Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-07-13
H,,,u ne Htw York Commercial, Juiy ..
PERJURY.

49,.
I'D ;rnpostor. and narrowly escaped from pens
executed. A fellow named Fisher was 'oahu III
February 1929, ned to gate near oi'e'na".p
TON. apoarently bruised in the head. and ha'.'iS
his mouth gagged with brown paper. Deens
brough, into to town, ne represented ni"'
be Joiner, a native Of CSwestrv. anu 'e''ue
in London and said he had been KnoCHeu
down and robbed, specifying the articles "iicn
had been taken from him. Some inconsistencies
in his statement led TO the discovery mat 10 soh
Derson was native of Oswestry, and tnat flahe'
had PLAYED the same tricks before at n'lu5"o' H''
During the investigation ne decampeo'
At the late Lancaster AssiZes. two men ha"-
ed Rigbv and Grimes, and 4 woman Hai'i'u
~ Grimes. were convicted OF a highway ioTOo-
nv on person calling himself Robert 'Ian'G,
He was found living on the ground, aPPa' ~,
sensible. with his hands fastened oy wires u E'e
bars Of a gate. a quantity Ot wire -""S "'o0
twisted ronnd his neck. he said ne was JOIN
Or and resident of Cswestrv. and had been ROB.
hsd NJ bis money. watch and TWO bundles OF
! clothes. At,he trial he said il was so dark ne
! could not identifY the persons who had roooeo
him. hut that they resembled the prisoners al the
bar. 4 mass Of circumstantia! testimony was
;n.rodnced. which left no doubt on the MINDS OF
/ the Judge and jury of the guilt OF the accused
They nroteste, their innocence; but Jusuce rafN
ir,plored them 10 indulge TO hopes OF mercy
The men we're ordered for execution ana the "o-
men TO be transported. A report OF Ine case aE'
peared in the public prints and met the eyes OF
some respectable inhabitants OF Oswestry, who
immediately conjec;ured that as no SHoh per,
son as Robert. Stanley. joiner, had ever "Neu
in their town, it was the imPosier flSi'eF'-
This was communicated 10 Justice PARK, w5o
grsnted reS,ite to the prisoners. 4 police OIL
Ger who knew Fishers person, Immediately set
about an investigation. The pretended Stanley
had disappeared. but the result 81 me enquiry
was strong presumption that the surmlse as to
his identity was correct On his appearing be-
fore the Magistrate who committed the prisoners,
he was asked FOE reference 10 some respectable
inhabitaut Of Oswestry; and immediately men
roned the name of the Rev. Mr.. tenaoes. Inc
Magistrate addressed etter.with that direction
and received very satisfactory reply, bearing
the Oswestry post-lnark. But turned out that
no such person as the Rev. Mr.. Nenabfes mad
ever been heard ofin that place. Thus thsse poo
prisoners were rescued from shamefu! DEATH
The case was referred to Mr.. Peel, BY whom
no doub,it has been sifted thoroughly. The en-
treme caution which should be exercised IN suffer
inp no circumstances 10 be overlooked IN cap, al
cases. is powerfully enforced BY this singular
narrative If the prisoners had been daily taken
care of by their counsel. Me character OF the
prosecutor would have been the subject ~ exam
: nation before the Jury. and an aeGnttal mus
edr'sif himself Fisher, was Supposed
in England 10 have sailed for this country. 4 par
ticular description Of his person has not been
given.
: Another case of equal singularitv has been th'
;. occasion of much excitement in the district o
Gore. L. c. About two years ago man named
Masters. was supposed TO have been murdered If
that vicinity; and al the last AssZes for the Dis
trict. three men named Young "ere put upon theil
trial. being charged with having committed the
crime The principal witness was man named
Sheeler. who before giving his testimony, demand
: ed his maiestv's pardon for having been partci
pator in the murder. The judge told him he
should have made his demand sooner; and it was
supposed, that if he had been assured of pardon.
he would have declared that he himself inflicted
some of the blows which .ere said to have occa-
stoned the d.ath Of Masters. He swOre that he
was AT a short distance from the spot where Mas
ttrs was slain: thai the murder was effected with
an axe. and the body brown on a coal pit. by
which il was cons9 ned. The evidence implica-
tine the prisoners was corrobprated bv several cir
cum,tances thought TO be very strong. Mach TO
the surprise. and indeed 10 the Indignation OF
those that attended the trial. the jury rendered d
verdict of acqai'a The Judge remarked that
if the prisoners wished to remove the stigma of
their guilt. they must search diligently after Mas
tiers. The stigma attached strongly 20 them
as if they had been convicted. In the middle OF
June. Young received letter from Masters HIM
self! He was residing between Rochester and
Lewiston. and heard to his asjonishment. that
these men had been tried for killing him. He
was Immediately sem for, and identified beyond
doubt: and the YoungS went in pursuit Of the
infamous Sheeler, who has been residing at the
River Credit. II is supposed that he must be
now in custody. The Jury in this case did their
duty consceniously, exposing themselves by so
doing to the censure of the people. In either Of
these cases. if the perjury of the principal wit
ness had been discovered too late to save the lives
of the victims of mistaken justice, every good man
who had been empannelied would have had pain
full recollection through life, of the Ju ciai MUIR
der, to which, though unwittingly, he had been
an accessory.
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