The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1832-03-06

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LETTER FROM Mrs. MINA,-giving de-
tailed account of her acquaintance
with Nina, the circumstances of her
husbands death, Mina's previous and
subsequent conduct, &c. &c.
The following copy of letter written
by Mrs. Chapman, as she still calls her
self, Notwithstanding her marriage to Mi
ma, while in prison at Erie, Pa. we can
assure our readers is authentic. It was
written to a friend in Brewster, the place
where her relatives reside, who suffered
the copy to be taken, which we publish
below.
My Worthy and much esteemed friend:
With eyes bathed in tears, and heart
full of sorrow, occasioned by almost un-
PARALLEL sufferings, do now address you.
Alas! alas! kind sir, my pen. almost re-
fuses to perform the painful task of in
forming you of my melancholy situation;
l am prisoner! o! my friend, little did
think once that should ever be COM
PEELED to address letter to any of my
friends from the gloom of prison: and
that under circumstances the most ap-
palling! All! from what a height have !
fallen! but yesterday / had and enjoyed
all that heart could wish; blest with COM
petence, surrounded with lovely family,
enjoying the society and smiles ofa hus-
band | loved, what more could l wish
what more had this world to bestow!
But, alas, the cruel spoiler came, and in
one hour, all is blasted! All my hopes
and prospects are vanished! and o, my,
husband, who would once have stepped
forth to protect me, and sympathize with
me, is now no more. His head lies low
under the clods ofthe valley, unconscious
of the sufferings ofhis family! o! how
enviable is his lot to mine! while my
bleeding heart is torn with thousand
pangs by the death of the kindest and
best Of husbands, as if this was not g.
nough to complete my miseries, in order
to put finishing stroke to them and dart
the last pangs to my already too much
agonized bosom, l am charged, am ar
rested on the false, the cruel suspicion of
being thought accessory to the death of
my husband.
Was it not for conscious innocence
and the happiness Of my dear babes,
Chose living remains Of my much below
ed husband, they were very dear to him,
and are for his sake as well as their own
very dear to me likewise, life would be
intolerable. D! that Heaven would
plead my cause! although have acted
very foolishly, very imprudently, yet may
God in his infinite mercy, restore me a
gain to my bereayed, my distressed little
family. When / reflect that there is a
probability that my poor husband was
poisoned, and that l am suspected of
having assisted in the horrid, the afro.
cious crime, am paralized! am dis
tracted! But l am innocent, however
dark and unfavorable circumstances may
appear against me. l have been infatu-
ated with mysterious stranger; base
lmposter! l have been deceived and
dupcd by him, so that without due con-
sideration of consequences, which might
result from such a step, (believing him,
alas! to be grateful friend to my de-
ceased husband, self and children / pre-
cipi:ately married the cruel monster;
you will say | ought to have been inex-
orabIe, so soon after my husbands death;
this grant, but when refused him, urg-
ing the recent death Of my husband, as
an objection, he declared that my hus-
band, on his death-bed, took his hand,
and desired him to be a father to his
children, &c.--this he told my eldest
daughter, as well as TO others. When !
urged him to desist his opportunities, on
account Of disparity of years, telling
hlm that such a union would be thought
ridiculous in this country, he said that
the customs were different in Mexico,
and to the, city. 10 his father and moth