The Detroit times., 1910-03-04
Case Hinged on Leach's
Story, Van lille Told Jury

Continuing his argument, Thursday
morning. Prosecutor Van Zile took Up
the testimony of Joe Leach
| His testimony" ne said was very
disconcer'ing to the defense. First,
because of the way he answered que
I tons on the stand He was at all
times plan, straightforward, conyinc-
ing. His words carried conviction aud
his TESTIMONY puts the defense In
very troublesome position, and 1t is
significant gentlemen, that not 4
single witness has been produced 90
attack Joe Loachs character Driven
10 desperation Va this regard, they
were forced TO 80 outside the record
ana were called To order by the court.
Tke venom manifested by this defend
ant on the stand Is not surprising.
coming, as il does. from man who
would purchase witnesses 10 secure his
freedom, as we charge has been done
In this case.
Case Hinges on Leach's story.
IF you nelieve Joe Leach. there Is
an end 10 all your considerations, be
cause he tells you that DR.. Fritch car
ried those sacks from his office and
dumped them INTO Ecorse creek.
| Il do not question the testimony OF
Mr.. Tolsma as to the lights around
JFrtch's office tnat night What dif
ference does 1t make? DR.. Frtch hal
10 control over those lights Here
was a body on lis hands and he had
10 get IL out OF there. no matter what
Itae conditions were My friend says,
| And 10, the moon came out in all It's
lullness Why. Of course 1t did.
Fritch couldn't help that. could he
lie couldn't pull curtain over ~
Moon or no moon, he had to get rid
oil that body.
The prosecutor disposed Of Lodges
contention that no trail OF blood was
found by detailing several ways IN
| which the doctor could have cut w
the body without !eaving any trace.
Counsel intimatcs that Joe Leacn
| was actuatcd by desire for the $1,000
reward continued Van Zi,e III Joe
Leach had wanted that reward, don't
YOU suppose he would have come FOR
| ward with this information at the very
! outset instead Of waiting until II was
forced out OF him in the grand jury
| proceedings?
III is remarkable the way these
II
| come here 10 testify with such alac-
! rity. II this man will purchase wit
| nesses. II shows that he is forced 20
the furthest extremity for a defense.
l II shows. gentlemen, that he Is guilty.
| Why. some Of the testimony in this
i case Is ridiculous. Just compare the
demeanor OF Mrs. Knott on the stand
I with that OF Martha Henning. And yet
they tell MS that Knott is a sneak ana
cur because he sneaked into the
case
Attacks Fritch's Witnesses.
Then there il this Mrs. Putzig. She
talks TOO much She reminds me OF
the story OF the fight between the
parrot and the monkey. And just
compare her testimony and her actions
on the stand with those OF Mrs Cum
ningham, who took the stand to I'm
neach her Mrs Albrecht is another,
Here in my hand are the Nrocious
documents my friend. Lodge, has told
YOU about. the papers on which basel
the questions ! asked her on the
stand the documents. IL YOU please,
| that place q worse stigma on this de-
PENDANT than buying OF witnesses, the
l dating back Of a receipt Has It oc
l Cured 20 you that Ii he has dated
back this receipt he has dated back
. others How many OF you are careful
10 look at the date when "A receipt Is
given II he has dated back receipts.
that very fact points unerringly TO his
ruilt9 II Is reasonable 10 suppose that
| the very moment he found this girl
head on his hands. DR. Fritch began
TO plan his defense.
Murder Will Out"
ITS the old, old story murder will
out i'm spite of everything. Sometimes
IL seems To- me as though the circum
| stances OF this case stand like a spec
ter from another world, and out of
this specter. possibly the face OF
Mabel Milman may look down upon
this man TO haunt him Ike the ghost
that appeared TO Lady Macbeth. the
face OF Mabel Millman, dead dead
and her body cut up,
such an outrageous crime has not
come into the annals OF this court and
possibly may never come again. And
now, gentlemen, with all these circum-
stances, is there any doubt ms to the
guilt OF this defendant? Around your
own freside. as you tell the story IN
the years to come. will you not say
that the circumstances woven together
here pointed beyond all question 10
DR.. Fritch as the man responsible FOR
the death OF this girl?
las | part from this case, let me
ask you gentlemen. TO do YOUR duty
and do IL without fear. You are con
sdering a crime that is most das
tardly You are standing In the pres
ence OF God himself, sworn 10 do your
duty AS jurors, and, gentlemen. | be
lieye you will.
The prosecutors argument was con
cuded at 1890. II had consumed
almost four and one-half hours. After
a brief recess Judge Phelan begun his
charge 20 the Jury.
Defines Manslauehter.
At the outset OF his charge. Judge
Phelan defined the crime ot man
slaughter. with which the defendant
Is charged in the information ana ex-
planned just what constitutes Grim.
inal operation. lie reminded the jury
that. under the law "A defendant II
presumed TO be innocent until proven
guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,
which he defined. Full instructions
we're given as to the weighing of tho