Crittenden record=press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1907-1909, 1909-04-01

the ststesmauts made by the Com.
opwealth witnesses. He reviewed
the ponderous chain Of testimony
from the beginning. aud had time to
get away from the testimony and
sway the audience With eloquent
theoretical pictures Of chat might
have been.
The closing speech was made BY
john Grsyot, Commonwealth sttor-
ney. Mr.. Grsyot had watched the
arguments Of the other attorneys and
attempted to touch upon the salient
points left by them. He also re-
viewed the evidence Of both sides.
His analysis Of the evidence was list.
ened TO with rspt attention from the
start, and his was a mastery effort
for the viodication Of the Law.
Throughout the long trial Earnest
Slayden and his wife sat near the bar.
Slsyden displayed q keen interest in
every move made. HIS face was at
most times serious, but at intervals,
when his attorneys appeared to make
q point in his favor. or make some
sally Of sarcasm toward . Common
wealth witness, a smile was seen up
on his pale face. Slayden's wife, a
daughter Of the murdered man, was
loyal to him from the time Of his ar.
rest until the jury pronounced the
sentence upon him. Mrs. Slayden
keeuly enjoyed anything that tended
to discredit Commonwealth witnesses,
even though the witness was a men,
Der Of her own family. She appear
ed to feel assured from the first that
her husband would 60 acquit. She
sobbed piteously when the Jury's
verdict vss read BY the clerk. and
remained close ct the side Of the con-
demued man, ~ long - he vas in
the court room.
10 t~o hours after the verdict was
hesra the crowd that had attended
the court day after day had slipped
sway To their respective homes. II
ia no, Known What Slayden's attor.
news will do. but It is probably no
effor, will he mad. to appeal.
The crime for which Slayden was
convicted was one Of the most afro
cious IN the criminal annals Of thus
section. On the night Of April "a,
1908, James p. Sailenger, q we'll
known and highly respected farmer
Of the Irma neighborhood sixteen
miles north west Of Marion, mysteri-
ously disappeared. The following
day q search revealed his dead bod
in an old abandoned we'll on his
farm. When the body was drawn
from the we'll several CHASTITY wound.
told that dastardIv murder had |
been committed. Numerous circum
stances showing a deep-laid pIo' -
murder and conceal the BODY wcro
apparent.
No eyewitness saw the blows ,hs,
killed the aged victim. and for DAYS
the case was surrounded IN mystery
Friends and relatives Of the dead
man, realizing the atrociousnsss ~
the deed employed John W. Hutchen. ,
q Louisville detective. Mr.. Hutch
en- came to Crittendcn and went INTO
the case. For weeks he laborcd
and bringing to hight 'hc
evidence that. when presented before
a jury. brought vurdct Of guilty
The motive. as it appeared from the
evidence, and upon which TIE Jury
based its conviction Of Slaydep, was
murder for gain. 1t was apparent
from the evidence that Ernest Slay-
len thought to secure abont 81. 400
rom the person of the man he killed
md that he would, by bringing about
he death OF the old man, canse
division Of the estate, in which
'laydep's wife had an interest. (
To strengthen this motive the
wealth made a strong point
bout the correspondence Of Slayden I
md the McCool woman in st. Louis,
which correspondence was admitted \
a.~A II