The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1827-02-01

! attended to with all the formality of judicial
inquiry, and even these condemned the un-
fortunate young man.
When spring came, it was discovered
that large oak tree, celebrated for its age
and majesty did not put forth leaf 1t
grew near byeroad which led to the river
below the fall; aad as no other cause could
be assigned for its 5lighted appearance it
was attributed to one which now met the
popular suspicion among the Germans
They called it the blasted tree, and located
the place where the Strangers blood was
shed beneath its branches. Wthered by
the hot breath of murder, they declared it
should bloom again, whenever the murder
er should be brought to justice, and his blood
sprinkled on its dry roots.
Five years passed away, and old Impress
ions and vague suspicious grew stronger as
years departed Hurl6ut was now surround
ed by young and dependent family, but su
perstition had fixed an indelible mark on his
character, and he was followed by the eye
of jealousy, which watched his actions, his
countenance, and his words, while it shnp-
ned his association. The man became rest
less and unhappy; he felt sensibly the
weight of sulied reputation, and though
he had disregarded it for many years, he be-
gan to sink under its influence into morose-
ness and disquetude.
About this time some huntsmen, in the
pursuit of game which had sheltered in the
blasted tree, cut it down, and, 10! from the
old trunk fell the withered bones of a human
being; they were examined by an anatomist,
and declared to be perfect parts OF the skel-
eton of man, whom they judged might
have been deposited there four or five years
before. An opening in the trunk, some dis
tance from the ground, confirmed the prob
ability of the story. The Germans and their
nelghbors caught it up eagerly, and the tate
of the unfortunate woodinan seemed liked.
He fed the storm he saw gathering but in a
month ireturned and surrendered himself
up for trial.
The excitement of the popnlace ran high,
and as the day fixed for trial drew near, the
hopes Of his acquittal vanished. The mass
of the people were shure of his guilt, and
they collected the evidence against him, with
an activity and zeal which savoured rather
of the spirit of bitter persecution, than of a
love of Justice. leave the reader to ina
CINE for himself the feelings of a tender wife
and six destitute little children, as they
| looked forward through the gathering cloud
, to the day that was to fix his destiny, while
. hasten to the crowded court room, and
the solemn arrangement OF the husband ano
: father for the crime of murder.
The prisoner stood pale and detected, but
, silent and resigned. at the bar, and answered
: with a calm and steady voice. Mot Guilty,
to the charge. He was asked if he ha(
, counsel he answered in the negative, and re
f ousted that assistance might be assigned
= him. The Judge cast his eye around th
3 court, as if careessly in search of some one
on whom to lay what, as his manner seemed
to Indicate, he thought a hopeless task
9 when an old gentleman. whose presence a
: mid the throng had not been noticed, ros
: and introduced himself as Mir. -, an emf
: nent lawyer of the city. The court bowe'
e respectfully, and a look of astonishment wa
: visible in every face when he asked tn
: privilege of acting as the defendants cour
sci.
1t was granted however, unhesitatingly
y and he resumed his seat. When the wit
;, nesses had been heard on the side of tn
5, prosecution. he rose and addressed the cour
e He recollected the prisoner, he remember
! ed that on the night on which the evidenc
v went to fix the murder, he had einploye
!: the prisoner in the capacity OF guide, an
: was conducted by him over the ford; tina
IS he missed his way and did not reach tn
y lower ford to which he had intended to sc
is but travelled by another direction to tn
e city. In regard to the bones so mysterious
$. ly found, he had two evidences to prove, h
e said that the very physician, who pronounc
j. ed them human, and of five years decay
a and who was bitter enemy of the defend
h ant, had placed them there himself: tina
e they had for many years before decked I'll
e corner of his study The first was boy
y who assisted in placing them there, and tn
o second was the aperture in the trunk OF tn
c tree itself, which, at the entrance, was no
$. more than FIVE inches in diameter, and there
v fore utterly incapable of admittng.a huma
s body. He sat down with acclamatlons OF as
e tonshment; the proof went OH; the defend
ant was acquitted without an argument, AM
d the revengeful physicipn just escaped iron
q the village time enough to save his neck.
: This is the story of the blasted tree. !
d has moral How dangerous is superst
IS ton how carefully should circumstanta
d evidence be examined, and how cautious
,f weighed how false and deceptive the idea
,e that what is generally believed is intallibl
= the right