Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 182?-183?, 1832-04-27


IN hs Biographical sketch of Mr.. FTrt,
prcfreG to Hdrper's Edition ofMe &" Letters
oftde British SpY" is related the toHo,Uing
case Of circuElstaniiGi eridencs =
Gust after his Mr. Wirt's] resigninr the
CHARACTERISTIC, he was employed, together
with MIR. Tazewell and MIR. Semple, after
walds Judge Semple, in the defence of man
apprehended and tried on some points of cir
cnmstantial evidence SO curious, that we are
tempted 10 relate them. A person named ST.
George, who resided near WILLIAMSBURG
was shot dead one night through the window
of his own house. No trace appeared of the
assassin, nor any circumstances that could
indicate his enemy only some duck shot APP
peared IN the wall near the ceiling While
the crowd called out by the scene, stood
conioundcd around the dead body, u bystan-
der, who had been employed by the late
Chancellor, person remarkable TO some
degree of Oddly for his habits of close and
curious investigation, went out of the house,
and placing himself in the line of direction
that the shot must have taken 10 the spot
where they lodged, endeavored 10 ascertain
from that Circumstance the exact position
Ofthe person who discharged the gun. While
Illus occupied, his eye was caught hy very
small piece Of paper on the ground betwiXt
himself and the window, which appeared, on
taking up, TO have been part of the wadding,
and had OH il what seemed TO be two of the
three strokes composing the letter w. One
OF the crowd exclaimed at this moment, al
wonder where Shannon is has any one seen
Shannon :" Shannon was the son-in-law
Of the deceased, and resided on the opposite
shore of the James river and it was soon
ascertained that he had been seen in Will
liams5nrg that day, with gun on his shout
der. The gun, however, had no cock upon
IT, and blacksmith TO whom he had gone TO
have it repaired, stated that Shannon had left
his workshop with il in this condition. The
man was pursued, nevertheless, over
the river, and TO his own house, to which he
was found not to have returned and was
traced al length 10 a tavern, some thirty
miles off, and caught In bed with all his
clothes on, sound asleep lie was seized as
he lay, and on being searched some duck
shot was found about him, and letter, with
part of il torn of. W hen this letter was aE
forwards compared with the fragment of the
waddng, the two were found TO ct, and the
letter m before mentioned, 70 form part of
The word my in the letter. On these circum-
stances, strengthened by the fact that the
death of his father in-law wosld have put
Shannon in possession Of his wiis's fortune,
he was brought TO trial. A single juryman
STOOD out, as the phrase is, for ten DAYS,
and the defendant was discharged in conse-
quence Of thisdisagreement among his triers.
No other circumstances ever threw light on
the truth OF this transaction"
--G9ee--
THE SWORD or WAsHINGToN.-W @
are indebted to friend for the follow
ing notice.-"The sword of Washing
ton, produced by Silas T.. Burroughs,
Esq. for the centenary celebration at
New York, is aneat small sword, such
as was worn by general officers during
the Revolution. 1t was presented to
General Washington by Frederick the
Great of Prussia, with this compliments
~ remark, from the oldest soldier in
the world to the greatest" The hilt,
handle, ard guard, are Of fine polished,
studded steel the scabbard of wood,
severed with polished hardened seal
skin, and mountings Of polished STEEL
Hung to the waist by a polished steel
chain and waist hook. The blade IA
Pering, triaDgled and sharp pointed, and
edge of fine steel, figured from about
six inches from the hilt--a rising sur
with some other devices on each side OIL
It. The steel ornaments Of the guard
handle and belt are neat and tastefully
disposed and at the time it was manu-
fac Eured, Sixty or seventy years since, J
wefl r. probably as expensive as it would
be ply to mount it elegantly with gold
Nh. p. had it, on his return to the south
at ms lodgings in the u. S. Hotel, on
the Evening ofthe Odd nit. where sever.
al q ptlemeD were kindly permitted tc
ins ct end examine it.