Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-12-06
rnkAL OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. m

TRIAL OF G0RHAM PARSONS, JR
SALEM, Nov. g-.--By The assistance OF Joseph l. |
Sprasue, ESP Who hindI, prepared for us the follow
ing report vi this interesting trial. after the adj m
meni of The ~ O'Clock last night we are cn-
ab,ed 10 present 1t thus promptly our readers:
Yesterday morning at o'clock, jury empan-
need for the trial o Gorham Parsons Jr lad Of l6,
for the murder Of Ebcuezer sDayis, Sd, lad of IL
years. No witnesses were produced except on the I
part oi the government.
Rhoda Abou testified. tina, on the 10Th of MAY last
she was gong To Squam hill, at o'clock Z. Nj. and
saw Gorham Parsons coming out oi Pardon path, with
an axe in his hand He said he had been ever since
O'Clock, aud could not get burhen of wood, and
said do you expect To get any tn night She told him
yes. She and Bc,sey Rowe went up the swamp, and
got there in about half an hour, and he up
betsey Rowe said 10 him, how You scared me. He
saw, as they went out Ebenezer Davis on the hi-
He asked IL she WAS there. Betsey said yes they
went into the swamp, again, and Ebenezer asked II
we would stop while he got burthen. They ;stid
yes, il You make haste. Then Gorhain asked him
why he did not 90 into the swamp and get his hurhcn
Ehcnezer laughed. Ebenezer asked Gorham to
cut HIM down tree he said he would, il he would
not tell otit He then ashed Gorham why he did not
cut that tree just before him. He said he had rath-
ssr 90 in,othe swamp. He and Ebenczcr went IN
Shc and betsey then went up the little hill and
down. Ebenezer hallowed, and asked us TO stop
| Tor him. We SAID VIC would.-Scon after we heard
somebody screech in the bushes il was Ebenezer by
the voice he hallowed and said, o Gorham Cor
| ham We heard rushing before the voice we
then saw Gorham right ont OF the bushes will,
an axe in his hand, the axe bloody Gorham camc to-
wards us and stopped. Ebenezer followed directly
after him and asked MS 10 take hold OF his hand, for
he was so faint he could not stand. She took hold of
| his elbow one hand above and one below he sat
down, and she asked Gorham two or three times To
/ take him up. Gorlam then threw down his axe and
| took him up, and carried him along; they followed
on behind. When he got 10 Pardon path, he laid
| hun down and told us he dead. We ran home
Nothing WAS said 10y Gorham Ebencze "a ter They
came out of the swamp. Gorlam offered him no as
sistance until they requested him. Gorlam and Ebe-
nezcr were IN the swamp together 10 minutes. They
heard no conversation between them whilst the re
no expression, Gorham did not appcar distressed
heard no voices talking before the screaming did
not hear them cut down the tree she GOULD not see
| them IN the swamp.
Betscy Rowe fully agreed in Testimony will, the last
witness, AMI added that they never asked Gorbam
or f.beneZcr questions they so much frir hen-
ed after he came out; Gorhn looked wild, and tears
ran out of his eyes
Rcv. Nj. Jeweu was passing near Squani hill and
met children running IN apparent distress he asked
what was the matter they told him f.. Davis was
wounded, aud probably dying he Davis ascend
,fc hall with quick step and llastcncd after him,
bu: before he arrived Davis was lying down i'm the
grass. As soon as he came up, Mr.. Davis proposed
SENDING for physician he felt of him. and said that
It was useless, for he was dead. He asked who did
n!-Gorlam Parsons said did, or cut him. I then
asked him how? lie said he was cutting down
little tree, aud Ebcn Davis was holding off the Inl
aud that his glanced and struck him SEEING t,yo
wounds one the back of the head from the left TO
the right ear, three inches in length, and one and
tne Otner III the lace splitting
Jaw bone, thought II proper 10 inquire into it, Mr.
DAVIS, Nil knowltoD, and myself, desii ed Gorham
TO go 10 the spot before any else was there we
went with him. When Inc had got about 80 ar 40 rods
Gor''m SAID, am sorry did this. They went trac-
in5 the blood for hall mile they assembled little
hlll where the axe lay. Mr.. Davis took il up saw
ploou ana hair on the inner corner OF the could
| not get INTO The swamp rs | unwell, but Mr.
