Litchfield enquirer., 1832-03-15
State ys. JcrcmSak Orion.
tREPoRrED FOR rHE ESeUIRER.l


 Judges Dagger, and Williams. The indictment char Re the prisoner with beating and striking, a Norfolk, on the 29lh of October last, man by the name ot Amos ROOt, with club four feet in length, which caused immediate death. Asa Bacon and LenmH Church, Esqrs. were assigned lis counscl and Mi chael F. Mills and Truman Smith, Esqrs. asso- cia,ed with the Snie's Attorney, for the State.
 The following gentlemen were empauneed Ju- TOTS, viz.-Ezra Noble, Abiel Chapin Albert Moore, Oliver KcIIogg, Ransom Smith, William Clark, D"n- ming Babbil,, John G. Noble, William Kasson, Seth Thomas, David D. Warner. and Nathan Warner.
 The Siate's Attorney Is. Church, Esq., ooe"et the in short statement, relating principally to 'oca- iiies. He remarked that several persons, among whom were the prisoner and the deceased, were as- aembled on Saturday afternoon, October 29Ih, in the south part ofNor(ok, at spell or bee to raise coa- -pthat controversy arose between the prison CT and son of tho deceased, in which the deceased in some measure parcipa,ed--tIat thc prisoner and the deceased Jeff the pit together time before the rest and proceeded towards home in different route from that taken by the 6the,slhat the prisoner on to the road and joined theres fte company alone and ,ha. the deceased was never again seen alive. The next morning the body was found, with the face downward, on lot called the falow, with the head, hands, Sc bloody. At distance Of eleven rods from the body, down the h and at the bottom of ledge ofrocks, large quantity of blood was found and sev eral drops between that and the body It was further stated that club which the prisoner took with him from the coal-pt was afterwards found in a hemlOck trce-top which lay the ground about eleven rods from the large quantilyof blood.
 Mir. Bacon. counsel for the prisoner, followed in few remarks to show that from tho localities Sc. it would he attempted to be shown that the deceased came to his death by accidentally falling from the ledge ofrocks where the blood was found.
 The witnesses on the par. Of the State were then called.
 Marshall Humphrey-Wasn nt work six or eigh, rods from the p, heard a ,umu'. there and went to the pit. Jeremiah Or,on on his back, and Hiram Root on top of him, holding him down. OrtoD ap- peared 10 lnugh said he was not mad, no use in fight ing, and asked Hiram to le, him up. Alter few min Wes, Orton in n rage struck Hiram and clcnched him. Hiram go, hin, down, and Or,on lnughed and said il no, best 10 fight 1; Hiram let him up again. Soon nhcr, Orion began boas clenched Hiram again and go, him down. It was proposed separae',hen,, bu old Mir. Root said Titan could whip him; he could, Ire said, old as he was. Hiram sqnrmed out and go,
 
 ram to " give to him :; said he could hurt thal laughed him in tho fIce and let him up. Orion wen, n little soa,h md took up a club, (soll maple,) put it his shoulder, and went south few rods Hiram told 10 look out; said be did not fear him, club or club, and went towards him. Orton round the pit don't know but he laid down the clnb--;f so, he took it up again. Orton went little wcs the teceased followed short distance, and then stopped. Orton turned back, and seemed to urge Mir. Root to go with him, and Mir. Roo. folew- ed him out of sight. s. q
 $luesiioned by counsel fer the state.--Wcre scuf- fling when Iscan,e up; -Oronamade attack on. Hiram inarage. When Hiram gos ndvantagc Orion laugh 7 ed. Elissladgh uppcaredtobe fegned. When boast. ing and walking about, or,op grated his teeth pick. ed up clutsouth of the pit, and went south three or < fourrods witlstho club on lis shoulder, Hiram went aIews steps afier him.. Benjamin AlIcK said Look ' out now. Hiram !'N Hiram scpled "D-n him, dofs'tfear him" Orion turned round pretty short ;; when he back lowered oue end of ,As club and swungit round some re,aiaedltheN anne sclub when yhe went ofawest. @sSuD was fifteen minutes high when wcntto the pit, nud down when they 1efi.- When Elelt there, wenilo log Reap thirty four rods from the pit; Benj,miaAleh left pit with me ddn', know when thc rest left j; about darkwhen lel the -logs'enp. Tho mex, morning Cadcr's girl called to me and said," Unclc Jock is dead" wen, to the body; lay onhs icc. with hands near his eyes; blood on his hands; appearedsto come from his ears Ina, on no blood where hc lay; shoe of; foo, with shoe on extended tint ins,ep touched the ground clothing whole above the hips pnn,aoons much torn skin bruised, sreaks through skin, some scratch es some long and some short s,reaks. Don't rcco- iectof sce'ng any torn spots in panaloons the nfe.- noon before Instcpsol feet scratched and scratches s on shoe; both eesexlended; blood appeared to have run downfroms ears nose fla, and bloody; body lay eevenrods frorna,he ledge, near . sort of foopnlh hend 10 the norheast, or on n root. Shoe was found four 10 six rods northwest from body was mate to the eonihe foot Alter seeing blond in the ear, searched with others for more bood Preston Miner found blood the rocks, ia n considerable quantity 1; in one place covering spot about six inch es across; ground was soaked with blood. Have since dug down three lo fvo inches; ground frozen Found towards the body rod and a halG drop of blood little out of the range; another drop in a straight course towards the body on stone found one ortwo other srecks in the four It, de specks on stone towards shoe. All the blood seem ed like specks dropped, not rubbed on. Ledge con ssts of four rocks up against high rock. Blood from four 10 six feet from the path where one would na,u rally go, in orderto fall from the precipce above the bloc One would have to climb up the rocks ,o the eOhA Af1 kasul