Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1825-08-13
From the New York National Advocate.
OYER AND TERMINER.

OIER AND kMlNEK.
Thursday, June so.
The court opened d, IL o'clock this
day Tor the purpose oil sentencing tho
seven young men who had been con-
victed last wetk Of manslaughter COM
mitted by them on the body OF the late
Mr.. Lambert.
HIS Honor Judge Edwards pronounce
ed The sence OF the Court" A jury OF
your country, selected under circum-
stances peculiarly favorable to your
greatest desire OF acquitlal, and after
hearing with the greatest patience and
attention the evidence and counsel en-
gagged in your behalf, have pronounced
you gully Of the crime of manslaughtsr.
Beiere enter into the circumstances OF
the case, must here remark that at the
very inception oitbls business, you select
ed the worst Of all seasons for your
amusemenr--namely the dead of night.
From the general tenor vt The testimony
it appears that when you left that house
(the tavern in Broadway where they had
met and drank you departed in state
Of medication. Each OF you had drank
seven glasses of spirituous liquors. The
FIRST we hear of you afterwards, is the
throwing OF stone al carriage return
ing into town through Broadway. This
carriage probably contained females.
On being questioned on that subject one
and all OF you s!outly denied the FACT
Mr. Lambert's party then came up and
made d similar inquiry. After his par
y had passed on, you came up with them
between this and Arr street, and one Of
you asked one Of them if he was not a
gentleman; another put his foo, out to
trip Mr. Pell, and another smoked Sc
gar in his face. A combat epsued. With
The exception oil MIR. Psll, who returned
the assault in very spirited and becom-
ing manner, none OF MIR. LIS party made
the least resls ance. Even after YOU dis
covered ,hatthey made no resistance, you
had The heart to follow them up, and re-
peat the blow upon them. You have
put forward as prelext that their being
dandies excited your passions; bot Mr..
Lam bert was not a dandy He was a man
might have given you that knowledge.
Watch and murder being cried, 1t APP
ptars that after separating awhile, you
met again al Mrs. Potts, as the place OF
rendezvous. Three of you next morn
ing were overheard at a grog shop by
one Of cur watchmen, saying that you
had stree last night, and if they would
go up TO Vauxhall Gardens they may
ind hats and coats, and perhaps dead
bodies too.
Now, if any apology is to be made on
the score Of intoxicalien, these three
young men had not such an excuse the
next morning. So far from shelving
conrilion they had the audaci'y to exul.
yer their conduct. Taking all these
ciroums iances into consideration, it gives
the atfIir very unfavorable color. Whc-
lher intoxicated or not, this ahray even
tuated in The death OF Mr.. Lambert, who
was warmly aud affeclloDaiely beloved
by every one who knew him. A whole
community was in tears. II he had been
removed by the will Of God, it would
have created much sorrow, but to be
bereft Of his life, in the night time, by
band of young men in frolic, gave
shock 10 the moral sense Of the whole
community. do not impute to you,
that you mcdita,ed the death of any one;
the Jury have also taken this view Of your
conduct in finding the verdict they did;
neither do we ieel ourselves at liberty TO
limit our views to your case, or merely
to what may be due TO you personally
Tor this crime. Riotous, assemblies of
Young men a, night, break down all
sound morality and good order, and lead
TO the most aggravated crimes. For this
reason the law, which is the experience
OF ages, had looked with severe eye
upon such scenes. In fixing the punish
ment which we intend, we mean to teach
all vicious young men that this law will
be obeyed 1t walks side By side with
the citizen at the dead OF night, for bis
protection and his security. II may have
leaden feet, bu, it has iron hands, In
fixing your punishment then, we have
deliberately considered what is due to
your crme-what is due to your per-
.sons-and whal is due TO society. How