One of the most noted murder cases in which Lincoln defended the accused
was tried in August, 1859. The victim, Crafton, was a student in his
own law office, the defendant, “Peachy” Harrison, was a grandson of
Rev. Peter Cartwright; both were connected with the best families in the
county; they were brothers-in-law, and had always been friends.
Senator John M. Palmer and General John A. McClelland were on the side
of the prosecution. Among those who represented the defendant were
Lincoln and Senator Shelby M. Cullom. The two young men had engaged in
a political quarrel, and Crafton was stabbed to death by Harrison. The
tragic pathos of a case which involved the deepest affections of almost
an entire community reached its climax in the appearance in court of the
venerable Peter Cartwright. Lincoln had beaten him for Congress in 1846.
Eccentric and aggressive as he was, he was honored far and wide; and
when he arose to take the witness stand, his white hair crowned
with this cruel sorrow, the most indifferent spectator felt that his
examination would be unbearable.
It fell to Lincoln to question Cartwright. With the rarest gentleness he
began to put his questions.
“How long have you known the prisoner?”
Cartwright’s head dropped on his breast for a moment; then straightening
himself, he passed his hand across his eyes and answered in a deep,
quavering voice:
“I have known him since a babe, he laughed and cried on my knee.”
The examination ended by Lincoln drawing from the witness the story of
how Crafton had said to him, just before his death: “I am dying; I will
soon part with all I love on earth, and I want you to say to my slayer
that I forgive him. I want to leave this earth with a forgiveness of all
who have in any way injured me.”
This examination made a profound impression on the jury. Lincoln closed
his argument by picturing the scene anew, appealing to the jury to
practice the same forgiving spirit that the murdered man had shown on
his death-bed. It was undoubtedly to his handling of the grandfather’s
evidence that Harrison’s acquittal was due.