The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1823-05-26

bappy-he felt sensibly the weight OF
a suIiied reputation, and though he had
disre garded il for years, he began to sink
under its influence into moroseness and
disquietude.
About this time, some huntsmen in
the pursuit of game, which had taken
shelter in the blasted tree, cut it down,
and 10 from the old trunk fell the Will
ted bones of human being they were
examined by an anatomis, and declared
10 be the perfect parts Of the skeleton OF
a man, whom they judged might have
been deposited there four or five years
befores AID opening in the trunk some
distance from the ground, confirmed the
probability of the story the Germans,
and their neighbors too, caught itup ca
ecrly and the fate OF the unfortunate
woodsmap, seemed fixed He fed the
storm he say gathering, but in month
returned and surIeEetfe himself up Tor
trial.
The excitement OF the populace ran
high; e. as the day fixed for his trial drew
nigh, the hopes of his acquittal vanished.
The mass OF the people, were sure ofhi
guilt, and they collected the evidence a.
gainst him with an activity and zeal
which savoured rather of the spirit Of
bitter persecution, than OF love OF JUS
lice. leave the reader to imagine for
himself the feelings of tender wife and
six destitute little children, as they look
ed forward through the gathering cloud
to the day that was to fix his destiny,
while hasten forward to the crowded
court room, and the solemn arIaignment
of the husband and father for the crime
of murder.
The prisoner stood pale ard detected,
bu, silent and resigned, at the bar, and
answered with calm and steady voice,
"no, guilty." to the charge. He vas
ask ed if he had counsel he answered IN
the negative, and requested that assis-
tance might be assigned him. The judge
cas-, his eyes round the court, az If care
| lessiy In search of some one en- whom TO
| Law what, as his manner seemed IT. lndI-
cate, he thought, hopeless task, when
an old gentleman, whose presence amid
the throng, had not been noticed, rose
and introduced himself as Mr.. -, an
eminent lawyer of the city. The court
bowed respectfully, and look OF aston
ishment was visible on every face, when
he asked the privilege OF acting as the
defendants counsel.
| II was granted, however, uphesitatIng-
| ly, and he resumed his seat W hen the
witnesses had been heard on the side
| of the prosecution, he rose and addressed
the court. He recollected the prisoner
he remembered that on the night on
which the evidence went to fix the muir
der, he had employed the defendant In
the capacity OF guide, and " as conduc-
ted by him over the ford; that he miss
ed his way, and did not reach the lower
ford, TO which he had intended 10 go, but
travelled by another direction to the city.
In regard to the bones so mysteliously
found, he had two evidences to prove,
he said, that the very physician who
pronounced them human, and OF five
years decyy and who was bitter enc
my Of the defendant, had placed them
there himself; that they had for many
wears before, decked a corner oil his stu
dy the first was boy who assisted in
placing them there, and the second was
the aperture in the trunk OF the tree it,
self, which at the entrance was not FIVE
Inches IN diameter; and therefore utterly
incapable Of admitting human body
He sat down amid acclamaiioDs Of as
constituent the proof went on the de-
PENDANT was scquittsd, without an argu.
ment, and the corrupt and reveagefuI
physician just escaped from the village
time enough to save his neck.
This is the story Of the Blasted Tree.
Il has moral-how dangerous is super~
stition-how carefully should circum-
stan.ial evidence be examined, and how
cautiously weighed how false and de-
ceptive is the idea, that what is generally
believed is infallibly the right.
1 R1nhoriuza.