Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1836-06-23

not the prisoner his cloak on that & was
without doubt found the folloWing morning,
in the rear Of Mrs. Townsend's house. Did
he leave the cloak there me did when did
he leave the cloak there. IF he left i there
IN the early part Of the evening and did not
return, then he had nothing TO do with the
murder: that Ne was next heard of by his
bedfellow at half past l, when he was found
in bed, and said he had come in between IL
and ~ o'clock where, then, was the prison.
er after he left Furlong's till he went to bed.
If he went and fetched the cloak from his
lodgings, it would take him twenty minutes,
that is till 20 minutes to IL. But why did
he not wear his cloak on such night. 1t
might have been that early in the evening
the deceased detained his cloak that Fur
long proved that he was not at Mrs. Town
sends at half past nine that evening that if
he was to be believed, the woman could not
be believed, unless they were mistaken as to
time, but as they all agree in the same time,
it seemed as if they had previously concerted
together, although Mrs. Townsend says she
had never conversed with her girls.
His Honor here reviewed Mrs. It's evidence
as to her and the girls Except Stevens, who
was dead) declaring to the Waterman that
she did not know prisoner, and that conse-
quently they could not know it to be prison.
er; and that that discrepancy sunk them still
l
the first Waterman there had been murder
committed: whereas, according to her own
/ evidence, she had only pushed open the door,
and from the smoke rushing out she gave the
/ alarm-that her story bore internal evidence
of falsehood and that her not going into the
room to try and wake whoever was there,
was unnatural-also, that If it was the fire
made her call the Watch, there was no need
of her to do SO, for that was an alarm of it.
self, and that her calling murder shows the
murder was running in her head, and that
the evidence of her, Miss Stewart, or Emma
i French, could not be taken. d, 9pi 9D- e.5 vi
Next i'm relation to the Ratchet, Mr.. Hoxie
had identified it by gap-that in regard to
4 the string positive proof was stronger than
NEGATIVE proof-certain witnesses had sworn
\, to it. although the Coroner and Waterman
did not see It, and therefore either the string
was there or some of the witnesses had COM
i mitted wilful perjury then what was the
Ratchet taken from there to the house for
4 The first impression was, it was taken there
to do this deed, which is probable, but not
necessarily true that ifprisoner took it there,
he took it for such q purpose. If he was
there and left his cloak, he might deem it
necessary to go armed, which is a safe course
for any man going to such place, to go arm
ed for any thing which might occur. His
cloak might have been taken there by some
one else, and some one else have used the
Ratchet. - aia4a&i@ so Z. IatsFi *S
4 AS to the miniature, Dunscombe the black
!, + girl, saw it on Friday with the deceased, and
ON Sunday it was found in prisoners posses
sion, the letter shows, that he wanted it, but
that was written months before the murder,
. land no violence seemed necessary to obtain
; it-yet if Dunscomb was to be believed, il
was strange and looked black against the
/ prisoner. But there was doubt whether
| she could be believed. Here his Honor re-
/ ferred to the contradiction in her testimony
, and ridiculed the idea of her excuse that she
|, twas frighfened. That evidently Dunscombe
did not know prisoners person, for on Satur-
dayenight Strange was there whom she
} thought was prisoner, and on Thursday she
) thought he was there, when he was at the
theatre, s, + s7sys., ,,,.3n. il H. ..,..
) His Honor then left the case to the Jury,
l telling them if they entertained reasonable
/ doubt, they must acquit him. That the wit
: nesses of bad character were to be disregarded
! THAT the cloak and Ratchet and his not &C.
counting for himself, were extraordinary
! and calculated to lead the mind to his guilt
! But that whether they proved his guilt was a
question for them to decide--that at all haz.
; ards, they were not to immediate an innocent
: victim; but yet if they were satisfied of his
. guilt they ought to say so; that if he was
7 guilty he deserved no sympathy, for justice
t would cry aloud for satisfaction and finally
that the trial was equally important to pub.
!; lie justice as it was to the prisoner. q ,
The jury retired at half past - o'clock or
Tuesday night, and in about fifteen minutes
, returned into court with verdict of NOT
, GUILTY. IN
Richard p. Robinson The long and ardu.
Gus trial of this unfortunate young man-un.
fortunate whether guilty or innocent, in being
connected with chain of circumstances al
most Incompatible with innocence-termi-
mated In his acquittal, after consultation OF
fifteen minutes by the jury. will be seen
that he had every advantage which could be
desired, from the lenity of the court, the for
bearance of the prosecution, the ability of his
) counsel, and the sympathy of the public
} The ordinary rules ofpractice were dispensed
with in his favor testimony rejected which
, bore directly on the case letters indicating
: motive of action forbidden to be read to the
! jury, by a decision of the court and a crowd
ed audience permitted, as it were, to overawe
8 the witnesses and jury, by shouts and huzzas,
I when any testimony was given in favor of the
: prisoner, These who are aware of the infiu-
ence OF popular feeling when thus expressed
not only on the sentiments, but the actions OF
+, individuals, will we think, join with us in the
: opinion. that such demonstrations were ex-
ceedingiy indecorous and improper on such
an occasion. The anticipation Of being his
, sed, insulted, perhaps mobbed, is certainly
not favorable to the cool, dispassionate iudg-
ment and delibe:ation of q Jury. 4 my
We do not, however, mean in the slightest
degree to insinuate that the verdict of the Jury