Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1805-02-20

bis identity, exclusively of she aid of the
light which the Moon afforded her, a'id.
oy ~liich she could discern tue outline OF
ms fEure.-Therc was another person
With Settles, whom he called upon TO hold
her father, but She could not Distinguish
VINO " was. or whether black or white. by
what tel IRON the Attosncy-General, 10
ms very able reply, it should seem as ifhe
conceived 1t to belthc prisoner, Elizabeth
Cannon; a circumstance which the child,
IN tilial piety and tenderness, might, per-
haPs, wish 10 suppress But the Judge,
IN his charge, suggested the possibility
that.i. might be negro, ~I,o was said to
be IN the habit OF carrying The ladder, by
which Netsles used 10 ascend the upper
room window. Blu, this, as well as other
circumstances of much more horrible
nature, Sill remain in fubseuriiy. Over
whclmed with horror, the child ran back
TO the room, sunk into bed with her little
brothers, and budding the clothes over
head, fell at last asleep.
In this part OF our SAL narrative, we
nave 10 call our readers PARTICULAR a,teh.
ton TO a Circumstance, winch, for horror
and black mystcriousness is.not 10 be sur
passed by any thing that ever teemcd
from the prolific mind of the inimiia5le
Mrs. RADcLIFFx,in the highest effsrves
cence OF her wild and tancifuI genius.
From The evidence given tothe Court and
Jury, Mr.. Cannon was leh, cyins out
" Murder - AMI struggling under the
hands of Netties; ont tiicy hear no more
ct h'm, I'LL they iud him back again in
his bed, lying dead by the side of Mrs.
Caa,,on, whom they also and calling up.
on her son John, TO come and feel his ia
,hrr, and wake him.; for he felt as if he
was dead. Henry Cannon, one OF the
sons, who by the bye, was called as wit-
ness for the defence, not only corroharat-
ed this pomt, given in evidence by Doso
Thy, but said, That his mother was sitting
up 10 the bed, close By his fsthet's dead
body. What adds to the darkness ofthis
transaction is, that Mr.. Cannon, who was
proved ohase gone 10 bed with liner shirt
and drawers on. was found dead in the bed,
with nothing but 2 Gannel shirt. How the
body Came there at all--by whom it was
oruughi--how, or by whom il was strip
ped of the linen shirt and drawrrs---or
how, or By whom, or why il was dressed
iathc flannel shirt, still remains To be acc
counted for: Nor is!it less wonderful that
al! this time AIRS. Cannon seems TO have
slumbered, TIL, according. to her own ac-
count, lift were 10 be believed, she fell the
bed iogg under her, which she supposed
might have been accustomed by putting the
dead body into it. How the linen shirt and
drawers were disposed OF, however, APP
pearcd IN eyidence--They were thrown
into a wash-tub.
Mr. GKoRcr CANNON, nephew 10 the
deceased, who lived al the distance oil a.
bout the quarters Of mile from the
house, bciog hastily Summoned by ne
gro called Nero, Came with all possible
speed, and lound Mrs. Cannon sitting by
The tre, no, crying, but seemingly oncon-
cerneS..-Expeciing her TO speak Erst, he
did not ash her any, questions but 6nd-
ing that she did NOT mention any thing OF
ibe death Of his uncle, or desire him to
30 look az the body, he went himself into
the room where It was, where be found
the negroes crying over il, paying 10 it
that tribute OF sorrow which the wife de-
MED: f;e saw upon il evident marks of
murder, but did not touch it, I'LL the Rev.
Mr. m'Culioch, the minister ofthe parish,
came. Examining il then, they found
mark round the neck, winch, at first sight,
looked as If IL had been made with rope.
From the description, the neck was exec.
rated, and there were marks OF nails on
the side OF 1.-THE face was black With
shs blood which settled there---the mouth
and nose were Toll Of blood--ahd on the
temple there was confused wound
These were the indications OF murders.
On the body there was nothing bu, q flan-
mel shirt. Making enquiry Of The nesiocs
where The shirt aud drawers were, they
replied, - In the wash tub, :" add that Mrs.
Cannon had put them there. Mrs. {.
then ordered the wench 70 wash them Out,
but they stopped her from doing so, took
the cloalhes oui, examined them, and
found them smenred with blood.
The color which, whether true or false,
was given by Mrs. Cannon, 10 this extra
ord nary circumstance, was, that The shirt
being the best Mr.. Cannon had, she took
Il OFF to wash it, in order to have him bu-
ried in It. and that il received Tie marks
of nnpuriiy from an utensil in the cham
Der, which had been oyefset by one of The