The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-02-25
MURDER TRIAL
Of LONG AGO
Case in Which Daniel Webster
Made a Famous
Speech.
asUICIDE is CONFESSION"
nzc,hRATIoN WHICH HAS BE-
COME AN AXIOM

nan whose memory hao oeen st. .,i
e. the account of the ThaW tilal trleo
III ~ mind a famous speech III Whlch
1sal webster made the oft quoted
-, that. there is no refuge from
ssossion hut suicide and suicide IS con-
,.ss,on /" saws the Kansas City Star Inc
,ffort not being entirely successIui' sew
-, usually well informed persons were
s.,,-ao.sioned hut without Tangible ie'eItS I
s.se bod "a haZv idea that the sPeSci
- eoInatbing TO do with the kliiiilS VI :.
Dr. Parkman by Professor " - mis-
Harvard teacher. but Ie' -iee.,.o51ca 80
go failed to diVulge any feieI SilO -
as XVebsfer's having taken any part
In il. s.l,.,, beesn a system
Mic Investigation and, aiter nv udS 80, %
ssarcb through dusty tones r5 ou,io sI;i
~ snescb was made in the Knapp tr l
nc ,f3ilesscbusetts, This trial was 10 Tx
w -..,,sibilit,- for the murder OF Joseph
write. April :, 1880 in Saiehi-
a viuilanee Committee Formed.
Io-enh White was a retired merchant
g. wears old. rich and geheIaiiN ioHed.
"a ms killed i'm his bed. ne being IlfSt
-tr,,,l- with a bludgeOn and then SlaoDeQ
tir,aen times. The crime caused great
e,--;te4nenf. and a vigilance committee
Vas organized to search out the Hl.lr-
5erer on little more than genera pIln-
cirles q hard character llaiileu ,o -, u
Crcwuinshield ana his brother were IN
dIcted. ..i,,, r,on.o;,,
Iosenh / knapp. a respected merchant
snd shipmaster. received a peculiar letter
S-or, man in Maine referring TO Cap
tain Knapp's having given Sl'ee to some
parson for having executed some DUST
ness II developed later that this letter
was intended for Joseph j. Knapp, 1r.
me father. not understanding this epis-
lie asked his several sons about IL
ona son y Phippen Knapp. lawyer,
,,j5 ha conld not understand it. The
other two. Joseph J. Knapp. jr,. and John
Francis knapp. also declared they knew
pothing about It. Joseph even suggested
Thai il be turned over TO the vigilance
committee. This was fatal mistake.
The committee found the writer, who
said Joseph Knapp had given Richard
Crowninshield $1,000 10 kill White.
To Prevent Changing Of Will.
This later proved TO be true. and Fran
els Knapp was a party TO the bargain
Joseph Knapp's object in wishing TO
have White killed was desire TO share
i'm the old mans estate. Joseph hnapps
wife was a niece of White and the young
mar had heard the merchant was going
b. alter his WILL cutting down the young
roman's share.
: Daniel Webster was retained to assist
n the prosecution and a part OF his
speech in 3 mining mp the case follows:
II is the assassin purpose TO make sure
work; and he Vet plies the dagger,
through il was obvious that life had been
destroyed by the blow of the bludgeon-
lie even raises the aged arm, that he
pay not fail al the blow of the heart.
sud replaces il again over the wounds of
the poinard, To complete the picture, he
Explores the wrist for the pulse, He feels
Il and ascertains that it beats no longerl
= is accomplished. The deed is done. He
Fetreats retraces his steps TO the Win
dow, passes out through it as he came in
and escapes, He has done the murder-no
eve has seen him, no ear has heard him.
The secret is his own, and it is safe.
& No Such Secret Safe.
Z An. gentlemen. that was a dreadful mis-
take. Such a secret can be safe nowhere
The whole creation of God has neither
crook nor corner where the guilty can
best0W it and say il is safe. Not 10
SPEAK Of that eye which glances through
~ DISCUSSES and beholds everything as
q the splendOr of nOOn-such secrets are
never safe from detection. even by men.
True il IS. generally speaking. that ''mur-
der will out"
True it is that Providence hath so or
dained and doth so govern things that
those who break the great law of heaven
by shedding mans blood seldom escape
7sc0very. Especially. in a case exciting
50 much attention as this. discovery must
come, and will come sooner or later. A
thousand eyes turn at once to explore
very man. everything. every circum-
'taEee connected with the time and place.
! thousand ears catch every whisper; a
hcussnd minds dwell intently on the
Gene. shedding all their light and ready
10 kindle the slightest circumstance into
! blaze of discovery.
Meantime, the guilty soul cannot keep
Is own secret. Ii is false to itself, or |
ather it feels an irresistible impulse TO be |
rue 70 itself IL labOrs under its guilty |
possession and knows not what to do !
With 1t. The human heart was not made |
or such an inhabitant 1t finds itself 1
lreyed on by a torment which it dares I
hol acknowledge to God or man. A vul- /
.ure Is devouring il and it can ask no 1
sympathy or assistance. either from earth /
y hsaFen- The secret which the muir /
ltIer possesses soon comes to possess /
I'M ard. Ike the evil spirits of which i
Ne read, It OvercOmes him and leads him /
'hitnersoever it will. He feels il beating /
y ms heart, rising in his throat and de- 1
ndhalng disclosure. He thinks the whole |
Nvrid sees IL in his face. reads il in his |
IS and almost hears its workings in the /
~ saence Of his thoughts 1t has be-
-ulle his master hot IL. Il