Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1830-07-21

PERJURY.

late Liverpool papers, in which two In
nocent men were sentenced to death
ON the testimony OF a perjured impos-
tor. and narrowly escaped from being
executed.
a fellow named Fisher was found
in February. 1929. tied to q gate near
Wolverhampton, apparently bruised in
the head aud having his mouth gagg
ed with brown paper. Being brought
INTO the town, he represented himself
to be joiner. n native Of Oswe.try.
and resident Of London; aud said he
had been Knocked down and robbed
specifying the articles which had been
taken from him. Some Inconsistencies
IN his statement led to the discovery
that no such person was native Of
Oswestry. and that Fisher had PLAYED
the same tricks before at Bridgworih.
During the investigation he decampeJ.
At the late Lancaster Assizes. two
men named Risby and Grimes, and
woman named Mary Grimes, were con.
victed Of a highway robbery on a per
SON calling himself Robert Stanley
lie was found lying on the ground, an.
parcDtly insensible, with his hands fns-
tened by wires Ia the bars Of gate.
n quantity of wire was also twisted
round his neck. He said he was a
Joiner and a resident Of Oswes and
had been robbed Of his money, watch,
and two bundles of clothes. At the
trial he said il was so dark he could
not identify the persons who had rob.
bed him, but that they resemb!ed the
prisoners at the bar. A mass of cir.
cumstantial Testimony was introduc ed.
which left no doubt on the minds of
the Judge and Jury of the guilt Of the
accused. They protested their limo.
cence: but Justice Park implored them
to indulge no hopes Of mercy. The
men were ordered for execution, and
the woman TO be transported A re-
port OF the case appeared in the public
prints end met the eyes Of some res.
pectable inhabitants of Oswcstry, who
Immediately conjectured that. as no
such person as Robert Stanley, joiner,
had ever lived in their town, it was the
impostOr Fisher. This was communi-
Gated 10 Justice Park, who granted.a
respite to the prisoners. a police Of
ficer who knew Fishers person, imme-
dIateiy set about an investigation.
The pretended Stanley had disappear.
ed, but the result Of the inquiry was
strong presumption that the surmise As
to his identity was correct. On his
appearing before the Magistrate who
Committed the prisoners. he was asked
tor q reference TO some respectable in.
habitant OF Oswestry, and Immediately
mentioned the name Of the Rev. Mr..
I Venables. The Magistrate addressed
letter with that direction, and ,ecei,.
ed very satisfactory reply. bearing
the Oswcstry post mals. But it turn
cd out that 10 such person as the Rev.
MIR. Fenables bad ever been heard of
III that place. Thus these poor prison
ers were rescued from a shameful
death.
F.! Tie case was referred to Mr.. Peal,
by whom no doubt II has been sifted
thoroughly. The extreme caution
which should be exercised in suffering
no circumstance TO be overlooked ia
capital cases,is powerfully enforced by
this singular narrative. if the prison
ers had been duly taken care of by
their counsel, the character 0T the pro.
secutor would have been the subject Of
examination before the jury, aud AN
acquittal must have been the result.
The man calling himself Fisher. was
supposed in England to have sailed Tor
this country. a particular description
OF his person is not given.
Another case of equal singulariiy
has been the occasion Of much excite.
ment ia the District Of Gore. T.. c.
About two years ago. man named
Masters. vas supposed to have been
murdered IN thar vicinity, and az the
last AssIzes for the District, three men
named Young were pot upon their tri-
AT. being charged with having commit.
ted tho crime. The principal witness
was a man named Sheeler, who before
giving bis testimony, demanded hi.
Msjcsfy's pardon fOr having been q
particip1tor in the murder. The judge
, told him he should have made hls de
nand sVpuerj and It was supposed thai
: u lac bad been assured uf pardon, T.,
: would have declared that he himself
'niiicted some Of the blows which ~ef,
said io have caused the death ut Mas
ters. lIeswCfe that be was AZ shor
distance from the spot where Master
was slain, that the murder was effected
| WITH an axe, and the body thrown OF
coal pr. by which Il was consumed
o The evidence duplicating the prisoner
was eorroborated by several elreum
stances thought to be very strong. -
{ Mach 10 the surprise. and indeed 4
= the indignation ct those that atteodel
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