Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1817-04-11

THE Judges replied, thst this zero.
msny seemed unnecessar! and super.
lluous, a. the murderer lad yolsnta-
lrily confessed the deed; but, 1.-The 1.-THE
sdyocatel insisted on the examination
of the body, II should lie taken up.
By the desire Of Lewis, this was &C.
eordingly done. The town surssos
attended, aud declared that a. the
ball had passed right through the
heart, death must naturally ensue.
Lewis wished to know if the bail
were still in the body; the surgeon
sought for and found it; upon winch
the advocate sent for the pistol With
which the deed had been perpetraled,
and tried to drop the ball into The
barrel. 1. seemed too large; hs sc-
cordingIy tried it in all possible ways;
still it would not go in- That this bali
could not be fred by tuis pistol was
evident to every observer;itbe JuJgei
locked ut one another and shook
their heads. There was not pclsun
but what had completely made up
his mind respecting the gull, q ,uc
prisoner; but this circumstance quite
Ieonfounded them all. lie confession
of the prisoner, made without the Gu.
ployment Of the siiga ST fear VI
force, was corrobOrsteL by ever! Cir.
cumstsnce that had previously come
Ito light; the ball alone seemed 20
proclaim his innocence
; Lewis began to conceive tie s,r0ug.
: est hopes, and WAS nearly overpONer.
, ed with tho excess oil bis JOY; lie did
J not, however, suffer it 70 sel the bet
; ter Of his judgment. He proposed
that the proceedings, with the ball
l aud pistol, should be sent TO The ,u-
lpreme tribunal, that il might decide
; lin this extraordinary affair. This
proposal was the more reaGi, az
cepted, ss the local court was pug.
zled how TO act, and absolutely una.
! bic to pronounce any judgment what
lever.
While the papers we're in the hands
of the supreme tribunal in the me-
L, opoiis. a highwayman, who had
shot and robbed traveller on the
J road, not far from the birth place Of
the frieads. was broughtto that town.
Convicted by sufficient evidence. be
acknowledged his crime: but this was
: not all; he confessed, On further ex-
Elimination, that Two months before,
he had murdered another man on The
same road. This circumstance eI.
cited suspicion; and being still fur
Their questioned, lie related the to-.
lowing PARTICULARS
| "About that time ! happened to b.
in village public house. Two mea
Ion h~sse Dack oa~.s 70 aftcr me;[
remarked that one Of them had
heavy yirdie filled with money fasten
led round his body und meath his
waistcoat. ! begsn 70 consider
whether twas not possible TO possess
myself Of his rich booty; but then.
how was this to be done. Us he had
a companion' However, thought I
10 my self, / have q brace OF good
Ipistols. II shoot one, The other will
probably run away in a fright, and
before lie can site the alarm and
fetch witnesses TO the spst, my fleet
horse will have carried me far enough
out OF their reach; it, contrary toeS-
|pectation. the survivor should STOP
by his companion. what hind,rs NE
from giving him the other bslll Such
was my determination, which i'm.
nediately resolved TO execute. |
had overheard them talking Of the
way they should iaae. rode offbefors
and having tied my hor.e 10 e Iee,
concealed myself in a ihieket by lhs
road side. No sooner had l taken
my station, than the travellers sp-
preached. They were quarreiIlns
violently. l had already taken aim
a the man with the gird.e. when DE
other pulled oHt pistol and cncbar,
ged it at his compani'n- ] fred ..
the sane moment. Ely man fell just
as the others ball wbizZed past u!
ear; he then sprung his horse' Ss
engaged for short time win Us
dying fellow traveller, aud atthe ID
slant when l was going 10 fre al h'n,
he mounted asa,., nd gaiioFu
away. l had now tine 10 r'lle 'a0