Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1922-12-19

Miss Quinn urges parents to
out the stressed statement of the
commonwealth.
Nc eye saw Leon Renaker killed. No
person was present. This act passed
in the midnight hour. mention this
because you ale called upon to take
a human life on purely circumstantial
evidence.
"fOu cannot guess away this mans
life or liberty. You must not + ko .,
human life unless you know. Before
you put him in a windowless place you
must know he took Leon Renakers
life.
Judge Denny accused the prosecut-
ing lawyers of destroying the life of
Mrs. Renaker morally as the life OF
Leon Renaker was killed." He declar-
ed, referring to Hardman's presence
rs Q witness, that he "hever saw such
demonstration of innocence"
Commemorative Attorney, w. D.
Baxter, began his argument by declar-
ing he knew no II men in Kentucky
fer whom he had deeper sympathy
than the jury. He declared that their
responsibility was duty.
Concerning the declaration of Judge
Denny that Scobee Hardman made q
remarkable witness. Mr.. Baxter de-
clarcd:
"He did. But did he make one state
ment that has not been contradicated?
You must take what you will of his
testimony. In regard to the Jail de-
livery, the keys found in his posses
sion, why did he declare these keys
were sought by John Shunaker and
attempt to fasten the guilt on him.
Oliver Davis, his own intimate friend.
his own witness testified that he took
the files to the Jail at the request of
Hardman and gave them to Hardman.
Who sent for them? Who brougf;
them. Ii he'll fool you one way he
vii lanother."
Mr. Baxter declared that the testi-
mOny Of Ed Mckee "a negro farm
hand of near Clintonville, left little
doubt as to its truthfuIness.
Concerning the fact that John Schu-
maker had testified for the state, Mr..
Baxter said as long as he was COM
monwealth attorney, John Schmaker,
who he said, by killing his own faith
Ell, committed crime almost as az
rociouS as this man is accused Of"
would receive just what he was entitl
ed to, as Hardman would.
lie closed with an appeal that tn
jury sentence I ardman to the ee- t:'ic
chair if convinced of his guilt.
George Wycoff of the defense coun
sci, who followed the commonwf;
attorney, ridiculed Hardin Smith, tt
ferryman at Boonesboro, and O.
Slater private detective from Cincin-
natl, and declared if there were an
conspiracy that began when Smi
first looked up from his ferry ana
Detective Slater passing and yelled
to whoever was driving the automobilc
he was in: "Where'd you get that, at
or 'where'd you get that tough
bird ?"
He said this was a prosecution Of
conspiracy, with the chief witne 5se5
Of the commonwealth willing to trad
the life of Hardman for d $4,50O re-
ward.
He declared that it had been sti
fed that Smith the ferryman, was,
known as "the rat but said he want
ed to talk about "the skunk" in tn
case .,assailing Emory Kimball, tn
brother of Hardman's first wife, VIII
testified against Hardman.
"Can it be-" Mr.. Wycoff asked
"that young man now seen with Il
lady in company with his own
sister is to be accused of impropriety9
He declared that while the telephon
switch was cut, the lights down and
blood marks left on screen door,
Scobee Hardman gladly offered to
have his fingerprints taken, and thai
nothing had ever come from them, "a.
though Hardman's fingerprints. had
been taken twice.
"One of the blcddiest tragedies
the history of crime is drawing to
close" Herbert H. Moore, county ct
torney of Clark county, sad ss he de
clared that when tho rrrts;r fell Sc ;
bee Hardman would "breathe the
of freedom or foil beneath the shad
ows of eternity"
He said the prosecution had tired to-.
be fair and that speaking of the cir
evidence in the case, that
often circumStantial evidence was the
strongest evidence and pointed to the
fact that while one sees snow, he
knows it has been showing whether ha
has seen the snow fall or not and that
if he sees the tracks of cat in the
snow he knows cat has been walking
in the snow.
He said the defense had ridiculee
the testimony of Hardin Smith, be-
cause his name was Smith, vet asked
if he were liar, why the defense did
not introduce anybody from Msdis n
county, where he had lived many years
to testify as to his character ard said
the same applied to Ed Mckee, the ne
gro farmland from the Clintonvills
He praised Leon Renaker as an hon
orable, upright business man. who had
no enemies. He said Hardman wa
the only one towhom suspicion point
ed