described by thu
medical men as Of q kind used by
chemists to preserve liquids most like
" to lose their virtues on exposure Il
the air. To whom 1t belonged, or t,
what use 1t had been applied, Their,
was no evidence to show.
Such was the address OF the counse
for the prosecution, and during its de
livery had watched the countenanc,
Of the prisoner, who had listened, too
with deep attention. Twice only did
perceive that 1t produced the slightes
emotion. When the disappearance o.
the housekeeper was mentioned, I
smile. az of scorn. passed over his lips
and the notice Of the discovery Of thu
stopper obviously excited an interest
and thought, an apprehension, but II
quickly subsidized. need not detail
the evidence that was given for the
| prosecution: 1t amounted in substance
to that which the counsel stated, no,
was 1t varied in any particular. The
stopper was produced and proved to
have been found in the house. but nc
attempt was made to trace 1t to the
prisoners possession or even knowl.
edge.
When the case for the prosecution
was in. the learned Judge said he
thought there was hardly sufficient evil
dence to call upon the prisoner for a
Defense and II the Jury were Of that
opinion, they would at once stop the
case. Upon this the jury turned
around for moment, and then acuui
esced In his honor's views The coun
sci folded up their briefs, and YER
dict Of acquittal was about to, be TAX
en-. when the prisoner urged the cour!
to permit him to state the case to the
Jury and to call his housekeeper with
so much earnestness and was second
ed 80 ably by his counsel, that thu
Judge, much against his inclination AND
habit, yielded to the request.
The prisoner then addressed thu
Jury, and entreated their patience TO,
a short time to obtain their veriic
upon higher grounds-upon the impos
sibility Of his being guilty of the awfu
crime.
OF the stopper which had been found
he disowned all knowledge; declared
most solemnly that he had never seer
1t before 1t was produced in court, ant
asked, could its being in the house only
a few days ago. when hundreds Of PEG
pie had been there. produce upon al
impartial mind even moments pre1u
dice against him7 One fact, and onl,
one. had been proved, to which 1t wa
possible for him to give an answer
the fact Of his having gone to the bed
room Of his housekeeper on the nigh
in question.
He had been subject for many year
to sudden illness; he had been selzet
on that occasion, and had gone to pro
cure her assistance in lighting fire
She had returned with him to his room
for that purpose. he having waited TO
a minute in the passage while she pu
on her clothes, which would accoun
for the momentary disappearance O
the light, and after she had remained
in his room for few moments, finding
himself better, he had dismissed her
and retired again to bed, from which
he had not risen when he was inform
ed Of the death Of his guest 1t hat
been said that, after his committal /,
prison. his housekeeper had dtsap
peared. He avowed that finding hi,
1 entmies detefmlneds n possible. to &C
complish his ruin, he had thought /
probable that they might tamper witt
his servant; he had therefore kept he
out Of the way-but for what purpose
Not to prevent her testimony beinl
given. for she was now under the car,
of his solicitor, and would instantl.
appear for the purpose Of confirming
SO far as she was concerned, the state
ment which he had Just made.
Such was the prisoners address
which produced powerful effect. l
was delivered in nrm and impressiv
manner, and Its simplicity and artlass
ness gave 1t an appearance Of truth
The housekeeper was then put In tn
box and examined by the counsel 70
the prisoner. She had been kept at
house near at hand, and had not hear
single word Of the trial. There wa
nothlng remarkable in her manner Q
appearance; she might be about 8.
with regular though not agreeable fes
lures. and an air perfectly free fror
embarrassment.
Il She repeated, almost in the prison
er's own words, the story Of his havin
called her mp, and she having accom-
panied him to his room, adding tina
after leaving him she had retire
to her own room and had been avail
ened by man servant in the morn
ing with an account of the traveller
death.
She had now to undergo cross-e1
animation; and may as well stat
here. what, though not known to m
till afterwards, will assist the reader 4
understanding the following scene
The counsel for the prosecution had
in his own mind. attached considerable
Importance to the circumstance men
toned by the person who saw tn
light, that while the prisoner an,
housekeeper were in the room Of tn
former, something like door had In
tervened between the window and tn
candle. which was totally irreconci
able with the appearance Of the roor
when examined; and he had half pei
suaded himself that there must be
secret closet which had escaped tn
officers Of Justice. the opening of whic
would account for the appearance Al
luded to, and the existence Of whic
might discover the property which ha
80 mysteriously vanished.
| His object, therefore. was to obtail
from the housekeeper (the only perso
except the prisoner who conld rive an