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<v Speaker 1>This is section fifty six of The Gilded Age. This

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<v Speaker 1>LibriVox recording is in the public domain. The Gilded Age,

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<v Speaker 1>A Tale of to Day by Mark Twain and C. D. Warner,

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<v Speaker 1>Chapter fifty six. Missus Hawkins slowly and conscientiously, as if

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<v Speaker 1>every detail of her family history was important, told the

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<v Speaker 1>story of the steamboat explosion, of the finding and adoption

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<v Speaker 1>of Laura Silas that is mister Hawkins, and she always

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<v Speaker 1>loved Laura as if she had been their own child.

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<v Speaker 1>She then narrated the circumstances of Laura's supposed marriage, her abandonment,

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<v Speaker 1>and long illness in a manner that touched all hearts.

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<v Speaker 1>Laura had been a different woman since then. Cross examined,

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<v Speaker 1>at the time of first finding Laura on a steamboat,

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<v Speaker 1>did she notice that Laura's mind was at all deranged?

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<v Speaker 1>She couldn't say that she did. After the recovery of

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<v Speaker 1>Laura from her long illness, did Missus Hawkins think there

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<v Speaker 1>were any any signs of insanity about her? Witness confessed

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<v Speaker 1>that she did not think of it. Then redirect examination,

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<v Speaker 1>But she was different after that, Oh yes, Sir Washington

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<v Speaker 1>Hawkins corroborated his mother's testimony as to Laura's connection with

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<v Speaker 1>Colonel Selby, he was at Harding during the time of

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<v Speaker 1>her living there with him. After Colonel Selby's desertion, she

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<v Speaker 1>was almost dead, never appeared to know anything rightly for weeks.

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<v Speaker 1>He added that he never saw such a scoundrel as

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<v Speaker 1>Selby checked by a district attorney. Had he noticed any

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<v Speaker 1>change in Laura after her illness? Oh, yes, whenever any

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<v Speaker 1>allusion was made that might recall Selby to mine, she

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<v Speaker 1>looked awful, as if she could kill him. You mean,

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<v Speaker 1>said mister Braham, that there was an unnatural, insane gleam

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<v Speaker 1>in her eyes. Well, yes, certainly, said Washington, in confusion.

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<v Speaker 1>All this was objected to by the district attorney, but

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<v Speaker 1>it was got before the jury, and mister Braham did

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<v Speaker 1>not care how much it was ruled out. After that,

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<v Speaker 1>Bias Sellars was the next witness called. The Colonel made

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<v Speaker 1>his way to the stand with majestic yet bland deliberation.

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<v Speaker 1>Having taken the oath and kissed the Bible with a

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<v Speaker 1>smack intended to show his great respect for that book,

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<v Speaker 1>he bowed to his honor with dignity, to the jury

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<v Speaker 1>with familiarity, and then turned to the lawyers and stood

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<v Speaker 1>in an attitude of superior attention. Mister Sellers, I believe

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<v Speaker 1>began mister Braham Beriah Sellers, Missouri. Was the courteous acknowledgment

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<v Speaker 1>that the lawyer was correct. Mister Sellers, you know the

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<v Speaker 1>parties here. You are a friend of the family, know

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<v Speaker 1>them all from infancy. Sir. It was me, Sir, that

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<v Speaker 1>induced Silas Hawkins, Judge Hawkins, to come to Missouri and

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<v Speaker 1>make his fortune. It was by my advice and in

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<v Speaker 1>company with me, Sir, that he went into the operation

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<v Speaker 1>of Yes, yes, mister Sellers. Did you know a Major Lachland?

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<v Speaker 1>Knew him well, Sir, knew him and honored him. Sir.

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<v Speaker 1>He was one of the most remarkable men of our country, Sir.

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<v Speaker 1>A member of Congress, he was often at my mansion, Sir,

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<v Speaker 1>for weeks. He used to say to me, Colonel Sellers,

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<v Speaker 1>if you would go into politics, if I had you

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<v Speaker 1>for a colleague, we should show Calhoun and Webster that

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<v Speaker 1>the brain of the country didn't lie east of the Alleghanies.

