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LEDGER-STANDARD.JONES-TOLLIVER TRIAL.Closing Testimony in the Case,And Opening Argument ol Counsel.i Ri-jjortfd for the Ledger-Standard.Bloomington, Ind., May :t), J 77.The evi Jeune io the great ease of the State vs. Alonzo B. Jones, wa* concluded late yesterday afternoon. The JolloWiUg oauied wiiuesses were eworn, and testified, lo-wit: Mrs. Anti Warren, Dr. John B. Larkin, Frank Lemon, V. T. Moore, Joseph Patterson, Gen. Wiu. T. Spicely (a witness often introduced and examined by both partiesaud as often left the witness stand with the highest respect of counsel and court and jury and of spectators j, Tom. Giles, J. U. Faulkner (of the Albert Mouse, Mitchell, Ind..) Win. Munson, J. W. Burton, Mrs. John Bearley, John Beasley, J. II. Criin (the depot agent at Mitchell, end the best looking man of the five hundred witnesses), Wm. MoNabh, Thomas Sears, C. R. Pease, J. JBitcbler, Samuelliutfstetter, Amos P. Adams, Columbus Moore, Ld. Eversol, K. y. McIntyre (editor of the Mitchell Commercial and who test 1 tied with singular clearness and precision), T. is'. Taylor, Robert Carter, and here the State rested her cause.To sustain the character oi Moses Clinton, a witness who swore to an alibi for defendants, A. B . Julies, and Tom Tolliver, and whose general character for truth was impeached by a large number of the best citizens of Mitchell, the following wil-nes wete called by the defense, to-wit: Dr. Yost,or Ghost, Marl Burton, Dr. Win. Bui ton, Charles Gilbert, Klee Ai. Brown, Walter cjhauks, T. C. Williams,I titid that on looking over the list of names of the above I have omitted the uamoof “iiev. Mr. Harder,”,“Revo rend Mister Harper!” “Reverend Misier Jlarper!” for that is the wax our deputy solemnly called him. 1 forgot him; iorgot him, may !♦-, because he fs so (liiuinuii\v, and because lie wauled tlt;* do so much and accomplished so little fur Clinton. God lorhid that 1 should forget him entirely. The truth is that ordinarily a person ought not, after looking upon this sicek, dapper little man of God, forget him. It is dillicult fur me to believe that the Lord tails such comic-looking fellows into the ministry. Why this grinning, sunken-nosed little divine resembles Kli Lowery, and was pointed out frequently this forenoon to spectators, by wag--i.-li persons.who knew better, as the chief prose-• jtiug witness. The atmosphere must have been quite heavy about his ears, or his hearing greatly impaired, when lie fancied himself called to the ministry, it cropped out it: the evidence that this Moses Clinton and the “iiev. Mr. Harper! I lie Rev. Mr. Harper! the Rev Mi. Harper!” have been running a dttle evangelical orthodox Protestant, church down there in Mitchell when brother Clinton was not otherwise \ V) eugiiged.Now, that 1 he evidence is all in, it is proper to state that members of tin bar here who are not connected with the case, and therefore unbiased, are pretty clearly of the opinion that Judge Robinson has kept the record tree from errors, so that in case there shomd be a conviction the defendant will nave his mortal destiny fixed for all time to coiue. 1 do not know that the defense feel certain of h»*ip from that quarter in case the decision should be against them, while the prosecution are quite sure tnat Judge Robinson has presented to the jury at all times the red-eyed law.bowery has beeu contradicted by all of the defendants* as to all of the important points in his Htatciueiit, and upon many of the minor details, lie is contradicted, in addition to those of Boone and others, heretofore sent you, by fMmp-soii Tolliver and other relatives. He is sustained by many, and on many points Important and otherwise. For instance Mrs. Donaldson testified that Lowery and Lee Jones were at Murry's house on tlie evening of the shooting, a mat lor denied by Ian* Jones and the Murry family and defendant. Bent Jones1 boy. He iscorrobboruted by Mrs. Wart on and Iter son, thereby contradicting James Murry and Bent’s boy again, and is also corrobborated by the shot in the privy, a shiugle of wnieh was introduced aud iden-lilied bv certain snot lodged therein. He is cor* robborated possibly by the gnu wadding, aud by the evidence in one form and another, of twenty-five or thirty witnesses. It is difficult to give just now a synopsis of the main points of the evidence. Tnis I will allow tire counsel to do for me when I come to sead you a synoptical sketch of their arguments. For this reason I shall send you very lull notes of the speeches. I ought to say that while there are many witnesses who swear to the alibi, there are fully as many who contradict that alibi.This has been a wonderful ease. Let me give you an illustration: Of the bataliioo of witnesses in-irodmvd there has not beeu a dozen of them, all told, uud on both sides, who have been treated w ith civility, with, perhaps, a dozen exceptions. A to all others they are considered bad citizens, by one side or the other: agaiust whom some one or more of the crimes and enormities peculiar to mortals has not beeu feveaied. Some hint or innuendo or direct charge of immorality, embraciug every specie of crime and misdemeanors. The mildest type of such charges, general thrown out ou the c ross-ex animations was a mild form of exaggeration; then followed in their order and grade (so far as the allair seems to be arranged by the parties) txmiinuu lying, the hanging of negroes from bridges, then house burnings, dog and ior.