Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1838-03-10

"0uio CilHR 10 MIN Sill. rdlner, IeuT not
that your daughter will do aught for which
you will ever blush; but oppose me not |
beseech you, if you would not drive me
mad! must, | will see him-he Shall
know that there is at least one heart that
believes him innocent, despite Of circum-
stances; and which would cherish him still
if assured of his guilt.
The father buried his face in his hands,
and sunk upon chair; the daughter left
the house accompanied only by black
servant, and in few moments was in the
presence Of him, for whom she thus fear
lessly braved the scorn and censure Of the
world.
The interview was brief-an age of
thought and feeling were crowded into
the peace of few short moments. Ray
mond insisted and finally obtained from
her promise that she would not see him
again until the trial should be over. She
left the prison with full faith in his inno-
cence, and in the solitary cell to which he
was consigned, he had the satisfaction of
knowing that there was at least one heart
satisfied Of his innocence, and that heart
| Tie OUC vi all OtllCTS III WHICH TIC WOulu
wish to have an unblemshed name.
At length the day Of trial arrived-the
court was crowded to excess, for the ex-
element had been unprecedented. The
celebrated COL II was engaged for
the defence, and at an early hour the
sheriff proceeded to impannel the jury.
The first witness called to tho stand tes-
titled to the facts Of challenge having
passed between Raymond and the deceas-
ed, the arrangement that had been made
for hostile meeting.
The second testified to the finding Of
the body and to his meeting with Ray
mond returning from the woods some
hours before tho discovery. This portion
of the testimony had however but little
weight, as it was proved that the body
was warm and bleeding when found, and
could not have been dead more than half
an hour.
The next witness was DR.. Stevens, the
surgeon who examined the body he test-
titled to the fact of having been with Ray
mond in his 6ffice in the morning, and hav-
ing seen in his possession dirk Of pecul-
lar Observation-Disclosures this same dirk was
found concealed near the murdered mans
corps, with about one inch of the point
broke off which point was found in ono of
the wounds; the dirk was here produced
and identified by the witness; the point
which had been taken from the wound
correspondent exactly with the other part.
When the dirk was produced, the prisoner
looked at it for a moment, and then star
ting suddenly from his seat while flush
overspread his pale features, leaned over
the bar and whispered for moment in
his councils ear.
"You say you know this dirk to be the
one that DR.. Raymond had in his posses
sion on the morning of the MURDER" said
Col. H., after moments study; "did you
take it into your hands while you were in
Raymond's ofliee9"
81 did, and examined it attenli, o,5."
'sDid you make any remark relative to
carrying a weapon OF the kind in your
hat, and if so what was it,"
81 remarked that it was oftentimes more
convenient to carry a small dirk in that
way than in the breast, 81 placed the pris-
oner's dirk in my hat to show him how |
meant"
"How did it correspond with the length
Of your hat"
at was about h alf an inch shorter than
the crown"
'Is that your hat you have in your
handW
cit is"
"WilI you have the goodness to see how
this weapon, which you have identified as
the prisoners corresponds with the meas
urement."
The witness did as he was desired, when
to his own establishment and that OF the
crowded audience by which the court was
thronged, it proved one inch longer than
A suffocaling murmur of halfsuppress-
ed emotion ran through the court room.
"There is some awful mistake here"
said the witness, gentlemen Of the jury, |
| haVon
"Stop, sir" exclaimed the now deeply
excited counsel, rising from his seat with
a countenance flushed to the brow, 81 want
you now to telrthe jury what Mr.. Ray
mond done with the dirk after you took it
out OF your hat and returned it to him."
81 recolect distinctly" replied the wit
ness, she laid it between the leaves of
large bible, which lay upon the lower
shelf Of his book case"
"SheriG, the book, the book" exclaim-
ed the counsel, sand on your life open it
not till it's produced in court"
The sheriff left the court, and in q few
moments returned, bearing with HIM a
large blbio, which was identified by the
witness on tho stand, as the one in which
he had seen Raymond deposite the dirk.
The sheriff was next sworn, and testi-