The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-08-15

decided that his client must be con-
victed to suit the interess of his own
employers? The circumstances GER
tafnly seem to point to such con-
clusion
Having been convicted, however,
Crippen refused to confess. This was
embarrassing for Newton Without a
confession, how was he to earn the
money he had received or expected to
receive? He was equal to the emer-
gency He wrote the confession him
self, signed it with Crippen's name
and turned 1t over to his employers
for publication at date SO late that
Crippen had no opportunity to re
pudiate it, even had he SO desired, be.
fore he was hanged.
Considering that Crippen was worse
than undefended throughout his entire
trial it is impossible to draw any ac-
curate conclusion as to his guilt or
innocence That he cut up his wife's
body and buried 1t in his cellar ap-
pears certain. But whether he killed
her in cold blood, in the heat of pas
sion or whether, indeed, she killed
herself, and Crippen frightened, tried
to hide her corpse lest he be accused
of committing murder, it is impos.
sible now to tell.
Newton should be forever disbarr-
ed from the practice of the profes-
sion he has disgraced but my col
leagues, Lord Chief Justice Alverstone
and Justice Bankex refuse to agree
4 to a severer punishment than years
suspension and I am reluctantly COM
PEELED to concur in their opinion, that
4 the offender may not altogether es-
cape.
1t is just possible that there may be
details of the statement put into JUS
tice Darling's mouth, which the JUS
tice himself would repudiate. For in
stance, what he actually said was
that Crippen was obviously guilty.
Consideration for the feelings Of
Lord Alverstone, who would naturally
not have enjoyed hearing his fellow
} jurist say that he had sentenced an
innocent man to death, may have had
something to do with the Justices ut
i. terance upon this point. Still, in this
| respect, perhaps he meant exactly
what he said.
But concerning the accuracy of the
! substance of the translation furnished
of the Justices observations there can
: be no question. He wanted it distinct
ly understood that it was not alone
for giving out bogus confession that
, he held Newton responsible but also
I for the entire mismanagemento of the
+ Crippen defense-a mismanagemen1
which it was wholly impossible te
4 reconcile with the high order of the
solicitors legal abilities and attain
4 ments except on the theory of DELHI
s crate intention.
a Though the report cannot be verifi
t ed, Lord Chief Justice Alverstone
Q who was probably considerably per
j, turbed by the revelations of crooked
y ness in trial at which he presided
Y and who perhaps also felt that !
y would be to his own interest to hav'
J. it appear that really this crookednes
S was of no great Importance, it is salt
h to have questioned strongly Whethe
s Newton was guilty Of such profession
l. al misconduct as to justify even hi
# suspension from practice. 1t is certain
g at any rate, that the years suspen
It sion. rather than permanent disbal
e ment. was the result of a compromis
l. between the judges, Darling wantln
u an,
s not so severe. Justice Bankes eN
S pressed full agreement with the Lay
Societys finding that the solicito
i. was guilty of misconduct but said h
v did not think it was case for the in
!. position Of the extreme penalty of dit
v barment.
e Justice Darlings comments, I
b suspending Newton, may or may nc
e be taken as an arrangement of thos
e English methods Of procedure !
e criminal cases which were so highl
e praised at the time of Crippen's col
Is demnation Certainly it is not an a
e raignment in just so many words. II
1t asmuch, however, as an Englis
le Judge is supposed to "se fair b.
tween prosecution and defense eve
1T to the extremity of taking the cas-
10 out of the hands of an incompeter
Il lawyer and practically conducting
Q. himself, and in view also Of the FAT
h that Lord Alverstone threw all his il
il. fluence to the side of the prosecute
t. in the Crippen case, the Justices a
O. sertion that Crippen was not fro
If the first to last defended as he shoul
s. have been" assuredly sounds like a
Il. implied criticism of the Judge as we
n. as of the lawyer.