Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1907-12-19

pose was the argument that mas
preceded me in this case. Mr.. knight
has told you how young and inexper-
fenced he is. / think his argument
shows it; still we all learn some things
in the books before we begin practic-
ing law. Amongst those we learn that
prosecutor should tell in a plain,
way, what he thinks
are the reasons-what he thinks is the
evidence-that finds the defendant
guilty.
A defendant pleading for man IS
life may be excused for some things;
he often goes furthersthan he ought.
i do, many simes. Many times j
regret it. But if you are pleading
for a man s life you can be excused;
but ii you are trying to take il away,
that is another thing.
A prosecutor should be judicial; he
should be fair. The defendant has
no chance to talk, his lips are sealed.
You may call him a dastardly cowar
and criminal, he can say nothing
about it. He is there to wait to find
out whether twelve men are to tie a
rope around his neck, and that Is all
there is about il. And it is the duty
of prosecutor, IL | understand 1t,
not to beg for verdict, as Mr.. Knight
has so pitiously begged, before this
jury. Why, one woud almost believe
that Mr.. Knight would never have
another case in the world unless he
got Steve Adams hanged; he talks
as il he would not. / never heard
begged in this case. Now, il it would
lal. q. Io, L.a
stood a good deal, and / suppose he
could stand this. We have not heard
any analysis of the evidence; we have
not heard any discussion of the facts,
We have heard the words "dastard
and criminal, and we have heard
talk Of the "greatestp and "worsto
and "blackest criminal act ever per-
formed in the history of the world.
IL you had cut "dastard'' out of
Mr.. Knights speech don't believe no
would have made one.
r1istreatment of Adams
/ don't think that is the way
a defendant should be treated. This
defendant had been treated badly
enough, God knows, before he got
into this court; and, as 1 say,
and as the lawi says, and as
your own sense and justice would
say, a man in defending may be for
given much; he may be incorporate
in his language; he may go beyond
what he ought. But in the prosecu-
tion it is another thing.
1t is just as much murder to tie a
rope around the neck of a man, under
the guise Of law, if he has not ben
proven guilty, as il is to shoot him in
the head; and a man who would care
lessly and lightly do it has just as
much TO answer for.
You have every proof, we are told
by Mr.. Knight, that Adams is the
worst man on the face of the earth.
You would think Steve Adams did
not need any lawyer at all, he did
not need us to defend him; he could
have come into this court with detee-
tive Mcfarland and the counsel for
the State and his rights would have
been well preserved.
Gentlemen, | cannot agree with Mr..
Knight. ] think if ever a man needed
a lawyer Steve Adams has needed one,
and / am not here TO dodge any re-
sponsibilities in this case or to deny
any of the facts in this case or TO
deny who is defending him. There
is a powerful organization on both
sides. and Steve Adams is mighty
lucky that he has got somebody to
pay the expenses of his trial or else
he would be ground to pieces by the
power Of the state.
A Great Knight
1 cannot attempt to follow all that
Mr.. Knight has said. He has quoted
from some authorities that are un-
familiar to me; he has quoted from
the Bible and Shakespeare. 1 have
heard of these. He said something
about Nietzsche; / suppose Nietzsche
is some man that lives up at Wallace
whom I never met before, so / will
have to pass Nietzsche. He SENS to be
familiar with him. / have not criti
cized Mr.. knights grammar or his
English. II / were to give my opin
ion, I would say that has been about
all there was to his argument, the
grammar and the English. Mr.. Knigh,
has told you that we are up here in
rural town amongst farmers; and
suppose the inference would be thai
grammar and English would not bt
specially needed up here, in what he
characterizes as an obscure town.
Now, so far as i am concerned,
want to argue this case upon the facts
as they are before this jury plainly
in as straightforward a way as
can. I want to take the facts Of thi'
case, and want the jury to remember
as / know they will, that mans
life is at stake In this trial.
Mr.. Knight has informed you thai
this is more than nero murder case
Now, I don't know exactly what tha
means; / don't know exactly what NJ
means by ga mere murder case'. II
there is anything on earth that Il
higher or more important than mer'
murder case I don't know what IL is
I never have found 1t, ] never under
stand II.
Here IL ease whore you twelve mel
are charged with the responsibility o.
saying whether one Of your fellow
citizens shall live or die. If you caI
get any greater responsibility, gentle
men, Idont know what il is. / woul,
not take IL. / would not take the re
hat Lu,