The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-06-14


eoniequeree of this Aram unprecedented at Lynn.
~ Norfolk, being at that time uher of fehool there.
Tie was brought from thence York-eaitle and on
the sd at Aueuis 1859, tried the county-aiz-
es Tor the murder. He found guilty OF the teft-
nony OF Richard Houfe,nan, who, being arraigued,
and acquitted, became evidence asaint Aram.
whole teitimony ccrrnborated by that of Aram's
wife, and other crcumitantal evidence
The fact ieems to have been, that Houien,an and
Aram together murdered Clark, and - atly dragged
his body into the cave, where il found in the rof-
tare d.ier;5ed by Houie,rian 1t was isppoied that
Aram got all the money Clark had received Tor his
wifes fortune, amounting TO above i6Ol.
ne defence which ne read in Courr on this oecaf-
on, winch is exceedingly curious and once an evil
dence of his taGe and erudon, though nos Of his in
nocence, rs as follows:
My Lord,
KNOW not whether it is of right, or through
,ome indulgence OF your Lordihip, that am allowed
the liberty at this bar and at This time to atemp,
defence incapable, and uninffrue:ed, as an, to
lpeak. Since, while fee 70 many eyes upon me, 70
numerous and awful concourle, fixed with attention
and filed with know not what expeesa ney, la
bour not with guilt but with perplexity. For having
never teen court but this, Being wholly una
ed with law, the euoms of the bar, and all judiciary
proceedings, fear .ba be 70 little capable of peak
ing with prsrrety in this place, that it exceeds my
hope,ii Giali DC able TO fpeak at all.
have heard, niy Lord, the indictment read,
wherein hnd mylef charged with the his heR crime;
with an enormty am altogether incapable of; faa,
to the eonniiion of which there goes far more ne,-
no'y oil heart, more profgacy of morals, than ever
Tell to my lot And nothing politely could have adj
united presumption of this nature, bu, 4 Gepravity
not interior to that imputed me- However, as 1
iiand indicted at your Lordhips bar and have heard
what is called evidence induced in fupport Of fuch
Charge, very hunbly folicit your Lordihip's patti
ence, and beg the hearing of this Respectable audi
enee, while |, Jingle and uniiful deRitute Friends,
and unaiilited by Council fay fome,hing, perhaps,
like argument, i'll my defence. I hall confiime brt
little OF your Iordihips time what haze to fay will
be ihoI, and this brevty, probably, will be the ben
part OF it: however, it is offered with all poiiible re-
gard, and the greatef fubniiiIion to your Lord
ihip's confederation, and that of this honorable
Court.
Firit, my Lord, the whole tenor of my conduct
IN HE contradets every particular of this Indictment
Yer had pever iaid this, did not my prefent eircu
italces extort from Inc, and icem to make neceT
iary Permit me here, to call upon malienty i,felf,
10 long & cruelty buied in this preiecuton to CHARGE
upon ME any immortality, of which prejudice was not
the author. No, my Lord, concerted no fchemes
OF fraud, projected ne violence, injured TO mans per-
Ion or property. My days were honealy laborious.
my nights inteniely ithdious. And, Eumbly con.
ce've my notice ct this, Especially this time will
not be thought inpertinent or objectionable bur ar
leatt, deierving fome attention becauie, that any
perion, alter temperate ue of e,a ferries of think
ing aud acting regularly, and without one Jingle devil
alton from iobriety ihoud plunge into the very depth
OF Protgaey, precipately and once, is altogether
improbable and unpreoe denied, and absolutely incon
h,tent with the courie of things. Mankind is never
corrupted at once villany is always progrefive and
declines from right, iiep after Rep till every regard
otprobty sloit, & every fenfe of all moral obligation
totally perihes
AnaIn NV ,rJ E.c..
nothing but ma,evolence could entertain, and ;goo
raree propagate is violently oppofed by my very tu
ation at tina, time, with reipea health: for bu,
Little psce before, had been confined to nv bed and
iuhered under very long and fevere diiorder. and
was not able for half year together 70 much az RI
walk The diifemper left me indeed, yet florly and
IN part; but 10 macerated, 70 nfeebed, that wa, re-
auced TO Clutches and was 10 far from being we'll a.
bout the time am charged with this fact that / ne
yer to this day perfectly recovered Could then
Peion IN tins condition take any thing into his head 70
unlikely, 10 extravagant l. paft the vgour of INV
age, feeble and vaetudinary, with no inducement TO
engage, no ability to accomplish, no weapon where
with to Perpetrate uch fact without inter eft, with
out power, without motive, without means
Beiides, 1t muit needs occur to every one thar an
action oi this attrocous is never heard Of bu
when its Prngs are laid open, it appears tina, il wa,
to inpport tome incidence or upply fome luxury, to
iatisfy Tome avarice, oblige fon,c malice to pre
vent lone real, or Tome imaginary want vet Law
not under the influence Of any one of thefe Surely
may, conitent with both truth and modeflv, affirm
thus much; and rome, who have any veraci,v. and
knew me, will ever queftion this
In the fecond place, the Disappearance of Clark
is ilsseied as an argument of his being dead bur
the uncertainty OF uch inference from thst and tbe
iaIhility ofa concuions of fuch fort from iueb a
circumance, too obvious and too notorious 70
1ure inltanees: yet, iuperedng many permit me 70
produce very one, and that afforded by this
cattle.
In June 1877, William Thompfon, Tor all the
vigilance of this place, in open day light, and dom
bled-roned, made his e!eape; and notwithnapdinc
an immediate inquryiet foot, the Rr;6left fearch
and all advertisement, was never feen or heard nj
iinee lfthen Ihompfon got off unfeen, through all
thcie difficulties, how very eay asit for CLAIR; when
none of them oppoied him But what would be
thought OF proecution commenced againft any one
feen lat with Thompfon
Permit me, next, my Lord, to obferve little 1T,
on the bones which have been diIcovercd 1t is faid
which perhaps Staying very far, that thef are the
ikeeton OF anlan. 1t is poible indeed it NAV bur
IS there any certain known criteron which ncouteAa
bly, dittinguihes the iex in human bones Lett, b.
oonidered whether the entertaining of this point ogb
not to Precede any attempt to identify them.
The place of their depoitum too claims much |
more attention than is commonly beltoyyed upon il
for, oil all places in the world, could have menti
oned any one, wherein there greater certainty of
hnding human bones than hermitage excep, he