Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-11-20
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

district poured into the circuit town, and Desleseu
the Court house. llorsemen were III readiness.
snOn rs the verdict should be returned. to carry
the intelhgeuce-of life or dcath--to al those
gIens A few words will suffice to tell the ui-
al, the nature Of the evidence, and It's issue. The
prisoner who stood at the bar, in black, appeared
though mserablv changed from man of great
muscular power and activity, magnificent man,
into a tall thin shadow-perfecty unappalled;
hut in face so white and wasted. and woe begone,
the most profound physiognomst could read not
one faintest symptom either of hope or fear,
trembling or trust, guilt or innocence. lie hard
y seemed To belong to the world and stood fear
iIliy aud chastity conspicuous between the OIL
tiCcr. of Justice above all the crowd that dcvOur-
cd him with their eyes, all leaning towards the
bar TO catch the first sound of his voice. when 30
the indictment he should plead q" Not Guilty"
These words hc did utter, in a hollow voice alto
nether paSSlOnless, and then was suffered to sit
down. which he did IN manner destitute ct all
emotion. During all the many Ion. hours OF his
trial, he never moved head. limbs or body. except
once, when he drank some wafer, which he had
not asked for. bat which was given to him by
friend. The evidence was entirely circumstan-
tial, and consisted of few damning facts. and
Of many of the ery,sjightest sort, which taken
snyly. seemed To me&m nothing, but when con-
sdered all together. seemed to mean something
against him---hOw much or bow little, there
were among the agitated audience many differ
iny opinions. But slight a they were, either
81 gly or together they told fearfullv against the
prisoner. when connected with.Jhc fatal few which
no ingenuity could ever explain away "a though IN
geuuity did all it could do, when welded bv ell
Uquence of the highest ordcr--aud as the prison.
er's council sat down. there went 4 rustic and
bug through the court, and a communication of
,t,~tg tn a. flof
there we're hopes of his acqui,al--yst. if such
hopes there were.they were deadened ty the calm,
clear logical address 20 the jury BY the
counsel for the crown, and DESTROYED by the
Judges charge. which amour ed almost To 4 de-
munstratiOn of guilt, and concluded with Il CON
fession due To his oath and conscience. that he
saw not how the jury could do their duty 20 their
Creator, and their fcllow creatures. bat by re-
farming on, verdict They retired 10 consider
il; aud during death-like silence, all eyes
were bent ON a death-hke image.
Ithad appeared in evidence, that the murder
had been committed--at least all the gasi eS IN
llcted--for there were also finger marks OF stran-
wulation-with bill hook. such as foresters use
~ ;oppnr trces-and several witnesses swore
that the bill-hook which was shown them, stain
,tl with blood and with nair sticking on the haft
belonged TO I.udoric hdamson. II was also
oiven in evdence-though some doubts rested on
the nature of the precise words shat on that dayn
the room with The corpse. he had given wild and
incohercnt denial to the question then put to
rim in the din, What he had done with the
bill hooks No body had seen 1t IN his posses
sion since the spring betore-but it had been
found. after several weeks search. In has IN
the moss, in the direction that he WOULD have most
probably taken-had he been the murdeier--
when fiyiug from the spot To the ioch where lie
i Ill, H., Hal .bo,l
taken. fitted the foot marks on the ground, not
far from the place of the murder, but not 50 per-
fectly rs another pair which were found in the
house. hut that other pair. il was proved, belong
ed TO the old man: and therefore the correspond
once between the foot marks and the prisoners
shoes, though not perfect, was circumstance OF
much suspicion.
But !ar stronger fact, in that part of the evil
d,nce, waSsworn to against the prisoner
Though there was no blood on his shoes-wnen
arrrchended his legs were bare-though that
circumstance. strange Is 1t may seem, had new
CT been noticed till he was or the way to prison.
His stockings had been next day foInd lying on
The sward. near the shore of the lock, maniiesty
after having been washed and laid out TO dry in
the sun. At mention IF thi, circumstance a cold
shuddcr ran through the court; but neither that.
nor indeed any other circumstance in all the evil
deace-not even the account of the appearance
which the murdered BODY exhibited when found
on the moor. or when afterwards laid on the bed
-extorted from the prisoner one groan--one
sigh-or touched the imperturabIe deathiness OF
ms cOuntenance. 1t was proved, that when
searched-in prison-and not before-for the
agitation that reigned over all assembled in the
room at Moorsi,le that dreadful day, had con-
founded even those accustomed to deal with sus-
pected cr,mlnals-there were found in his peck
ct a small French gold watch. and also gold
brooch. which the Ladies of the Castle had gwen
10 Margaret Burnside. On these being taken
from him, he had said nothing. but looked aghast.
piece of torn and bloody paper. which had been
picked up nearthe body, was sworn to be in his
handwriting; and though the meaning OF the
words yet legib'e was obscure they seemed to
express a request that Mar2are' would me- ~"
an the mosr On that saturday AFTERNOON she