The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1907-01-24

clear that the triumph was to Be
reached only through the fastening or
the crime upon Alexis. Who. other
than Alexis, could have owned that
"skilful, guilty hand" Of which the
great advocate had spoken? But the
motive! Already installed IN his
unele's house, established there as a
favored companion. the supposed heir
to the greater portion of his wealth.
what could have induced Alexis to per
petrate such a crime! No. It could
not be Alexis.
And now, gentlemen Of the fury. It
is my duty to call your attention to the
grounds on which We base our charge
sgainst the prisoner. For years
he suspected the real author Of the
crime. 1t IS not for US to take into
consideration any other question than
the one which will be submitted to
you by his lordship in the charge
which he will shortly address to you.
Was the prisoner, Aloysius Brangwyn.
now seated in the dock before you. a.
any time In possession of an absolute
knowledge Of the truth about this
ghas1ly business? Was II at any time
In his power to secure the execution OF
justice In respect to one OF the most
foul and sordid crimes OF modern
days, and did he wilfully, and with
his eyes wide open to the conse.
quences of his own acts, refuse to do
his duty?
Gentlemen, on the prisoners own
confession, and In the document / now
hold in my hand, there is ample proof
OF that. This, gentlemen"-he shook
in the air ONE OF the documents in
which Aloysius had looked upon the
memoried record Of the past-'this is
a detailed account of the crime itself,
the ann In which 1t was commit.
ted, the motives which prompted It,
and the means which were employed
to conceal 1t, written by the hand Of
the criminal himself and signed by
him. This full confession, which In
every particular confirmed suspicious
which had been nurtured by the pris-
oner for a great length OF time, has
been In his possession for q year. II
was his duty, his bounden duty, to re-
veal the existence of this document to
the police, and he has placed himself
in ths peril in which he now stands
solely by his neglect to fulfil that duty.
Gentlemen, the unhappy individual
who has to answer a charge which has
many a time in the annals of English
law been held to be undistinguishable
from the crime OF wilful murder itself,
and has many a time drawn down an
equal punishment, that unhappy gen.
tleman, l say, who stands here in legal
peril Of his life. has a cousin. The
document / now hold In my hand
bears that cousins signature"
There was a commotion in the body
OF the court. A lady had tainted at
the eminent counsel's last words, and
had fallen forward in the narrow
space between her and the person
who sat m seat nearer to the speak
or. A dozen hearers had thrilled to
the low but eloquent moan with which
she had fallen. The gentleman who
accompanied her had seized her by
the waist and was attempting to raise
her. Everybody about them stood up.
People beyond them stoond upon the
seats. Once again the proceedings
were suspended, and with infinite diff
iculty the unconscious lady's escort
made a way with her to tho fresher
air Of the corridor. 1t was noticed by
many that during this episode the pris-
one stood up with An air Of solicitude
and distress, and that when it was
over he abandoned the air of impas.
sivity he had hitherto worn, n sat
his hands.
Ito BE Continued.)