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<v Speaker 1>But I said, yes, yes, I believe Major Lachland is

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<v Speaker 1>not living. Colonel. There was an almost imperceptible sense of

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<v Speaker 1>pleasure betrayed in the Colonel's face at this prompt acknowledgment

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<v Speaker 1>of his title. Bless you know, died years ago, a

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<v Speaker 1>miserable death, Sir, a ruined man, a poor sought he

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<v Speaker 1>was suspected of selling his vote in Congress, and probably

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<v Speaker 1>he did. The disgrace killed him. He was an outcast, Sir,

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<v Speaker 1>lothed by himself and by his constituents. And I think, sir,

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<v Speaker 1>the judge, you will confine yourself to Colonel Sellers, to

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<v Speaker 1>the questions of the council, of course, your honor. This

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<v Speaker 1>continued the colonel, in confidential explanation, was twenty years ago.

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<v Speaker 1>I shouldn't have thought of referring to such a trifling circumstance. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>if I remember rightly, Sir, A bundle of letters was

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<v Speaker 1>here handed to the witness. Do you recognize that handwriting

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<v Speaker 1>as if it was my own? Sir, it's Major Lackland's.

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<v Speaker 1>I was knowing to these letters when Judge Hawkins received them.

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<v Speaker 1>The Colonel's memory was a little at fault here. Mister

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<v Speaker 1>Hawkins had never gone into details with him on this subject.

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<v Speaker 1>Here's to show them to me and say, Colonel Sellers,

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<v Speaker 1>you've a mind to untangle this sort of thing. Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>how everything comes back to me. Laura was a little thing.

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<v Speaker 1>Then the Judge and I were just laying our plans

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<v Speaker 1>to buy the pilot knob and Colonel, one moment, your honor,

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<v Speaker 1>we put these letters in evidence. Letters were a portion

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<v Speaker 1>of the correspondence of Major Lachland with Silas Hawkins. Parts

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<v Speaker 1>of them were missing, and important letters were referred to

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<v Speaker 1>that were not here. They related, as the reader knows,

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<v Speaker 1>to Laura's father. Lackland had come upon the track of

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<v Speaker 1>a man who was searching for a lost child in

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<v Speaker 1>a Mississippi steamboat explosion years before. The man was lame

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<v Speaker 1>in one leg and appeared to be flitting from place

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<v Speaker 1>to place. It seemed that Major Lachland got so close

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<v Speaker 1>track of him that he was able to describe his

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<v Speaker 1>personal appearance and learn his name. But the letter containing

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<v Speaker 1>these particulars was lost. Once he heard of him at a

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<v Speaker 1>hotel in Washington, but the man departed, leaving an empty

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<v Speaker 1>trunk the day before the Major went there. There was

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<v Speaker 1>something very mysterious in all his movements. Colonel Sellars, continuing

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<v Speaker 1>his testimony, said that he saw this lost letter but

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<v Speaker 1>could not now recall the name. Search for the supposed

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<v Speaker 1>father had been continued hued by Lackland, Hawkins and himself

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<v Speaker 1>for several years, but Laura was not informed of it

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<v Speaker 1>till after the death of Hawkins, for fear of raising

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<v Speaker 1>false hopes in her mind. Here the district Attorney arose

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<v Speaker 1>and said, your Honor, I must positively object to letting

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<v Speaker 1>the witness wander off into all these irrelevant details. Mister Braham,

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<v Speaker 1>I submit your Honor, that we cannot be interrupted in

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<v Speaker 1>this manner. We have suffered the state to have full swing.

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<v Speaker 1>Now Here is a witness who has known the prisoner

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<v Speaker 1>from infancy and is competent to testify upon the one

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<v Speaker 1>point vital to her safety. Evidently he is a gentleman

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<v Speaker 1>of character, and his knowledge of the case cannot be

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<v Speaker 1>shut out without increasing the aspect of persecution, which the

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<v Speaker 1>state's attitude towards the prisoner already has assumed. The wrangle

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<v Speaker 1>continued waxing hotter and hotter. The colonel, seeing the attention

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<v Speaker 1>of the Council and the court entirely withdrawn from him,

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<v Speaker 1>thought he perceived here his opportunity. Turning and beaming upon

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<v Speaker 1>the jury, he began simply to talk. But as the

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<v Speaker 1>grandeur of his position grew upon him. His talk broadened

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<v Speaker 1>unconsciously into an oratorical vein. You see how she was situated, gentlemen,

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<v Speaker 1>poor child, it might have broken her heart to let

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<v Speaker 1>her mind get to running on such a thing as that.

