The Delaware register, or, Farmers', manufacturers' & mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1828-1829, 1829-02-21

"The most interesting trial was that of Samuel
Sharp for blasphemy. The words charged in the in
dictment as spoken by him, were of such nature,
and SO vile and abominabe, that it would, we think,
be improper to publish them. The words spoken
proved by several respectable witnesses though
most of the witnesses believed that the prisoner was
under the influence of Intoxicating liquors at the
time he SO expressed himself
"Mr w. Hopkins, for the defendant, called several
witnesses to prove that defendant occasionally or
in some degree, deranged.
Z" MIR Champneys, on the part of the prosecution,
opened in an elegant and interesting speech showed
the evil tendency of such expressions, both in rel
gious and in moral point of yiew
Mr. Hopkins next addressed the jury on the part
of the defendant, with eloquence worthy of much
better cause-relying, principally, on the defendants
mcapaclty to commit crime, he being, by the act of
Providence, deprived of the power of reason or dis
eliminating between right and wrong.
The concluded in short speech from Mr.
Parke the attorney general, when judge Franklin, with
his usual ability, addressed the jury-sated the ma
ture of the charge, gave the definition of Basphemy,
and dwelt upon the Nervousness of the offence both
in moral and religious point of view, and as affect
ing the essential interests of civil society. He said
tht wilfuly, premeditatedly and despitefuy to bias
pheme, speak loosely or profanely, of Almighty
God, Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures
of truth, has been stautabe offence in Pennsylvania
for than 1913 years; that there nothing in
institutions, which should render such
law, and the punishment denounced by it, less ne
cessary now, than when it enacted, since stand
equally in need now formerly, Of all the moral dis
cipine and of those principles of virtue which help
bind society together That if the words were spo
ken in the laid in the indictment, they impor
ted malice, and punishable without more, unless
it should be proved that the defendant far de-
prived Of his reason, to be unable to distinguish
right from wrong. That defence resting solely on
the ground of insanity, is to be strictly scrutinized
and should be clearly proved. That the Judgment of
the jury must be made up from the facts adduced in
evidence and not from the opinions of witnesses, I'M
less accompanied by the facts incidents on which
those opinions founded That criminal acts done
by man, in temporary state of arrangement are
not excusable on that ground if the arrangement be
occasioned by voluntary intoxication, and that want
Of intellect cannot be recognised defence, unless
it be such to render the party incapable of dstin
gushing good from evil
The Jury returned verdict of guilty. and the
man was fined twenty-sx dollars and costs.
-+eSs~-
Norfolk, Feb. 8. 1929.
DISTRESSING CASE HYDRopHoBIA-An old
quantance, residing in Nansemond county, related
10 us a few days snce the following melancholy and
distressing of Hydrophobia, to which he an
eye witness in every stage of its progress The vic
tim to this awful disease young who acted
as oyerseer for Mr. Thomas GoIwin, at the Sleepy
Hole Ferry farm, by the name of Joshua Brown, aged
"a years. He is represented as man of exemplary
industry, of good moral character and in every res
pect worthy of the friendship and confidence of his