Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1805-02-20
rRoM raE. CaARLNsroN CoUrIGN.
2 COURT or SESSfoNy.

HE trial oil JOSHUA NETTLEs, and
ELIzABETH CANxon for The wilful mur.
der OF JoHw CANNON, be gan last TUESDAY,
and ended on Wednesday, evening when
the Jury brough, in their verdI6t--
joshua NErrLzs. GUILTY..
ELIZA. CasYoN. NOT GUILTY.
Few cases that we have heard OF, o; at
least can remember, have been attended
with circumstances so extraordinary--as
suredly none, marked with such C npIi-
Gated depravity and turpitude as this. Il
being inicodedIo pnbIishthe trial oil leagth
in pamphlet, we viii not cucumber oul
psperby sn anticipated de,aii of the syi-
dence ct large, hul give our re aders sua-
macy account of tho affair as IL stands
proved by the evidence.
The prisoner, JOSHUA NErrLEs, was
the ncishbouS--shep pr scner, ELIzAsarn
CANNON, the wife, Of af,. John Cannon,
the murdered person. Gong aniecedenr
to the tria, an Illicit correspondence had
been known by the reighbo lrhocd to ex-
ist between the two pjisoNers. NeuIes,
who has wife and Children, was, in his
humbIe'line, man of ipuiglle, and carri-
ed his criniAality in that way, to such an
excess, that separation took place be-
tween him aad his wife. II q man Of sucha
turn can be Supposed capable Of entertain.
ing particular, violent attachment, itwould
seem that his was so 10 Mrs. Cannon ii
least, it would appear so, from the profit.
gale perseverance, with which he follow
ed up his intrigue with her, under cir.
cums,sDces and hazards winch would for
bid Tnen,,in ordinary, from further pro-
secusion OF it.---Fos 1t appeared in eyi
dence, that he had been deteSeed iyiag iva
bed, Oh one side of Mrs. Cannon, while
her husband lay on the other; that the
deceased, detecting him in thai situation,
had once chased hiui out Of the house--in
the hurry and confusion a which flight,
be (Net,ies) had left in the door a key,
which he kepi for the purpose of getting,
at night, into Csuhon's house and that
When pursued, he Turned upon Cannon
with drawn knife, and that lac was for
biddca 20 come near The house OF Mf Can
con Notwithstanding which, he kept
ladder to &c. into the upper windows oft,
at night, TO meet her shat two several
separations bad taken place between Can
non and his wife. eshe prisonerj on sc-
count OF her amour wilhNettles THAT the
good uatured aud sboscd man took her
back to his arms again; and chat, after
all this, Eeltles formed a determination
TO remove all obstruction 10 Tbs era.
LITIGATION Of his infamous heslres, by the
murder of the man, whom he had so lone
and so deeply injured. u appeared thai
- datthfv ad,,f,.ro,,. ,,,~-.S..,s.. ...... -
the habit of epistolary correspondence
---sfie making herown daughter "a child
OF about twelve years OF sse) the carrier
of erfeters, tbs bearer or her messages,
the pandsr Of her lewd devices, the instru
ment of her husbands wrong :--Her
child--her female caild---the accomplice
OF mothers guilt--the handmaid of a
fathers disgrace. A multitude OF her let
tiers, found in the house of Eciiles, were
IN the hands of The prosecutors, ard we're
offered 70 the court 70 be read. bat the
counsel for the prisoners objeeling TO the
production Of them, his honor The Judge
ruled IN favor Of the objection; Of which,
more will appear in the trial, when pub
lisfed al large.
This was The state Of things the morn
ing OF The 24,h OF October; on the hight
Of which, Mr.. Cannon and his wife went,
as usual, 10 bed in their chamber, on the
ground floor; in the same room, but in
Different beds, lay Dorothy, their daugh-
ter, "a child Of WE'VE years old, whose e.
vidsnce lormed the basis of The convict.
op) John Cannon and Henry Cannon, her
two little brothers; and two other chill.
drcn lay inthe bed with Mr. and Mrs. Can
non.--About midnight, Dorothy, being
disturbed from slesp by very alarming
noise, jumpedin conservation, out of bed.
and sau out Of the honse, where, by the
light Of The Moon, which was sufEcien(Iy
strong 10 render The bulk and outline Of
objsSls visible, bat TOO feeble Tor dstio-
gushing minute objects or colours, she
perceived her father struggling under the
hands Of Neltles, or, as The child called IL.
half up, half down." and Net,Ics chosk-
ing him--the throat ofthe deceased beine
grasped 10 both the hands of Neulcs.
whom she distinctly heard to say, "Oh.
y,a daalad cla son efa 6iteh, pR XII yon