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<v Speaker 1>You see, from what we could make out, her father

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<v Speaker 1>was lame in the left leg and had a deep

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<v Speaker 1>scar on his left forehead. And so ever since the

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<v Speaker 1>day she found out she had another father, she never

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<v Speaker 1>could run across a lame stranger without being taken all

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<v Speaker 1>over with a shiver and almost fainting where she stood,

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<v Speaker 1>And the next minute she would go right after that man.

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<v Speaker 1>Once she stumbled on a stranger with a game leg,

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<v Speaker 1>and she was the most grateful thing in this world,

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<v Speaker 1>but it was the wrong leg, and it was days

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<v Speaker 1>and days before for she could leave her bed. Once

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<v Speaker 1>she found a man with a scar on his forehead,

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<v Speaker 1>and she was just going to throw herself into his arms,

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<v Speaker 1>but he stepped out just then, and there wasn't anything

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<v Speaker 1>the matter with his legs. Time and time again, gentlemen

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<v Speaker 1>of the jury, has this poor suffering orphan flung herself

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<v Speaker 1>on her knees with all her heart's gratitude in her

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<v Speaker 1>eyes before some scarred and crippled veteran, but always always

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<v Speaker 1>to be disappointed, always to be plunged into new despair.

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<v Speaker 1>If his legs were right, his scar was wrong. If

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<v Speaker 1>his scar was right, his legs were wrong. Never could

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<v Speaker 1>find a man that would fill the bill. Gentlemen of

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<v Speaker 1>the jury, you have hearts, you have feelings, You have

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<v Speaker 1>warm human sympathies. You can feel for this poor suffering child,

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<v Speaker 1>Gentlemen of the jury, if I had time, if I

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<v Speaker 1>had the opportunity, if I might be permitted to go

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<v Speaker 1>on and tell you the thousands and thousands and thousands

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<v Speaker 1>of mutilated strangers this poor girl has started out of

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<v Speaker 1>cover and hunted from city to city, from state to state,

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<v Speaker 1>from continent to continent, till she has run them down

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<v Speaker 1>and found they weren't the ones I know your hearts.

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<v Speaker 1>By this time, the colonel had become so warmed up

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<v Speaker 1>that his voice had reached a pitch above that of

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<v Speaker 1>the contending council. The lawyer suddenly stopped, and they and

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<v Speaker 1>the judge turned towards the colonel and remained for several seconds,

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<v Speaker 1>too surprised at this novel exhibition to speak. In this

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<v Speaker 1>interval of silence. An appreciation of the situation gradually stole

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<v Speaker 1>over the audience, and an explosion of laughter followed, in

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<v Speaker 1>which even the court and the bar could hardly keep

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<v Speaker 1>from joining Sheriff. Order in the court the judge, the

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<v Speaker 1>witness will confine his remarks to answers to questions. The

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<v Speaker 1>colonel turned courteously to the judge and said, certainly, your honor, certainly,

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<v Speaker 1>I am not well acquainted with the forms of procedure

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<v Speaker 1>in the courts of New York. But in the West, Sir,

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<v Speaker 1>in the West, the judge there there that will do that,

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<v Speaker 1>will do you, see, your honor? There were no questions

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<v Speaker 1>asked me, and I thought I would take advantage of

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<v Speaker 1>the lull in the proceedings to explain to the jury

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<v Speaker 1>a very significant train of the judge that will do sir, proceed,

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<v Speaker 1>mister Bray, Colonel Sellers, have you any reason to suppose

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<v Speaker 1>that this man is still living? For every reason, sir,

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<v Speaker 1>every reason? State why I have never heard of his death? Sir?

