The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1824-02-05
49isteiianp.
From the Mii,edssiIls Recorder.
.aFFECTLvC SEATExcE.


The following affecting sentence was passed bv
Judge Longstree,. on John n. Winisms. oouyic,.
ed ofthe murder of his wife, at The ate sune,ior
Court in Jones county wbch 4.ss been furnished
for publication by the Judg-. s the solicitation OF
the Bar and number Of ciixens who attended
the trial 7nf ~ % .aa,r
J0bn M Bilioms, ,,eVa. a.u' "a fh
When ] he's the history of your esso
from the lips OF those VINO testified op yous
t'isi, ! thoogbt 81 vas such an one % wouid
reconcile me ,o the psioiUl task I sm now n.
bout TO pe,to'm. BW oil the disgust and
horror which then felt ., the enosmuy Of
: yout crime, have nov given way 70 succes.
sion oI kind ho, conflicting emotions, that a,,
mos, oserpowef me end J NEE, you upoa
his occssioh, no beusr p'spued TO pro.
bounce, thsn yUu a'e 70 bes, The swfui sen.
ienee, which awaits you. but !, 10 IN vain TO
shrink tom duty which ,hs Law eompeIs
me TO perlotm. ct sng
liest me then for . few moments, snd for.
Give me for proIooging yoo, suspense, whi,s
ooes moro sehssrss the ED sto,y Of your
guilt. Believe, the p,teous tale IL no, spsia
repeated 20 shoo, sno,her psng toto YOU, s.,
onlzed bosom. I would no, wsn,ony spos.
With your feelings, aor mock yoor cslami,y.
= a.
soupd you, to witocss our las, sad In,ervisv.
BY them Il will long be Remembered, snd
msy hsllow tho rode end tu,bvlen, psssioss
that would hurry them into crime, when the
s,sI0 "snds'e OF the law would DO forgotten,
Perhaps, too, !: msy touch soms tender chord
vi your own heart thst temsins -, unbroken,
and swsksn you TO such . sense OF your psri.
ious shus,ioo, a. will induce you 70 msks Q
successful appeal to tbs, Being, who slons
can snatch you from the ruin which thsss,ens
you.
IL appears ,hst, some years since, you WOO
ed and won the heart OF On amisbie, lovely,
sfee,ions,e and fs,herles. femsie--you led
her TO the altar, end there, 10 the pt sssnce of
that Being, before whom you must shortly
appess--yoo in.erchsnged with hsr the VOWS
ot perpetual love and fidelity. She kept her
vow--smids, the severest Uisis she did not
Io'ge, it, Tho ms'ks Of your brutal violence
disc'osed your cruelty to the world, before
her own lips whispered IL TO her nearest
fisnd. When her wounds swskened the
sywpsthies Of the only msIe connection she
had on esr,h--snd totced him 10 Nep forward
IN her defence--shs in,etceded in your be.
hall, quelled The rage Of her defender, psllia-
ted The on, nee OF her husband, fofgsve him,
end, with Manifestations OF unsbsted love.
sRsin received him to her bosom. With
each seto'viDg month your esosl,Ies were 70.
pesied as oftcn NJ tbsy were fepsy,cd, 60
often were ihsy forgiven. Al length your
conduct assumed mo,e alarming character,
sod she iorsssw tho Tell purpose you have
now executed. She appealed TO the laws Of
her county 10 svsu the ruin which mcnsced
hef--bu', ore she could expe erience their eff :.
cssy, one kind word from you dissips,ed ell
her fesv ;---sbe sgsin reien,ed, Withdrew her
eomplaio,--sgs,n lo'gsve, and again received
yos 10 her tmb'sco. Al this could not melt
your locked and frozen heart-it served only
to emboldcn you 10 iniquiiy Her frispds
sxpos,ulsted wNb you--shs besoughi you
end her mother, trembling under the weight
Of years, implored you TO deal more kindly
with her dsush,er. Ths, mother sddrsssed
herself 10 your feelings in language ths, T
should hsve though, even demon could not
resist. When shs repeated IL here, ihe ssero.
est besu in ,his vast multitude could NOT
withhold from her the tribute OF . tear. Be.
hold, ssid she, sm . week and aged woman
IL cso neither project nor defend my child
--hsr fs,hes 10 desd--h you discard her,
who're is she 10 Geek protection ! This slo..
quso, appeal could no, find 10 vsy 10 your
heat.
Your inhumsn uss,msn, continued, end
~ss borne by your compsnioo with onexs
pied fofsi,uds Tor more then FIVE yesr.; dur
Ing which period she presented you four
children. il wss the ninth day Of the age of
the youngest, end When i's mother hsd not
yet lef the room of her eon6esmsn,, you se.
Iected 20 eRecu,e your heilish pu, pose. Then,
when she elssped 10 her bosom her helpless
innoeent with this instrument, e knife J
sIiI covered 9th her blood, you commeneed
the work Of des't. Nay. her life wss no.
sufficient TO sPPesse you' vengesoee--hev
msngIed Corpse ssve unr qaivoesi proof. that
msny Of her wounds could have been ina eted
% tty the Nreog n Of ber ns'ves. The keen
edge Of the ko'fs made her frge, hor inlsnt
and her weakness, che O ID; yru pursued
her, sod dealt 10 hss bloc tbs, arrested her
feeble h'sm; you then dropped ihs knife,
vent TO your trunk, snd dew from l, this in.
suunsn,, Of ksener edge, "a ,sso',) and with
you sssseed her bssd on her body. For
ali IN - hs, - Al