The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1826-09-07

VI
The deceased was standing in the middle
Of the hoor--Thomas was sitting on the
side next to the light and close to the chin
ney-the light was behind Thomas; after
| the deceased fell no body got up to help
him--the prisoner nor the deceased did
not appear 10 be very much in liquor, but
Patience Demas was they kept passing
the liquor round pretty quick; we did not
stay more than quarter OF an hour after the
| light was liz; deceased crawled near 10
the wood hole, then TO the fireplace and
then got up and asked prisoner If she
struck him, and she said she did, damn him,
and would again-was at home oil the next
week, thought the deceased had got better
the deceased was backward and forward,
sometimes at our house and some times at
Bnal's-he would get drunk, but was
eaceable-prlsoner e. the deceased were
wrangling about wool; prisoner told the
deceased that she would fix his flint for
| passing his news from house to house.-A-
bout the time the candle was put out, the
deceased stood still in the middle of the
floor. Dorcas Caswell and Thomas had a
quarrel about their meeting in the woods,
where Dorcas gave Tom some rum, and he
told her not to tell his wife ofit-this hap
| pened after the affair between Charles and
Sarah was all over and gone to bed--wit-
ness did not get there until quarter of an
hour after deceased had got to bed--we
drank after Charles got TO bed; did not
take notice what kind of liquor it was we
drank.
Thomas Brown, further examined. The
deceased did not strike the prisoner when
he asked for drink they clinched about
the ylctuals; prisoner sat in Brownipg's
lap, and not in Charles'-Dorcas and had
few words after Charles went to lie on the
bed, but it was all settled.
Patience BrOiDn, further erdmined. /
drank only once on the hill-did not drink
| again until got into the house-did not
see deceased strike or kick the prisoner.
Doct Dennis Cook. | examined the
wound in the forehead--there was a hole
| down to the brain, that would admit finger
through the fesh--about half an inch a
bove that found a fracture that extended
to the outer corner Of the eyebrow--this
wound IN the flesh was circular round the
iorehead--then traced it the other way
and found II TO extend to the outer part Of
! the other eyebrow--there was another frac-
I turc over the eye extending clear to the
temple bone; and on the inside over the
same eye there was fracture extending
hall all lnch-this fracture on the outer part
] raised with a knife by gentle eXertion
and found it would admit probe freely to
| the brain. should consider it wound, in
case OF neglect, sufficient to cause death
! did not examine the deceased any further
than have stated above.
| Doctor Cook tods cross erumined al COW
siderable length, but rs the whcJs of his
croSs-eramination ,cent ont, % s6ew that he
,cds extremely deficient IN eue,y branch OF
earning cOnnecte.., piM his profession, 50
hueh So as 20 render his operations, euen
upon acGd man, Somerhdi dangerous,-.-
! 0rr rrre therefore omitted 10 inset T..
! The Rev. Luther Wright, was cxamin-
ed cn the part ofthe government. and gave
u very intelligent description of the wound
inflicted upon the deceased Mr.. Wright
happened TO be present at the time Doct
Cook examined the fracture. During the
time Or Cook was giving his testimony
Drs. Turner and Dunn were on the stand
) and aiierH ards sworn as to the probable
} character and tendency of the wound, as
described by DIR. Cook. The evidence oil
both these gentlemen was clear, intelli.
, gent and satisfactory. Here the evidence
IN the opening, on the part Of the govern.
; ment was closed. George Turner, ESQ
} very ably opened the defence in behalf OF
! the prisoner. Patience Randall, alias De.
, mas, one Of the witnesses for the prisoner
} was brought into Court upon writ of at
: tachment but she was so shamcfully dr1lni
: as to render her altogether unable to tes
ufy. The Court ordered her TO be held il
+ custody until the afternoon, when she was
again brought to the stand, but it was ap
= parent to every one that she was even thel
alike incapable ofrcalizlng the situation il
which she was placed, and the solemnity o
the scene around her. There were two o
three other witnesses introduced by Tn,
. prisoners counsel, and we regret TO sa'
; that every one of them appeared to be un
0 der the influence of liquor. In fact all tn
: colored witnesses including the two prin
? cipal witnesses for the prosecution, Brow
e and his wife, had stamped upon their coun
G tenances, nay, all over them, the mos
4 dGmning eridence Of deep, long continuet
d habtual and beastly intemperancc. MI
n Turner, in his opening, occupied about tw
o hours; he went over all the evidence wit
: remarkable minuteness and made stron
: and impressive effort in favor of the prison
$ er. X. h. Randolph, Esq. closed the dc
: fence in a speech two hours long. Their
$ were three points raised by the closln
7 counsel first, whether the wound, beyon
all doubt, caused the death Of the decea'
II ed? I'd. whether the prisoner inflicted tn
g wound and third. If the prisoner did II
It ilict the wound, whether she was guilty
Il marder? The greatest possible exerhol
Il were made by Mr.. Randolph to draw II
g Jury to the conclusion that from the natul
G and character of the EVIDENCE. Il was mol