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<v Speaker 1>It has never come to my knowledge. In fact, Sir,

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<v Speaker 1>as I once said to Governor, will you state to

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<v Speaker 1>the jury what has been the effect of the knowledge

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<v Speaker 1>of this wandering and evidently unsettled, being supposed to be

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<v Speaker 1>her father. Upon the mind of Miss Hawkins for so

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<v Speaker 1>many years, question objected to, question, ruled out, cross examined,

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<v Speaker 1>Major Sellers, what is your occupation? The colonel looked about

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<v Speaker 1>him loftily, as if casting in his mind what would

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<v Speaker 1>be the proper occupation of a person of such multifarious interests,

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<v Speaker 1>and then said, with dignity, a gentleman, sir, My father

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<v Speaker 1>used to always say, sir, Captain Sellars, did you ever

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<v Speaker 1>see this man, this supposed father, No, sir, But upon

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<v Speaker 1>one occasion, old Senator Thompson said to me, it's my opinion,

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<v Speaker 1>Colonel Sellers, did you ever see anybody who had seen him? No, sir.

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<v Speaker 1>It was reported around at one time that that is all.

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<v Speaker 1>The defense then spent a day in the examination of

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<v Speaker 1>medical experts in insanity who testified on the evidence, heard

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<v Speaker 1>that sufficient causes had occurred to produce an insane mind

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<v Speaker 1>in the prisoner. Numerous cases were cited to sustain this opinion.

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<v Speaker 1>There was such a thing as momentary insanity, in which

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<v Speaker 1>the person otherwise rational to all appearances, was for the

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<v Speaker 1>time actually bereft of reason and not responsible for his acts.

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<v Speaker 1>The causes of this momentary possession could often be found

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<v Speaker 1>in the person's life. It afterwards came out that the

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<v Speaker 1>chief expert for the defense was paid a thousand dollars

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<v Speaker 1>for looking into the case. The prosecution consumed another day

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<v Speaker 1>in the examination of experts refuting the notion of insanity.

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<v Speaker 1>These causes might have produced insanity, but there was no

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<v Speaker 1>evidence that they have produced it in this case, or

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<v Speaker 1>that the prisoner was not, at the time of the

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<v Speaker 1>commission of the crime in full possession of her ordinary faculties.

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<v Speaker 1>The trial had now lasted two weeks. It required four

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<v Speaker 1>days now for the lawyers to sum up. These arguments

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<v Speaker 1>of the council were very important to their friends and

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<v Speaker 1>greatly enhanced their reputation at the bar, but they have

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<v Speaker 1>small interest to us. Mister Braham, in his closing speech,

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<v Speaker 1>surpassed himself. His effort is still remains membered as the

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<v Speaker 1>greatest in the criminal annals of New York. Mister Braham

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<v Speaker 1>redrew for the jury the picture of Laura's early life.

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<v Speaker 1>He dwelt long upon that painful episode of the pretended

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<v Speaker 1>marriage and the desertion Colonel Selby, he said, belonged, gentlemen,

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<v Speaker 1>to what is called the upper classes. It is the

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<v Speaker 1>privilege of the upper classes to prey upon the sons

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<v Speaker 1>and daughters of the people. The Hawkins family, though allied

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<v Speaker 1>to the best blood of the South, were at the

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<v Speaker 1>time in humble circumstances. He commented upon her parentage. Perhaps

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<v Speaker 1>her agonized father, in his intervals of sanity, was still

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<v Speaker 1>searching for his lost daughter. Would he one day hear

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<v Speaker 1>that she had died of Felon's death, Society had pursued her,

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<v Speaker 1>fate had pursued her, and in a moment of delirium,

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<v Speaker 1>she had turned and defied fate and society. He dwelt

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<v Speaker 1>upon the admission of base wrong in Colonel Selby's dying statement,

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<v Speaker 1>he drew a vivid picture of the villain at last

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<v Speaker 1>overtaken by the vengeance of heaven. Would the jury say

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<v Speaker 1>that this retributive justice, inflicted by an outraged and deluded woman,

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<v Speaker 1>rendered irrational by the most cruel wrongs, was in the

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<v Speaker 1>nature of a foul, premeditated murder. Gentlemen, it is enough

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<v Speaker 1>for me to look upon the life of this most

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<v Speaker 1>beautiful and accomplished of her sex, blasted by the heartless

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<v Speaker 1>villainy of man, without seeing at the end of it,

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<v Speaker 1>the horrible spectacle of a gibbet. Gentlemen, we are all human,

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<v Speaker 1>we have all sinned, we all have need of mercy.

