The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-12-02
1lateeeuanr.
FROM A LONDON rArER.
cIkcumsTANTIAL EVIDENCE.


The following remarkable cafe, in addition to the one
we publiihed at the time OF the trial of Riebard
Pafeb, will thew the danger Of pronouHcing the
ientenee of guilty upon perions againf whom only
crcumitaniial evidence can be adduced.
Cae of ontGas Bysford .rbo sra, executed at Oxtars
fer t5e mara, IF Cbrjaeebtr Hayes, En- in he year
1886.
Jonathan Bradford kept inn in Oxfordhre on
the London road Oxford; he bore an unexception-
able character MIR. Hayes, gentleman OF fortune,
being on his way to Oxford Witt to i relation,
put up at Bradford's. He there joined tompany with
two gentlemen, with whom he iupped, and in con-
~erfation unguardedly mentioned tina, he had about
him large FUN Of money. In due time they retired
TO their REFLECTIVE chamhers; the gentlemen to a
two-hedded leaving, as is cuilomary with
many, candle burning in the chimney corner. Some
hours after they were in bed, of the gentlemen
being awake, thought he heard deep g-can in the
adjoining chamber and this being repeated he foft-
ly awaked his friend They baened together, and
the groans increaGug as of dying, they both 10
Family aroe, and proceeded flently to the door Of
the chamber, from whence they heard the groans
and the door being Jar, faw light in the room
they entered, but it is impoible pain, their
ferna,ion, perceviug perfon welterDg in his
blood in the bed aud a man Handing him with
dark lanthorn in hand and knife in the other.
The man feemed as petrifed as themfelves, but his
gentlemen foon difcovered it was the franger with
whom they had that night fupped, and that the man
VINO was t(anding over him their hoh. They
feized Bradford directly, difarrned him of his knife,
ard charged him with being the murderer; he aiIu-
med by this time the air of innocence, poGtiveiy den
ed the crime, and aHerted that lie there with The
lame humane intentions theneives; for that hear
ing noife, which was fuceeeded by grooming, he
got out Of BED, eruck light, armed himfelf with
knife for his defence, and but that minute entered
the room, before them Thefe aGertiens were of lit
tie avail he was kept in cloie cutody till the
ming, and then taken before neighborng iufice of
the peace Bradford ftll denied the murder but ne
vertheels with fuch apparent udication of guilt
that the Juice hesated make ufe of this extra
ordinary expreion writing out his mittmus " Mr..
Bradford, either you myfef committed this MUIR
der"
This extraordinary affair was the conversation of
the whole county. Bradford tried over and o.
yer again in every company. In the midi OF all this
pre-determnation, came in the afIzes at Oxford:
Bradford was brought to trial; he pleaded not gull
ty. Nothing could be more frong than the evidence
of the gentlemen they teilifed TO the finding
Mr.. Hayes murdered in bis bed Bradford at the
fide Of the body with light and knife that knife
and the hand which held it bloody that their en-
tering the room he bet. ii all the fgns OF a guilty
man; and that few moments preceding they heard
the groans of the ieceaf.d.
Brad(ord's defence the trial was the fame as be-
fore TIE gentlemen he had heard noiie he fur-
pected fone villainy ranfatlng; he ttruck light
he matched knife (the only weapon hm to de-
fend hnielts and the terrors he diicovered were
merely the terrors OF humanity, the natural effects of
innocence rs well guilt, beholding fuch 4 hor
rid icenc ! This defence, however, could be conf
dered but weak cortrated with the feveral pow
erful circumstances aganR him. Never oircun-
Fantia evidence more frong. There was little need
left of comment from the Judge in fumming up the
evidence. No appeared for extenuation, and
the jury brought in the prioner guilty, without go
ing out of the box. Bradford executed fortly a-
ter hiIl declaring he not the murderer, nsr pr-
Wy to the murder Of NIr Hayes; but he died difbe-
lieved b. all. Yet thefe Affections not untrue
= The murder actually committed by Mr.. Hayes's
footman who, Immediately on iiabbng his matter,
riiled his brooches of his money, gold watch, and
tnufi-box, and elcaped his room, which could
have been, from the after circumstances, icarcely
two feconds before Bradford's entering the unforu-
nate gentlemen's chamber. The world owes this
knowledge to remorfe of confidence in the footnan
eighteen months after the execution of Badford) on
bed of fickuefs It death bed repentance, and
by that death the law LOFT its vi6im
1t is much TO be wifhed that this account could
coie here; but it cannot. Bradford, though iuno-
cent, and privy TO the murder, was nevertheless
the murderer in deGgn. He had heard, as wei. as
the footman, what Mr. Hayes had declared at fup-
per to his having large fun of money about him,
and he to the chamber with the fame diabolica
intention as the iervant. He ilruck with amaze
nent He could not believe his feniesi-snd in
turning back the bed clothes, to allure hmelf of the
fact, he, in his sgitation, dropped his knife OH the
bleeding body, by which both his hand and his knife
became bloody. Theie circumstances Bradford &C
knowledgsd to the clergyman who attended him az
ter his lentence.