Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1816-08-24

pouLu V'Si5 WIltteH testimony was 2iSO
LAID before the attorney general and his
deputy. Ii was distinctly promised by
the Attorney General and his deputy, that
1t any attempt was made 10 hberate the ac-
cused by a habeas Corpus that notice
should be given to the'writer of This as the
prosecutor anu person not only in posses
si0r 0f the written, but best acquainted
Wi the oral testimony, and one the happi-
ness of whose family had been baseIy
threatened, and who was thus deeply in
solved in. promoting the ends OF public
justice. This notice never was given; this
promise was wholly forgotten or mot tho't
worth nerorinng,- q we were left to learn
from accident or general rua,or, that Mrs.
Baker was at large. We did not credit
the information, although we had it from
variuus persoEs-we thought there must
be a mistake, until on application TO thc
proper authority, we learned that Chief
Jastice 1iigi,mQn had liberated her onbail.
1t will he remembered, that at the time,
we are ailudins. to, Mrs. Carson and two
ruiiiaus, her confederates, were, and now
ere IL Harrisburg jail on similar charges to
those male here against Mrs Baker, and
Here $1,000 bail was required for Grs.
Carson. We pretend not To determine ur-
on thereiatiye merits or dement's Of tie
mother or daughter III the present case,
we believe them equally guilty, but ii may
not be altogether irrelevant to shew the
opinion entertained by the daugh,erof the
mother but u few weeks before they enter
ed into tue conspiracy of Which we are
now writing. Two notes OF Mrs. Carson,
~ the unfortunate Richard Smith, now lie
before US, and III Que of them she says, elf
you can forgive my mother tits more than
] can. long for the moment WHEN may
leave her for e,er." She goes On to charge
her mother with having called her the
:. murderer" of capt. Carson, g made psi-
soner OF me, usurped my authority in my
own house, persecutedyou Or. 81 all but
10 DEATH and moreover cheated me out of
nay property" In word, says Mrs. Car
son, :. Although she, (Mrs. Bakery be-
sought her on her Bonded knees FOR forgive
ness, [ could not grant it,"
Such is sketch of the character Of the
woman who has been liberated ON the bail
OF Daniel Broadhead and that sketch
such as it is, is drawn by the pen of her
daughter, and fellow cOnspWator
The Course the affair took, relative to
the bail, we found upon inquiry to be thus
On Monday last, Dir. ]. Il. lnsersol on
behalf ofJane Baker took out habeas cor
pus, and about three O'Clock that day, she
Appeared at the private chamber of the
chief Justice, attended by the above gentle
man as her lawyer: Black, Que of the
keepers. appearing as witness, and Mr.
Edward lngersoll appearing on behalf o
the Commonwealth. In few minutes i
was agreed that the bail should be reducet
from what had been demanded s 5000 t,
75o, and fellow whose trade it is believe,
10 be. stepped forward as bail. He wa
qualified aud swDre, heaven bless the mark
that he, Daniel Byoadhesd, was worth on,
thousand five hundred dollars after al
his just debts, &c. were paid This fellow
now an amcertJicdtea Bankrupt, is take,
as bait IN case involving the due admins
tration Of justice and the life of the COVER
nor of the Commonwealth. What mock
cry! what an outrage!
1t does not appear, nor is 1t understood
that the Chief Justice was then made &C
quainted with the testimony on any othe
charge against Jane Baker, than that of be
ing engaged in a conspiracy to liberat
Richard Smith but inasmuch as the war
rant of commitment stated that she wa
committed for" other unlawful and cri
Inina conspiracies," was it not the ooun
died duty Of the-Chief Justice tn have in
quired what were the " OTHER" crimins
eonspiracies with which she was charged
before lie turned such woman loose uPo
society, without any other bind than til
bail Of an uncertificated Bankrupt, to who's
on his own account not one of the partie
concerned would givea credit for 90 dollar.
Bit whatever may have been the du;
or the neglect of it on the part of the Chic
Justice, it is apprehended that n0thin
can be oGered in extenuation Of the COZ
duct Of the Attorney General He kne,
tlle strength of the tes,iinony---he kne,
the prosecutor was able and willing I
bring the testimony forward---he kne
that he had promised to give inlormatio
20 the prosecutorf any application wer
made Cor Ilabess Corpus--he kne-
the application was made by his son. Il
did not give the promised notice, hut Il
did permit another Of his sons to appes
as deputy Acknowledgement witness,
were not snbpenaed, and this very ca
pable woman is now liberated upon this a
together insufficient and worthless bail.
We do not feel ourselves called upon
remark upon this extraordinary case III
facts sneak volumes, and them we subm
without comment. but not without hon
that they will make such an impression
will prevent the possibility of such proces,
ings in future. Dem, Pres.
KNOXVILLE, Aug. 10.
COMMUNICATED.
Ills Excellency, Gov. McMinn, toeetht
with Col. Williams, commissioner on II
part of Tennessee, and Col. Meigs. con
4 8 II r. Al 81.