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<v Speaker 1>But I do not ask mercy of you, who are

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<v Speaker 1>the guardians of society and of the poor waifs. It's

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<v Speaker 1>sometimes wronged victims. I ask only that justice which you

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<v Speaker 1>and I shall need in that last dreadful hour when

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<v Speaker 1>death will be he robbed of half its terrors. If

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<v Speaker 1>we can reflect that we have never wronged a human being, Gentlemen,

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<v Speaker 1>the life of this lovely and once happy girl, this

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<v Speaker 1>now stricken woman, is in your hands. The jury were

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<v Speaker 1>visibly affected. Half the court room was in tears. If

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<v Speaker 1>a vote of both spectators and jury could have been taken,

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<v Speaker 1>then the verdict would have been let her go. She

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<v Speaker 1>has suffered enough. But the district attorney had the closing

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<v Speaker 1>argument calmly and without malice or excitement. He reviewed the testimony.

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<v Speaker 1>As the cold facts were unrolled, fear settled upon the listeners.

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<v Speaker 1>There was no escape from the murder or its premeditation.

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<v Speaker 1>Laura's character as a lobbyist in Washington, which had been

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<v Speaker 1>made to appear incidentally in the evidence, was also against her.

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<v Speaker 1>The whole body of the testimony of the defense was

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<v Speaker 1>shown to be irrelevant, introduced only to excite sympathy, and

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<v Speaker 1>not giving a color of probability to the absurd supposition

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<v Speaker 1>of insanity. The attorney then dwelt upon the insecurity of

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<v Speaker 1>life in the city and the growing immunity with which

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<v Speaker 1>women committed murders. Mister mc flynn made a very able speech,

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<v Speaker 1>convincing the reason without touching the feelings. The judge, in

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<v Speaker 1>his charge, reviewed the testimony with great show of impartiality.

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<v Speaker 1>He ended by saying that the verdict must be acquittal

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<v Speaker 1>or murder in the first degree. If you find that

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<v Speaker 1>the prisoner committed a homicide in possession of her reason

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<v Speaker 1>and with premeditation, your verdict will be accordingly. If you

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<v Speaker 1>find she was not in her right mind, that she

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<v Speaker 1>was the victim of insanity, hereditary or momentary, as it

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<v Speaker 1>has been explained, your verdict will take that into account.

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<v Speaker 1>As the judge finished his charge, the spectators anxiously watched

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<v Speaker 1>the faces of the jury. It was not a remunerative study.

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<v Speaker 1>In the court room. The general feeling was in favor

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<v Speaker 1>of Laura, but whether this feeling extended to the jury

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<v Speaker 1>their stolid faces did not reveal. The public outside hoped

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<v Speaker 1>for a conviction, as it always does. It wanted an example.

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<v Speaker 1>The newspapers trusted the jury would have the courage to

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<v Speaker 1>do its duty. When Laura was convicted, then the public

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<v Speaker 1>would turn round and abuse the governor if he did

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<v Speaker 1>not pardon her. The jury went out, Mister Braham preserved

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<v Speaker 1>his serene confidence, but Laura's friends were dispirited. Washington and

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<v Speaker 1>Colonel Sellers had been obliged to go to Washington, and

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<v Speaker 1>they had departed under the unspoken fear the verdict would

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<v Speaker 1>be unfavorable. A disagreement was the best they could hope for,

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<v Speaker 1>and money was needed. The necessity of the passage of

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<v Speaker 1>the University bill was now imperative. The court waited for

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<v Speaker 1>some time, but the jury gave no signs of coming in.

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<v Speaker 1>Mister Braham said it was extraordinary, and took a recess

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<v Speaker 1>for a couple of hours. Upon again coming in, word

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<v Speaker 1>was brought that the jury had not yet agreed, but

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<v Speaker 1>the jury had a question. The point upon which they

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<v Speaker 1>wanted instruction was this. They wanted to know if Colonel

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<v Speaker 1>Sellars was related to the Hawkins family. The court then

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<v Speaker 1>adjourned till morning. Mister Braham, who was in something of

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<v Speaker 1>a pet remarked to mister O'Toole that they must have

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<v Speaker 1>been deceived that juryman with the broken nose could read

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<v Speaker 1>end of chapter fifty six.