Year: 1873




his uncle's Invitation. But st the next instant
came to his mind the impOssibllity Of abandoning
He says mist ss tnins IT, is Very ~ appsr
ent, gentlemen. that at this very moment OF time
the idea ant belief that 1t might be practicable
he might leave his mother with safety and
enjoy the very great advantage and pleasure was
coming at this time indicated clearly the presence
OF that hope. His uncle was soon to 90, and pre-
paraiion on his part was called for and expedent
Now, gentlemen, what is the first thing we ind
him doingS The first thing is an act most strongly
Indicative OF the hopefuness which had possession
ness the tenderness and affection which had al
ways marked MS conduct In every act OF his lie.
than himself and little brotherHa her mere child
you have seen. the child in attendance
here scarcely conscious OF the terrible circum-
volved. Why for that final days enjoyment-the
final parting as 1t were with his little brother
his usual practice. at very early hour,
ss the dawn of the morning taking his its ne
devOIing the whole day to an amusement common
to a little boy such as his brother was and pleasant
himself Thus passes Friday. On Saturday you
see him occupied making arrangements-puttng
proper If it should happen he should go away and
bid them all adieu lOr considerable period oil time.
Then came the fatal Satnrdaymwhe m IL thus I consider
pairing himself for the trip abroad-then on that
day another


which had been preylng upon his mind for years was
delivered. Then 1t was that on that Saturday, May
81, he resolved the letter addressed to his mother
written by his father, VINO had been so long his
mothers persecutor-that letter, gentlemen, which
Will not torture your ears by reading again.
you to hear and remember. You remember the
opening wOrds-"Prepare yourself for the inevita-
ble." This inevitable, terrible calamity that had
been continually threatened against this family to
the knowledge OF this poor boy for years previous,


Mr.. O'Conor quoted other parts Of the letter
NOW so well known) and continued Now, gen.
tiemen, that letter, which might be called kind
and gentle and tender, compared with others
that detestable document which has been read
before yOu-came into the young mans hands on
Saturday. According to his usual watcntnlness ne
guarded of the weapon. and turned 1t rom the
bosom of his mother to receive 1t in his own. NOW,
gentlemen, whatever hopes he might have enter
tanned that after all, it might be possible for him
to trust and to hope that his father might not exc
cute his threatened enormities, or that, in some
degree, his malice must be assuaged, here was


TERRIBLE ACCUMULArING EVIDENCE
OF the surcharged wickednesS OF the parent with
whom he had to do. He did not speak to his
mother He thought 1t his duty not to communi-
cate these horrors TO her, and he did not commu-
nicate them to any one else. He had no friend to
whom he would communicate anything to the
prejudice of his father or throw stigma upon that
iather's name And there had he been clinging to
the fond and deusive hope that this terrible evil
might be turned aside from his mother and himself
spending Saturday and sunday IN way that
attracted attention, and indicating change OF
mind, he came 70 the conclusion that ms way was
place MS prospects before his father and endeavor
to conciliate him, and to have hlm promise that he
would no further persecute his mother. Late on
Sunday this resolution is formed. He viii see his
father and try the effect OF such appeals as he may
use to induce G nm to as
course. secrecy is perceptible nowhere in all
his actions, except in the one case in which he had
always been secret in avoiding speaking TO his
mother OF his father. In this particular instance
he knew that his mother would feel great distress
II he to tell her that he had any expectation OF
meeting this desperate, dangerous man otherwise
there IS no secresy about It..


Mr.. O'COnor here read the letter written BY
Frank to his uncle referring to the invitation Of
the latter to him to accompany him to Europe,
winch has been so often published. Now, aentle le
men, do you believe that the boy at the time Of
writing that letter to his uncle thought of going to
New York TO have fight or dispute with his iather
or to attempt to KIN his father AnOwng We'll as he
cause his imprisonment and defeat his
cherished hopes and expectations, Certainly
suppose that that letter wrought upon his mind
the determination to Kill his father and die for IT,
writing any explanatory letter to his uncle in
Albany Certainly there was no necessity ior 1t.
lie had an invitation to visit Troy. 1t was easy to
present an ordinary excuse TO pacify his mother to
account for his absence to perpetrate crime II he
had Intended to perpetrate crime. But no; he
leaves his tracks OF guilt everywhere behind MIN.
lie leaves his tracks as


GOOD, HONEST, PUREMINDED LAD,


in circumstances of terrible distress and en-
barrassment to be sure-but not without the hope,
Tor youth Is seldom without it-but in the hope
that by thus trying the venture TO secure for him
self those advantages he could carry also with
them that security which his mother, little brother
and sisters were anxious to obtain. You hnd gem
tlemen, Just the secrecy OF an honest and pure
minded young man, whose tender affection
towards his mother prevented him speaking Oft to
her. and, rs to third persons, you hut ind the con-
cealment Of any reference to or remarks about
his lather, which was in fact, haDltual to him
owing to the condition he was in. There was no
other secrecy; Ill all else he frank and honest





with all the simplicity and indirectness OF an in-
genuous, youthful mind, contemplating no evll.
that 1t might be possible TO tie down this demon,
as he called hlmself-this father, whom he had only
self He went calmly and deliberately to
his hotel. took room there, and, as


alleged n% Gayaery snd his s,m1a
place where ne might consider himself sale
armed and with every facility Tor protection, draw
ing him into a place where he might take an undue
advantage OF him. This Is not What are the
facts gentlemen : The railroad car leaves sara
toga at twenty-five minutes to three. 1t would
arrive at FortysecOnd street, distance OF three
quarters Of mile from his iather's residence-that
residence well known to him from the letters he
had received. He arrived at his iather's
lodging at three O'Clock, dusty and travel
worn. The good woman who met him at
three O'Clock. she says She knew it, because ii
was the time the children were coming home
from school. The time is In exact narmony-the
dusty condition OF the young mans clothes, travel
stained and apparently Just from journey. What
is his conduct on that occasionr Had he brought
there u letter, seductively written to induce the
father to believe that there was to be friendly In
terview between them, to coax him to come and
see him at the Sturtevant House Not al
his Journey and asked for Mr.. Waworth
He proposed to go up directly TO his room, making
no provision-not taking into consideration
whether he would be alone or in the company o.
others. He proposes to go up in perfect sincerity
and without calculation that he might be going tC
his ruin. Tiger as he had represented himself tt
be--and the son had right to believe he
was-he knew he was going TO that tiger''
lair, taking his chances without lear II
his heart--for among his other vices lei
this go also to his account-he is brave
little fellow; ne thought OF no personal danger t(
| himself and probably a thought OF fear had ne
place In his mind The good woman says, write
note and will leave n IN his room. SO not even
at his motion. but at the hint of the woman ht
writes this letter. and properly puts three o'clock
at the head Ol tt. Now Mr. Barrett, OF the Sturte
want House, says Frank was there about three
O'Clock and rom this ~ is sought to be sustained
thai lrnIn tncre ErAnk sent Lhe note To hi: