Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1837-01-28

IA II
IMPLICATED. Kelly having been among the |!
latest ON guard, was not produced for exam
nation until after several others had been
brought up; but At his own request he would
not nrobably have been examined at all, sol
GENERAL wa: the conviction Of his innocence,
IRON his previous exemplary character.
One of the suspected party, man Of weak
mind and nervous temperament, terrified at
the apparent danger Of his situation, had
been so far overcome, as to reply IN conius-
ed and prevaricoting manner to the question
nut to him on his examination. His confus-
ion having been attributed to conscious
nes.cf guilt, had produced strictness and
sternness of investigation that had rendered
the poor fellow completely unintelligible, end
he was remanded to close confinement, pre-
|viously to his taking his trial on charge Of
aiding and abetting the CRIMINALS escaPe-a
breach of duty, TO . suspicion OF what his
weakness and inrapacity naturally exposed
him. The other men were, Of course, set at
liberty.
Kelly refused the profered enlargement,
and learning the situation Of poor Drummond,
the name Of the soldier who had been remain
Ided on suspicion, desired to be Immediately
conducted before the court, which had not
vet separated, representing himself to lave
lcertain disclosures to make.
~Weli Kelly, what have you to sayF'' IN
ouired the officer who presided, not little
surprised at his appearance.
| .Ihave reason to fear, sir" replied the SOL
der, '.that the escape ofthe man over whom
mounted guard last night, is owing to a breach
of duty on my part"
aHar' cried the officer, in tone that ex-
pressed surprise and regret. feelings in which
the whole court evidently participated.
"Kelly.'' resumed the officer, Il am ready to
receive your deposition; yet feel it my duty
to remind you, that whatever you now say,
will, hereafter appear as evidence against
YOU: be careful then, not to eliminate your
SELF
| {" / thank YOU, sir, but must not conceal
tho TRUTH" replied the soldier; "come what
will, Michael Kelly is not the man to shrink
from the consequences OF breach OF duty.
| "You remember, gentlemen continued
The, addressing the court in a manner at once
firm and respectful; <syou remember, gentle
men. how bitter cold it was last night. At
-four in the morning l went on guard; and
while stationed at my post, the but-end of my
firelock frozen to my fingers, and my numbed
feet slipping every step on the ground, where
the sleet fell and CONCEALED instantly, could
not help thinking of the many poor wretches
who. with scarcely a rag to cover them, and
not a morscl to satisfy their hunger, were
turned adrift on the world, to perish in a
night like this. could not help thinking,
gentlemen, Of my own fortunate condition,
with plenty Of wholesome food, a warm great
coat that, at last, kept the snow from my
skin, and blazing fire in the guard-room, az
ter my hour should expire. / thought, gen.
tlemen, how greatful ought to be for these
blessings, and how compassionate to my less
fortunate fellow creatures.
aAt this moment poor woman approached
me: she had an infant in her arms, whose
faint cries told how i'll it could bear the pier
eng cold that chilled its little shivering frame.
III was the wife and babe of the man under
NV charge. She told me, gentlemen, NOV
ing story; a story that would have gone to
tie heart Of either of your honours. She had
been in the hospital at the time of her hus-
bands imprisonment, and had only been dis
charged the night before; the little innocent
she carried in her arms, her first and only
child, had never been seen by Its unhappy
father. 1T was born al~os an orphanr
shriekeI the poor mother, as size held the
babe to my view; do not then refuse my hus-
band the consolation of embracing his infant
for the first and last timev Gentlemen,
could not withstand her entreates-I gave
her admittance to her husband, limiting her
STAY with him to a hall an hour. When she
come out she seemed a different being, and
thanked me with fervency that fully repaid
me for the risk had run. little thought.
however, that she had concealed under her
cloak the"
~Kelly,'' interrupted the officer, 'let me
once more warn you to criminate yourself no
further: what you have already said reduces
me to the painful necessity Of ordering you
to close confinement. While, in common
with the members Of this court, l respect the
feelings that prompted you, and regret that
i they should have betrayed SO deserving a SOL
der to breach Of duty, cannot forget that ]
myself have an imperative duty to perform.
/ must remand you to close confinement, and
beg you to with old from those with whom you
| NAV have communication all reference to the