The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1838-08-21
Correspondence Of The ~ Y. Advertiser.
SIXTEEN PERSONS SENTENCED TO
DEATH


turday from Niagara, had barely time to inform
you that sixteen Of the state prisoners had been
that morning sentenced 10 death; four nre Amer
leans and twelve subjects of the Queen.
On Friday several pleaded guilty, and William
Yerks was tried and acquitted. On Saturday
! William >. Wilson was tried and acquitted. The
law of England for high treason requires that
when bill OF indictment is found, the prisoner
inust be furnished with copy Of the bill, aud
with list Of all the jury that have been summon
ed to attend, and ten days must elapse before the
| trial can be brought on.
A bill of Indictment for high treason having
been found at the close Of the week, against ia
cob Beamer, Of whom have before spoken, he
could not be tried forthwith consequently the
court determined to adjourn over for the coming
ten days, and TO postpone the farther trials until
Beamer's case could he brought on. They
| therefore gave notice that the prisoners who had
been tried should be brought up Tor sentence,
together with those who had pleaded guilty..
About one O'Clock the jury which had been
out with the case OF Wilson, returned with n
verdict OF mol guilty. The Court then directed
the sheriff to bring in those sixteen prisoners who
were 10 be sentenced. Tho sheriff expressed
some doubts Of the propriety Of bringing in so
large number at once. The judgevery proper
" remarked that there no dangcr thar tthe
civil force was not sufficient, detachment of
The military were at hand. About half past one
o'clock, the prisoners came IN attended by Il
tilllllATy ana CIVIL SUiItl, Nuu NGTe SedtGu III
| jury box.
was favored with very eligible seat, being
close both to the bench and the prisoners: |
was surprs ell to ini so many of the prisoners
very young rnen--some of them mere boys
and two or three looked more deserving the or
binary chassement of parent, Than the heavy
penalty about 10 be adjudged them. Two or
three We're handsome, and with a few exceptions,
nothing unavorahle could be drawn from their
appearance. they were all well dressed-Mil-
Ter in a suit of black. He had been, you will
recoect, law student at MaysviIle in Chautau-
que county, and would probably have defended
himself, had not his counsel offered, at the outset,
n plea OF insanity.
The Judge asked the other three the usual
question, and nothing being said, he proceeded
to pronounce the sentence, pretacing it with
same pertinent remarks, partcui rly addressing
himself &c Miller.
The Judge then ordered Linus Wilson Miller,
George Cooley, Norman Mallory aud William
Reynolds, 10 he taken to the Jail from whence
they came, and that on Saturday the 25th day
OF August they be taken to the place of execu-
ton, aud there be hanged by the neck until they
dead
Mr. Solicitor General Draper then moved the
court that sentence be passed upon The following
persons convicted of high trcason: Samuel
Chandler, Benjamin Wait, James Gamble, John
Grant Murdoch McFadon, John James McNul-
w. George Buck, David Taylor, james WACO
1890 '~'S'~
dnder yMcLcod
These persons were separately asked whether
they had any thing to say why the sentence OF
the law should not be pronounced against them.
In the case of Benjamin Wait, his counsel
moved that the verdict be set aside on the ground
that MIR Wags,aff, one of the jury, was not liege
subject, but citizen of the United States. After
IL few remarks from The Solicitor General, the
court decided that it was now too late to inter-
pose The plea One or TWO OILERS made Il few
brief remarks, wien the judge proceeded to his
painful task.
He told them that in all probability mercy
would he extended to some ofthem but to whom
no one then knew; that the jury 10y whom they
had been tried bad recommended some OF them
to mercy, which of coure would be represented
in the proper quarter.
He urged on them all the Importance of pre-
paralion for another world, and then pronoun-
ced the following sentence (atter calling each by
name -"That you and each of you he taken
to The Jail from whence You cane, and that on
the 25th day of the present month of August,
you and each Of you be drawn on hurdle to
the place of execution, and you be there hanged
by the neck until you dead: then your bodies
are to be quarercd and may Goi have mercy
on your souls"
To this last expression there were several re-
spondcd "Amen." One of the baiIff-, Il stout
fellow, who stood close to me, leaning on his |
staff burst into tears and assure you this soon
II was Il scene pray may never again he
called to look upon--siXteen fellow beings whom
an earthly Judge had limited to Il life OF three
weeks! aud these men in the prime OF life, many
OF them with the blood ofyouth coursng in their
veins-rheir ayerage.age, think, is not more
than twenty five.
OUR REVOLUTIONARY SIREs. The following
is an extract from John Meals Fourth OF July
Grafton:
"When the young aloae bear away, rashness
and lIeadlong presumption prevail. When the
old have exclusive dominion, there is always
want of courage and hope, of generous adven-
tnre and heroic enterprise. There should I've
mixture of both, ofthe young and the old, to car
ry us, sand our country through the storm that
is gathering about her. Cast Your eyes over the
records of her greatness and Willie you find that
Alexander Hamilton was hardly ofage when hR
began to play his part in the awful drama OF the
revolution, beiiig only twenty when he was Ia
th.f