-e “pisimngs;” some more lying, assassinations by night and day, and on laud aud sea, oi slandeis not a few, highway robberies, perjuries, pilfering, vet other lies, mobbing of jails ana viomui ussauits on saloons, whoredoms and assignations arid adulteries beyond computation, to say nothing of such. unpardonable sins as the stealing of kegs of white lead aud the like. 1 believe the Court and parties and jury and bystanders will bear me wjtne.v, that everybody in this case has shuddered most at the iiuputatiou against oue of the witnesses, that said witness had stolen a keg of beer. This is regarded by the parties not us a venial offence, but ranks along side of the hand-grenade all ark on the Moody house in 1871.j ne evidence in rebuttal for the State has left til© alibi of defense iaai badly crippled condition. Mr. Faulkner and oluer good citizeus of Mitchell and vicinity testifying to such a state of lacts as amount to tiat contradictious of the defendants and I heir alibi witnesses.The argument began this morning, and will not be concluded before next Tuesday noon, and will be in tbe following order: first, J. W. Buskirk, of1 his place, for t he State; J. K. Burton, of Frince-tou, for defense; R. W. Mims, the prosecutor, Major J. \V. J ticker, of Faoli, for dele rise, Col. Geo. VV. Friedlev, of Bedford, for the State; Prof. C. F. McNutt, of*Bt. Louis, for defense; and Judge Frank Wilson, of Bod lord, for the Commonwealth. The first speech—made by Mr. Buskirk— was delivered this foieuoon, and was a powerful presentation of the case ou behalf of the State. J he jury and vast audience present, which included many ladies, listened closely to the argument. Mr. Buskirk began by saying that he would as briefly as possible, give tbe jury some considerations which made him feel aud know that the Mate had made out her case agaiust tbe defendant, Alonzo B. Jones, showing the defendant to be guilty of the crime whereof he now stands charged. Since the day the Lord pronounced a curse upon Gain, whereby he was dec lared to be a vagabond, a fugitive for slaying bis brother, one of the highest aud most brutai of crimes, this crime, which the defendant committed, has never been excelled in its ferocity and lienUishness, whether committed in a civilized or unc ivilized land. The cowardice and cruelty of the oilense were depicted witU such skill as to make it stand out in all its revolting details, in which connection he declared that the most cowardsy and brutal murder was a murder by assassination. It was thus Tom Moody come to hi-5 death on the night ot the second of March, 187*5, at the little village of Orleans. /Shot in the hack by a dastardly assassin, in (ho darkness of the nighttime, when no eye but that of heaven was looking upon the frightful scene. As the blood of Able was wout to cry out from the ground for vengenee, so the blood of i homas Moody was crying to the jury that his death should by the law be avenged. Here Mr. Buskirk gave a faithful picture of the Moody lamily, just before the attacks wire originated upon the family by the defendant. I he nejghboiiug family of the Tollivers was also alluded to and the relations of the two families before Jones interrupted those relations, were distinctly set forth.The question of who is likely to have committed this crime was answered by showing the mercenary motives and the deeply sealed animosities of Jones aud tbe kindred feeling ho stirred up in the hearts and minds of his brother Lee aud the Tolliver boys. The character of Thomas Moody was now warmly defended against the assaults and aspersions of the defense, in which connection some scorching rebukes were ndministered. If Moody became somewhat intemperate toward the close of liis life, let it be remembered that Ben’on Jones and his co-defendants, who drove him from his home ou his farm to the little village by their murderous attacks, compel ling him to remain indoors of night, these murderous assassins are themselves to blame for it, and, besides, no matter bow intemperate and loose in his morals he might have been ibe defendant and his cu-deieudouts had no right ;.o murder him.Mr. Buskirk now began a lengthy argument of(he law and the evident c. J*osM*»*cd ut a mind peculiarly well qualified by nature and discipline for such a trying ordeal, he performed his delicate duties in a masterly manner, and to the entire satisfaction of his associate counsel, and at the conclusion of his address was warmly congratulated. His speech was a fine specimen of logic, to which was joined a manner of delivery at all times pleasant and attractive. There is no doubt but that the speech will largely aid the jury in a proper discharge of their responsible duties. Many of the sentences were choice gems oi accuracy and precision, and at times he arose to a high plane of genuine eloquence.I very much regret that, by even going without my dinner, I have had less than an hour for this imperfect sketch of his powerful effort. The in-rerest£in the trial is increasing, and the excitement here now is intense. J. O. S.How