Knowles and Mr. Davis went in with Gorlapn I
passed along the edge of the swamp aud came 10 the
stump oil The tee he had cut down the tree was Sc
ia Sflnas
MN now he came 10 cut him he said he attempted
to cut OIL a limb they asked him 10 show them the
l'mb he pointed TO place where little dry twig
was lying, about as big asa pipe stem-Alr Jewett
then SAID, you never struck blow TO infict such n
wound to cut off such twig he thea did not nre
,end ne DID, They then asked him show them the
imb he was attempting to cut; he looked around and
appeared 10 be at a loss. Mr. Jcwett then asked
INN II the Tree was on the Guilds back when he
struck he said nc did not know. MIR. Jewctt then
asked whether the tree was lynr on the g,ound ia
replied again he did not know he then ask ed him r.
DAVIS was standing when he struck he said he did
not know /; he asked him il the child was stoouiug
aowh he answered again he did not know They
asked MN 10 stand rs he stood when he struck n,
enid lie took his stand, and Mr. Jewett bent him
sell down with his shoulder, and snid this is the on
y pos'uon IN which these two wounds could have
heen inflicted nj one blow ;" he said he believed il
was so. lie asked, did the helve of the axe dv m,
when you struck :" He said IL did NOT They thern
cXim'ucd the tree TO SEQ If there any marks of
ire axe on H. they could find none, except where il
was cut down, they could find no blood on the tree
Id cet beyond the tree, where he said the child STOOD
aud where he struck ut the limb, was great ouanti-
oil blood on the ground. They observed to each
oher that II was mysterious, and tlev ask ed Coro
whether Ehen. had his hat on when he struck him
ne sad he had The hat lay there, and we examined
Il and could find mark on it, There yy,s :, ,ro,nJ
on the top of the right arm AN inch and half lone
aud quarter of an inch wide cuttIrongh his cIohcs
another on the right shoulder; bruise ON the Iec,
sno.u err, another on the back of the right shoulder
beyond the wound n scratch the left side of the
headbelow the wound on the jaw MIR Jewett nut
ON MIR. knowton's boots and went inn tl,e s,,,a,
,lr. paws asked Gorham TO show where the axe
struck me Tree. lie pointed to a place where tbe
park had been peeled week or n fortnight be(nre
ny sharp instrument, not axe The blood ~
cet rom me Tree covered space big as the head
Oh barrel, and the bushes were stained a coue,,er
able way up. When he first saw Go,han he was e
or feet distant, leaning against fence some tears
IN ms eyes but after they sat out little or 10 emotion
ana hut little sensillilitg when in the wood The nexi
DAY he asked him If the axe did not fly up lie said
no, but it might twist little When Mi. lever
went, he expected the only partly cut down:
saw nothing mat made Il necessary to off limb
OF me Tree. iorham discovered no aversion 20 go
INTO The woods.-Whon asked why he carried the
Tree INTO The swamp, he said Eben had n mar, oc his
eurnen mere, and they were carrying il IT, They
found his burthen described, and a part of his
scythe with which Ebcn. used to cut up wood-Tbe
tree was white maple, three inches at the butt Cor
nam MENTIONED, The tree enangIed as the reason
" us cutting !he limb. Parsons has no father, and
his mother IS in low circumstances.
John Davis was at MIR. Hartley's near Smam
woods heard II. Davis was out in the woods he
started TO the hill, and as he assembled, saw GorGam
Tour or i've yards disance with the child in his arms
TOOK me child from Gorham finding him dead hid
nm down MIR. Jewet came up and said tire child
was dead; Gorlam said he ddit cutting of n limb
di not near the conversation between him and Cor
nam, ms they went into the woods gives generally
The same account as Mr. Jeweft, and n similar do, |
scrIption OF the wounds Gorham said line axe
caught or glanced he said the moment he struck NJ
Ebenezer, he darted and that he sprang and caught
hm before nc tel The tree straight aud 5 feet
long, and the limbs six inches from die bntt he said