Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1830-11-10

CsAnLks You've, coavicted OF th. ,nur,,er ol
homss Gnnin Thornton, ESP. We have beer,
iavo"resi With the remarks which his Honor
JudE- Brockenbruugh, made upoa- the occasion.
and lsy ilem before ,hc reader We learn from
good authority, that Young requested the Judge
tn name the earliest possible day for the execu-
ton, a,sd i.timstcd wish To be hung the next
day. He has yet not male confession. thoush
wc have heard Of instance in which hc has. in
the slightest manner, denied his guilt The ..u-
tencc made no visible impression upon him
! lFredcrieksbury Arcna.
SENTENCE.
An impartial Jury Of your country
have declared, by their verdict, that
you are guilty Of The murder Of your
neighbor. THoAAs GaIrris l'noRxrox.
! The evidence against you WAS dis
nnct-clear, and irresistible. No hu :
man eye saw the fash Of your musket,
when fired the first time; M human
eye, save only that Of the disabled, and
perhaps, .impioring victim Of your hos
tility, witnessed the second discharge
Of the fatal weapon. And though two
Of your neighbors, at the distance of
mile, beard the loud report Of your
gun, twice.toid, aud were startled At
the unusual sounds. they could not
and did not Know, till afterw ards, that
they issued from a source SO deadly.
There was no positive evidence against
you, yet you are convicted! convicted
without hesitation! And l. in common
with the Jury, do now declare that l
am as perfectly assured Of your guilt,
a. if it had been proved to me by cred.
liable witnesses, who had seen the
deed. Little did you suppose that
rag Of quilted cloth, less than two in.
ches square, found in the road, within
thirty yards Of the body Of the mur.
dered man, would have furnished clue
to the discovery Of his assassin! Little
did you suppose that fact so trivial
would bring to light other numerous
circumstances, tending irresistibly to
q conviction Of your guilt! But such
are the mysterious workings Of Provi-
dence! So difficult, so almost impos.
sible, does il seem that the most secret
crime can be committed without Ieav.
ing some vestise by which detection
will ensue.
The circumstances Of this case prove,
without doubt. that yos are the mar
derer Of Thoruton-that you wayiaid
him-that you placed yourself behind
a covert, where you could see him rid.
ing up; Yourself concealed from him
that after he had passed you, with your
musket loaded with buckshot. you
fired--that you killed the horse and
disabled the rider. one Of the fatal shot
having struck his hip and another near
his spine. Did not the groans and the
agony Of the dying animal disturb YOU ?
Did not the prOstrate condition OF the
wounded man move your Oh. No.
You deliberately reloaded your mus
ket, but with smaller shot. There he
lay IN your power. Did he not, in that
situation, by his look or his words. i'm
plorc you to save his life! Did he not
entreat you to permit him once more
to see his wife and children? You
had no mercy. In few minutes, you
again fired at him--thr fatal shot en-
tered his side, and his forehead. He
lay corpse bcfure you.
Aud what arc the consequences Of
this dreadful tragedy BY one fatal
deed you have deprived wife &c her
husband, ten children Of their father,
your county Of an excellent officer,
society Ut an honest and valuable mem.
Der. But cruel as has been your con.
duet to the family Of the deceased.
much more cruel have you been to
yourself. To the family OF Thornton,
there is some consolation left he has
bcqucathej to them a good name; 90
them 10 accorded the ~ mpathy Of eve
W feeling heart.
What consolation is left TO your wife
and chiIdren1 By them the cup Of bit.
terness will be exhausted. The vi0-
lated laws Of your country, the sacred
rights Of humanity, the protection and
safety Of society, require that your life
shalt be the sacrifice for this deed Of
blood. When the judgment Of the
law shall have been carried into effect,
ySu will have widowed your wife.
brought the gray hairs Of your sged
mother To the grave, rendered your
children fatherless. and given TO them
disgrace as an inheritance.
IL Is not my purpose, BY stating 10
you the horror Of the scene in which
you were engaged, or the ronsequen.
ecs 81 your act, 70 wound or insult
your feelinss-fsr from il. ~ish you
to turn your mind back on iisrlf--,o
reflect on your conduct, and then to
think of the future.
You have but short time TO live. -
FROM this world you have nothing TO
expect. Cherish not the vain hope
that you can obtain forgiveness from
men, or mercy from any earthly iriba
nal. The "stain Of your bro'her's
blood is on yoa. and evefy mans hasd
IS against vow"