He Screwed Him Up.Jim Lad been working iti the country, and, on coming to town, was regaling iih Iriendi with his experience on the comer. “You kno de man what I went to work wid? Well, you see he told me he would do bettei by me dan any of his neighbors was doin’ by der bans ; he would give tie third of de crap, and I fine myself. Well, you see ] went to church and gets ’quainted wid de neighbors’ bans. Oars Mr. Washington, he ia working on young Billy Smith’s place, and he’s gettiu’ de fourth, and find hissclf ; and tlars Mr. Linkuni. he’s workin* on oldeman Jones’ place, and is gittin’ de fifth, andis found bersidcs. Well, ver see, when Ilt; « 1gets home, an’ was a workin’ in de crap, I got to study in’, an’ de more I studied de more I come to de conclusion dat de third wasn't gwine to do me. So I goes to de boss and says I—I says, ‘ You told me you was agwine to do better by me dan any de neighbors was by dere bans.’ He says he’s been talkin’ to ’em. and dat he was, and I says dat T’se been havin’ some constiuation wid de neighbors' bans myself. Dat Smith’s bans was gittin’ de fourth, and Jones’ bans was gittin’ de fifth and found, and I wasn’t gwine to stand no third. So he says we would resinge de old one, and make a new contract, and we bof come to town 'fore ’Squire Robinson and made it; here’s de paper now, and dats de way I screwed him up to de fourth. I tell you what's de fact, boys, you can t trust one of dom white folks.” And Jim mounted his mule and rode oil.— Ja '/.i'Ofi (J//*y.) Pilot.What’s in a Xante IT lie following list is given of the formsunder which Shakspeare’s name has appearedat different times:—Chaksper, Sliakspere,Shaxpere, Shakspire, Shaxspere, S chaksper,Shakespere, Shakespeare. Sehakespeyr,Shax-espeare, Shagspere, Shaxpnr, Shaksper, Sbaxspcr,Shaekspeare, Saxpcre, Shakespire,Shakespeire,Siiaekespearc,Shakaspear,Skax-peare, Shakspecre, Shaxburd, Shackspeyr, Shakespear, Schakespere, Khakysperc. Mr. Fu mi vail admits the existence of only five unquestionably genuine signatures of the poet s : two on his Stratford conveyance and mortgage, and three ou his will. Of these the tirst two are Sliakspere; of the three will signatures, two are Sliakspere, while about Hu- third there is no agreement, Fund vail making it Shakspure Ktlt;*v.ng and Malone, as well as Sir Francis Madden. d**’'ph*r«e it as Shukspeare.Iron of Antiquity.The oldest pieces of iron (wrotightdron) now known are probably the sickle-blade found bv Belzoni under tbe base of a sphinx in Kamac, near Thebes; the blade found by Colonel Vyse imbedded in the masonry of tbe Great Pyramid, tbe portion of a crosscut saw exhumed at Nimrod by Mr. Layard, all of which are now in the British Museum. A wrong!it bar of Damascus steel was presented by King Porus to Alexander the Great, and the razor steel of China for many centuries has surpassed all European steel in temper aud durability of edge. The Hindoos appear to have made wrought-iron directly from the ore, without passing it through the furnace, from time immemorial, and elabor-ratoly wrought masses of iron are still found in India, which date from the early centuries of the Christian era.A letter from Paris to a Philadelphia paper says. “ Queer things are occasionally to be seen in Paris, but a queerer sight than that which I witnessed this morning on the Rue de la Paix. it has rarely, if ever, been my lot to behold. In taking my morning walk, I met a large white poodle, shaved and clipped lion fashion, who wore a round, black velvet cup, eoquettishly placed ou the side of liis curly head. In his mouth he carrieda basket, *m .be handle of which a small ecru silk parasol had been adroitly attached in such a manner tlmt in carrying the basket the dog held the parasol over his head, and so shaded himself from the rays of the sun. it is impossible to describe the gravity and .iphmth of his dogsliip, nor the immense amusement of the street boys, and the passers-by at this novel spectacle.”Since the British and Foreign Bible Society was organized, little more than seventy years ago, it has put into circulation 7fi,000f-OOii copies of tbe Scriptures, while kindred societies which have sprung into existencesince the establishment of the parent association, have distributed 5,000,000 in addition. By aid of these societies, the bible has been translated into upwards of -joo languagesaild dialects.The school population of tlie United States is thirteen millions- nearly fourteen. Of this number eight millions are enrolled in schools, and only four and one-half millions are in average daily attendance. Throughthe State and general governments, public and private funds, provision is made for the education of a number of children three times as largo as that actually in attendance.With two-tliirds of our educational force and money wasted, who shall say that our system is a success ?Harvey discovered tic circulation of the blood before he was thirty-four. Yet soipe editors get to‘be over a hundred before they can discover the exact circulation of their uwn uuwspupersl.
Newspaper Details
New Albany Daily Ledger Standard
New Albany, Indiana, US
Mon, May 28, 1877
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Robert M.
USA 17 Sep 2019
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