The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1833-09-11


bout this East Greenwich affidavit. How
happens il, that during seven months o'i ihe
most intense excitement that ever sgitated
The State of Rhode Island, since the Re'o.
,u,iou--while the history ofthis"pink letter.
was in the mouth of every man, woman and
child, and discussed in every family, as the
second point, In importance IN the trial OF
Avery, that the very man who delivered that
letter, who conld recollcct even the color Of
the paper, and the conversation respecting
its address, and who had been a parishoner
Of Ayery's and continued his friend, should
not. once in the course Of that seven months,
have referred to the Circumstance, and with
ou, its ever having occurred to him. that
i, had bearing on the easel" Docs mr..
Spencer presume 10 say that he had never
; sd,ssassed, or heard discussed the subject oil
this letter Dees he, or will he presume 10
say, that prior 10 the "'riiai at Newport, he
did not know that the very letter he pre-.
tends to have, delivered was considered to
have very important bearing on the case?"
Does he or will he presume to say, that he did
not very soon hear Of The murder at T:veiton,
and that the name of the murdered person
was Cornell (? Would il not os naturally have
occurred TO him to inquire, ifthis might not
have been the person TO whom the letter was
addressed, that he delivered on board the
steam boat, rs il was TO inquire it mr..
Benjamin Cornell, formerly Of East-Crcen-
wich had daughter residing at Fall
River 2" There is something very mysterious
N oil this business so mysterious as to de
siroy entirely oil claims Of the affidavit TO
credit or belief, until a satisfactory explains
ton shall have been given. rhe letter was
received by Spencer under peculiar ciIcum.
stances. lie received il from man coming
from to,cards Providence-He was requested
to be particular to deliver il that morning,
10 one of the hands on ,ard the steam boat,
his curiosity was excited--Iie took the letter
from his hat TO examine it second time
Had dispute with his fellow passenger re-
specting the color of the poper--carried it
to Providence Delivered it to person on
board the Fall River steam bout me ntioned
the circumstance to his brothers on his re.
turn home, 60 deep was the impression on his
mind Named the person tn whom the letter
was addressed, and cndeavorcd to ascertain
Of his brothers, who she was--And all this,
without pretending TO any other motive than
mere curiosity, and yet, in few short weeks.
oil this is forgotten. A man is put on his
trial for life, and the knowledge Of these
facts might savs him. Yet Nashsn ~.
Spencer, Richard Spencer and Thomas L.
Spencer, are all, in possession of these facts,
and 90 much less is interest created by this
important consideration, and at q moment Of
the most intense excitement, than was expe.
rienced.from mere curiosity, that even then
no, one Of these persons ever seems to have
thought Of them, and they are never named,
until after the trial. and, at q time when for
want Of their having been previously dcyel-
opcd, Ephraim K. Avery, might have been
hanging between the heavens and the earth,
or reposing in the silent tom,!
Nathan NJ. Spencer may have, sometime.
delivered q letter, sphinx letter." if you
please, on board the "Fall River steam boat
--TIc may have received ,ha, letter from q
man on the road from Providence. 1t may
have been directed to some person in Fall
River. by the name Of Cornell, and directed
to somebody. All this, no thinks to be true
and nobody disputes him. But, in all this
there is nothing certain--there is nothing
defnite--like The case Of the man with the
gun, and the boy with the sheep, which Mr.
Aver, sdWo on Rhode.Island, il only increases
the mystery. and renders the darkness more
and more horribly black.
Can't be, that during seven months, /.
which time the public mind never ceased L
ponder on this mysterious affair in which
time, no hour occurred that the history o
this letter was not made the theme of dis
cussion, by the public press, and in ever,
private circle, that neither Of the three Spen
GERS, nor the traveller who witnessed The re
ception OF the letter, ever had the circum
stance called UP to their mind or eve
thought ihst II might have such "bcsrin, 4,
on the case" as 10 save a fellow being from
the gsllows? Four such men must be a,
anomaly in human nature. Their powers o
mind must be Of that description to plac,
them beyond the reach Of moral accountable