Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-09-03

written by the accused m prison TO kachael
Cunningham. vas read BY the prosecutor to
the jury.
The final sentence ofihe law was pronounced
On Monday last, BY the Hss JShn Buchanan,
who accompanied 1t with the following prefatsry
remsrks, with q copy of which we have been
politely furnished, by particular requests
Upon . full and minute investigation before a
jury OF your eountrs, commensurate vith the
character of the offence with which ysu stand
charged, and the awful consequences O. of eouvic.
ton. YOU have been found guilty Of the horrible
crime OF murder OF the first degree; and IL has
become my painful duty ss the srgsa Of this
Court, to pronounce the solemn and appalling
sentence of the law.
OF your guilt, not n shade Of rational doubt
is perceived to exist.
Three different juries have pronounced ysu
the murderer Of ysur wife-the Jury OF inquest,
the grand jury that found the indictment on
which you have been tried, ans finally the petit
lury OF yeur ewn choice, after an attentive and
patent searing of the elaborate arguments OF
the counsel engaged in your defence, by whom
nothing was left undone, that zeal and ingsnui.
~ could suggest.
Far be it from ms, 70 entertain any the reno.
test wish. to insult. or unnecessarily sffer VIC
ience to ysur t~eelIngs-they must be already
sufficiently narrowed.
But ] am constrained to ssy-(would 10 God
itwere o~lherwise.) that wiltul, deliberaie ard
premeditated purpose. Though essential to the
murder OF the fret degree, dees not give to the
offence OF which you stand convicted, its deep
est die; does not censtituts i0 bIsc kest sttro
city.
Murder is shocking to humanity under sny
circumstances, snd q well regulated mind, enc
no, cailous to every proper and correct feeling,
always turns from the contemplation Of il, with
shuddering and adherence.
Yet there are degrees Of terpitude even in
murder of the first degree. and that perpe,rated
by you, mounts TO the highest grade Of enor.
unity.
Yours is an instructive. but melancholy lessen.
q Practical, but shocking Illustration Of the
awful truth, which cannot be tso often. nor too
strongly inouscsted. that one false step 10 ever
followed by smother.
Reared and educated in an enlightened soci.
ETY., surrounded by respectable and numerous
friends and relations, and enjoying in a high
degree The esteem and confidence OF all wbs
knew you, you found your abused and unhappy
victim at a oesrding school. a young, inexperi.
eneed, innocent and g~uileless girl; the daughter
81 . wealthy parent, who had sen. her abroad
for her education.
Alas' he little thought, be was sending her
TO her destruction; and that, what was intended
Tor the advancement of her responsibility and
happiness IN this life, was destined coon to
prove hsr ruin.
Departing from the path Of rectitude, in
which until then. you seem to have trodden;
and usinhuenced by any Of the finer feelings
OF the heart, but attracted only, las il appeared
in evidence by the allurements of wealth, YOU
sought and wen her affections, and with no
corresponding attachments, made her at an
insusp'cieus moment, the confiding partner Of
your bed-bat an alien from your sosom.
was a false and vicious step. a moral fraud
practised upon the credulity Of a fsnd and un-
snspecting girl.
That one false step soon begat ansther.--
Scarcely had yeu, under the sanction Of . holy
vow, deprived her Of her virgil sharms, ere.
(regardiess Of all deccrum, of the feelings of
the 'rIenos and relatives by whom you were
encompassed and OF every thing that was due
10 ,he soccer, IN which you iived,) you cruelty
dashed her from you, to revel IN the foul ena-
braces OF q base and common wanton
Thus hurrying onward, Qorgetful Of every
law, human and Divine. from one false and
VICIOUS step to another, you arrived at last to
the perpetrstlon of the unnatural and cruel
murder OF your unofit nding wife, the msther Of
your own infant child, whsse presence alone
should have been her prsiection-the blOody
deed that has drawn LEVIN upon you the ven.
geance OF the offended law; which, (under the
direction Of Him, by whose all seeing eye, the
fal! OF ssparrow is aot uHobserved, from whom
nothing can be concealed, and ne secrets are
hid seldom fails, sooner or later, to oyertsks
the guilty; the very means suggested ~ guilt,
and resorted TO isv concealment and escape,
however deep laid and well planned, often
proving to be the sure meanahuf detection; ssch
are the inscrutable ways of Providence, and
such The blindness OF mas, with all hs boosted
wisdsm.
Suffer not yourself to be deceived by a vaia
hope of pardon, or Of shy ntersosiiion b. the
Executive OF the State in ysus bshslf-lt might
prove a fatal delusion.
The blood OF that much injured and murder
ed woman, whom at the sacred slssr. you had
viewed to cherish, and whom IL wss year duty to
protect. cries TO heaven; outraged humanity
calls aloud tor justice; the offended majesty Of
the law must be sppeassd, and the hour Of re-
tributloa draws near.
Trust mt, when I assure you, il is my sincere
belief, that there isdnothing to ss hoped from
any earthly power. this side the grave; and
that ysur only hopS must now rest upen an
ether and a highey tribunal ter peace and hap
piness, in "another and q better verdi"
Permit me then to beseech you, no longer
locking to the things Of this world, to direct
yeur attention to that dread tribunsl; and dill.
gently to employ the small remnant OF life, that
yet remains to you, in earnest and humble sup.
piicstion to The Threne OF Grace, for that oar.
don and forgiveness which can only be extend
ed to you. by Him from whom you have veur
bsing-the great searcher Of sii heasts: the
high and mighty ruler Of the universe.
And may the God OF mercy ia compassion 20