Washington which had been made to appear incidentally in the evidence

was also against her: the whole body of the testimony of the defense was

shown to be irrelevant, introduced only to excite sympathy, and not

giving a color of probability to the absurd supposition of insanity.

The attorney then dwelt upon, the insecurity of life in the city, and the

growing immunity with which women committed murders. Mr. McFlinn

made a very able speech; convincing the reason without touching the

feelings.

The Judge in his charge reviewed the testimony with great show of

impartiality. He ended by saying that the verdict must be acquittal or

murder in the first, degree. If you find that the prisoner committed a

homicide, in possession of her reason and with premeditation, your

verdict will be accordingly. If you find she was not in her right mind,

that she was the victim of insanity, hereditary or momentary, as it has

been explained, your verdict will take that into account.

As the Judge finished his charge, the spectators anxiously watched the

faces of the jury. It was not a remunerative study. In the court room

the general feeling was in favor of Laura, but whether this feeling

extended to the jury, their stolid faces did not reveal. The public

outside hoped for a conviction, as it always does; it wanted an example;

the newspapers trusted the jury would have the courage to do its duty.

606

The Gilded Age