▁that ▁Cant ley ' s ▁general ▁attitude ▁to ▁other ▁pro sec ution ▁witness es ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁one - s ided . ▁On ▁ 7 ▁June ▁De ak in ▁test ified ▁that ▁although ▁he ▁had ▁put ▁Newton ▁in ▁touch ▁with ▁Hol mes , ▁he ▁had ▁thought ▁that ▁this ▁was ▁to ▁help ▁someone ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁a ▁black mail er — he ▁knew ▁nothing ▁of ▁a ▁consp i racy ▁to ▁kill . ▁De ak in ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁def endant ▁to ▁test ify ; ▁the ▁others ▁all ▁chose ▁to ▁remain ▁silent ▁and ▁call ▁no ▁witness es , ▁bel ieving ▁that , ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁test imon ies ▁of ▁B ess ell , ▁Scott ▁and ▁Newton , ▁the ▁pro sec ution ▁had ▁failed ▁to ▁make ▁its ▁case . ▁During ▁his ▁closing ▁speech ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁Thor pe , ▁Car man ▁raised ▁the ▁possibility ▁that ▁Hol mes ▁and ▁others ▁might ▁have ▁organ ised ▁a ▁consp i racy ▁without ▁Thor pe ' s ▁knowledge . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 8 ▁June ▁the ▁judge ▁began ▁his ▁sum ming - up . ▁He ▁drew ▁the ▁j ury ' s ▁attention ▁to ▁the ▁previous ▁good ▁character ▁of ▁the ▁defend ants , ▁whom ▁he ▁character ised ▁as ▁" men ▁of ▁h ither to ▁un blem ished ▁reputation ." ▁Cant ley ▁described ▁Thor pe ▁as ▁" a ▁national ▁figure ▁with ▁a ▁very ▁distinguished ▁public ▁record ". ▁The ▁judge ▁was ▁sc ath ing ▁about ▁the ▁principal ▁witness es : ▁B ess ell ▁was ▁a ▁" h umb ug " ▁whose ▁contract ▁with