Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1837-03-23
THURSDAY MORNING, MARCH ga, 1897.

house must be discontinued"
What does my father mean :" in
CURED the young lady. anxiously, o
her indignant parent retired.
" do not know" replied the lover
1t Is some electioneering story. M
doubt. which can easily explain.
only regret that i, should give hun O.
you a moments uneasiness."
II shall cause me none,P replied
the confiding girl 81 cannot believ,
any evil of YOU"
He retired-sousht the nature of N.
charge. and to his inexpressible asto
nlshmen! and horror, learned that he
Vas accused Of the murder and robbie
~ Of his friend In a state little short
OF distraction. he retired 10 has room
recalled with painful minu,eness all the
circumstances connected with the me.
lancho.y catastrophe, ard for the first
lime, saw the dangerous ground on
which he stood. But proud in con.
scious innocence. he felt that TO with
dsaw al that stage of the canvass,
might be construed into a confession OF
guilt. He remained a candidate. and
was beaten. Now. for the first time.
did he feel the wretchedness Of con-
denned and degraded man. The tri-
bunal ofpublic opinion had pronounced
against him the sentence of convic-
ton; and even his friends, as the ex.
element OF the party struggle subsidized
became cold in his defence. and wa.
vering in their belief OF his innocence
Conscious that the eye of suspicion was
open, and satisfied that nothing shor,
oil a public investigation could restore
him to honor. the unhappy young man
surrendered himself To the civil autho.
ri,y, and demanded trial. All little
did he know the malisnity Of man. or
the fatal energy OF popular delusion
He little reflected that wien the public
MUD is imhued with prejudice, even
truth itself cease, to be mighty. Many
believed him guilty and vs. no, during the
canvass. had induStriously circulated
the report, now labored with unt;ring
diligence to collect and accumulate the
evidence which should sustain their
previous assertions. But arrayed in the
panoply of innocence, he stood firm
and confident of acquittal. The best
counsel had been engaced-and on the
day OF trial, Hamilton stood before the
assembled county-an arraigned Gus.
prlt IN the presence Of those before
whom he walked in honor from child
hood.
As the ;iial proceeded. The conf
dcnce of his friends diminished, and
those who had doubted, became con-
frmed in the belief OF the prisoner s
guilt. Tnaes light as air become
confirmation strong as proofs of Holy
Writ tn the Jealous minds Of the au-
dience, and one fact was linked TO an
other in curious coincidence. until the
chain Of corroborating circumstances
seemed irresistibly conclusive. His re-
cent intimacy with the deceased, and
even the attention which friendship
and hospitality had dictated, were in.
gcnlously insisted upon as evidences oil
a deliberate plan Of wickedness-long
formed and gradually developed. The
facts. that he accompanied the deceased
on his way-that he lost the path in 4
country with which he was supposed
to be familiar-his conduct on hearing
Of the death OF his friend-the money
the knife-caused the most incredu.
lous to tremble for his fate. But when
the breAst-pin Of Hamilton, found neat
the body Of the murdered man, wa,
produced. and pistol known to have
been that Of the prisoner. was proven
to have been picked up near the same
spot-bu, little room was let even for
charity to indulge a benevolent doubt
Nor Was this all--the prosecution had
still another witness-:hc pale girl who
sat by hin. clasping his hand in hers,
vas unexpectedly called upon 10 rise
and give testimony. She shrunk froal
the unleeling call, and buried her face
ia her brothers bosom. That blow
was not an'icipaied-for none but the
myrmidons Of party vengeance. who
had even violated the sanctuary NJ
family confidence. in search of evi.
dence. dreamed that any eliminating
Circumstance was in the possession q
this young lady. At the mandate o.
Tie court. she arose. laid aside he
veil, and disclosed face naggafd will
anxiety and terror. Ia low, iremulou,
accents, broken with schs. she reluc
family deposed that the clothes worr
by her brother. on hi' return from tina
fatal journey, we're torn, soilsd viii
earth. aud bloody An audible muir
nuT ran through the crowd. who wer,
listening ~ breaihless silence-ihs
prisoner bowed his head I'm mute De
spair--ihe witness va borne aUav w.
sensible the argument proceeded. anc
after an eloquent but vain defence. ~,
Jury brought "a a verdict Of GUILTY
The sentence of death was passed
The summer had passed away. The
hand Of autumn bad begun 10 Hsx,
with mellow hues the magnificent see
merry Of the forest II Sas evening
and the elear roonbeans were shinin,
through the CRATES Of the prisoner
cell. The unhappy man. ha7gard. q,
ienuated. and heart-bfoken. was lyin,
upon his wreiehed pallet. rejecting Il
ternately upon the early wreck Of Nv