Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-06-20
outside or inside. On the left LEG on the out

Laban Jacohs-Made the Ratchet. Tie stamp
of his firm l.. & Jacobs.
In the year 1884 the workman who made that
Ratchet made about $500 exactly like II for his
firm. They were all sold in this city. Rccog
Dized the handle which he put in himself.
Cross-examined Docs not know whether the
Ratchet belonged TO Mr.. IloNic or moi. They
were sold all over the city. Probably Thousand
merchants have latchets precisely similar.
Mr.. Hoffman stated that Robinson refusal 10
hold any conversation with any person whatever,
friend or stranger and particularly his deeIuinrio
say any thing TO Mr. Burnham rs To his knosl-
edge OF Nj Furong, was IN pursuance oi his Mr..
Ilolfman's advice.
Mr., Phrnix called attention to the fact llat Ro-
binson refused to answer any questions when first
examined.
Mr. Hoffman sad h, also was BY hi. advice.
Counsel on both s'dss lien stated that iIcy had
gone through with the testimony.
At II O'Clock Mr. Priccrosc 10 address the jury.
Mi. Price concluded at half pass O'Clock.
Mr.. Hoffman then commenced his summing mp
speech, and continued TO address the Court and
Jury with tremendous energy and thrilling elo-
quence until - minutes after O'Clock, having
spoken full three hours. Alter he concluded, tie
audience, who had listened with profound at cnlon
TO his speech during It's delivery, broke forth with
loud plaudts, which for while interrupted the
proceedings 81 thu court
He was followed by Mr.. Morris, Mr.. Maxwell
and Mr.. phunix
His Honor Judge Edwards, then charged the
Jury at length, recapitulang the prominent parts
OF the testimony, aud laying down the law for the
guidance Of the Jury. lie said tina, the jury how
ever were well The pes OF the law Of the
facts That il was priuc pie of law as laid down
by Blackstone. that II were better that ten guilty
persons escape punishment, than one innocent
person suffer. lie stated that if after careful
and candid Investigation OF all the facts and cir
cumstanees Of the case, they did not arrive AT
full conviction, that the prisoner was guilty beyond
all reasonable doubt, they ought 10 acuuit him.
That this principle was TO govern them through
out aud if all the facts and circumstances brought
by evidence against the prisoner did not bring
them To the conclusion that the gullt of The prison
was established beyond all reasonable doubts,
they we're To be laid aside insufficient for convic
lion. The jury were also to consider well the cha
racter ol the persons brought forward as witness
es; the manner in which they testified whether
they were consistent throughout and whether the
facts They stated were III accordance with other
facts individually established. In this case the tcs-
unony principally is drawn, coniesscdIy, from per-
of very bad lrrntc--i from one of the most IN
famous HOUSES III tie city. When persons arc
brought Onward who lead such pronieatc lives
their tesiimoncy moi 20 be credited unless corro-
boracd by testimony drawn from more credible
sources. The law therefore says, II testimony Is
drawn from persons oi this description, in the Judy
meh OF law YOU are not entitled to convict upon II ;;
but If II be corrobora,cd and strengthened by
other credible testimony, then give 10 il all the
dlbilIty TO which it ~ IN justice entitled. That
there a murder there can be no doubt the
question Tor yuur consideration IS was the prisoner
/ AT the bar the murderer
Aour attention is directed to the circumstances
/ connecting the prisoner with the crime with which
he Is charged. First, there is the cloak found in
the yard ID, the halrhct found IN another yard ;
Sd, the miniature which was proved to be in pos
session Of the deceased on Friday, and was found
after the murder IN possession of the prisoner ON
Sunday.-Ihese are the three facts relied on for
connecting the prisoner with this uansacton.--
tilst, as To the cloak: Mr.. TcrI testified that he
Sd" II on the prisoner at hall past seven or eight
O'Clock, and Mr. turlong teslies that al half pass,
Che was nj his shop without il. 1t must then have
been left at somc place in the intermediate time
II hc had beenio the house OF Mrs Townsend al
ter he parted with TcrlIl, hc might have .it ii
| there early in tho evening and returned To MI
lnflong's without II or else he may have taken it
home, and after he left Mr. Forlongs, he may
have gone and got it. The cloak, however, was
found IN the yard adjoining the house in Thomas
person. Further, Mrs. +. lcstihes, as also do her
eltS, to plecNes he sane facts, W that the pr
>on"r came 10 then hou- -, } or half past O'Clock,
while Mr.. fe:'"ue eStihcs, that &C did not leave
h. store until half past Oo'coek.
HIS Honor considered the statement OF Mr..
tnrlong as the proper one TO he relied ON, to the
exclusion OF those OF Mis-. Townsend and her
girls. How the cloak came in the ward, he how.
ever could only alphabetically account for. rs to
the Ratchet, lac said, II was sworn TO by Mr. lloA-
les porter; II had been taken from the store ON
Wednesday pre- o,s TO the murder, found in the
yard Of Mrs. Townsend ON Sunday morning with
the string around IT. and not missed by the porter
until Monday morning. Ills Honor then attempt
ed to furnish satisfactory solution of this matter.
rs 10 The miniature, lie stated the facts proved in
relation 10 that; with the fire, the discovery of
the murder, the coming in of the watch to cxtin-
eash II, the contradictory statements of Mrs
Townsend and her guls, with that of the blac>
g'l, &c, all Of which circumstances he stated and
commented upon, with some Sc,eliIy as REGARDED
the females who testified, but lac admitted that
some of these circumstances were cn,elopcd in a
mystery, difficult To be unravclle,l
The result of hi, nonor's con, ;c.on was gene
rally adverse Ia the credibty of the female wit
ncsSeS against the prisoner and strongly in favor OF
the probable innocence Of the prisoner He con-
cludcd by charging the jury that if they enter
tanned any reasonable doubt of the guilt of the pri-
Soner, and they were bound TO acqut him but if
they were without reasonable doubt of his guilt,
they should fad him guilty.
His Honor closed his charge at half past 10 o.
clock, when the jury retired 10 their chamber, and
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