Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1817-10-09

Y
most sober.aS well as in his intoxicated
hours. would he talk of his unabated
love far the unfortunate Maria. anu
of the cruel treatment Of her friends.
who were compelling her TO act an
involuntary part towards him.
Although not privileged to visit. or
exchange a syllable with Miss p. il
was evident that the rash youth was
Of the foolish opinion that she would
never consent to become The wife OF a
ny other person but himself: to her
| person he made public proclamation
of his .right, as he had not only gain
ed her own assent to a uuinn, but that
Of hcs nearest connexions.
In this state affairs remained, and
without any prospect of a reformation
in SpooRer, until about four months
since, when he gained information
that his MARIA had received the ad-
dr., sses of new admircr, To whom
she had engaged herself in marriage.
and that consummation Of the mar
riage nuptials were soon to take place.
The unfortunate Spooner from this
moment became like one entirely lost
IL all shame, and bent on mischief of
the most serious nature. The unfOr-
tunate Miss p. whom until now he
had vainly flattered himself as UNI
willing to form connexion with any
other, received now share of the op-
probious epithets with which he re-
preached her friends. "Never (di,l
he publicly swear) shall the migrate
full pre-engaged Maria, become the
wife of any other person than myself.
il life is spared to prevent it," Alas,
although the vile oaths and impre-
cations Of this rash young man were
then regarded as only the fruit OF in
toxication, yet, sad to relate, he has
since made them manifest by deed
of dreadful note.
Having by means unknown, a few
days since obtained information that
the marriage ceremony was the even
ing following to be performed between
Miss p. and her new suffer Ca young
gentleman from Maryland) the vile
murderer, it appears, began to devise
plan, and to furnish himself with
such Weapons as would enable him to
effect his hellish design secretly OBJ
tanning brace of large horse pistols
ard a lasp knife, the former he char.
ged with ball and Stag each thus
armed and instigated by the devil, he,
on the evening of the goth ult. repair
I'd To the house of the unfortunate
Maria. where. as appears by his OWN
confession. after having skulkcd about
the house for some time. seeking an
opportunity TO destroy the innocent
anL unsuspecting 'ictim. and beCom-
ing still more exasperatsd at view
of her through the window, seated in
a conyirial mood beside her lover, his
disposition would no longer permit
him to postpone deed, which the de-
ceptive arts of hell Gf may use the
expressiOn) were prompting him to
execute. On entering the piazza,
with cooked pistol in his hand, he
tapped atthe Goor, which unfortunate
iy being opened by the ever-to-be.
lamentei Maria, she instantaneously
received in her lett side the contents
of the fatal weapon, and fell lileless
upon the floor. The vile assassin be-
ing conscious of his guilt, and pro-
badly Of the atunement which justice
would demand foran act so barbarous,
attempted to escape his just reward
by plunging the knife into his own bo-
som but, although he gave himself
two severe wounds, | am infor Q d
BY the surgeons who attended him.
that they are not such as Will prove
mortal.
Ii is impossible, my dear sir, to de-
scribe the gloomy sensations which
seem to pervade the minds of our in
habitants of every description. incon-
sequence Of this truly melancholy e.
vent nor is it hardly possible to de-
termine which of the wretched parents
exhibit the greatest marks of insupe-
rable grief-those of the poor unfar-
tnuate Maria or the wretcbed Spno-
ner; they arc each equally respecta
bic. and as they have ever been upon
terms of intimacy they now mingle
With each other their tears of Attic