The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1839-12-31
YHKSCEEIEA EDES.
From a London Paper.
:, - =. UT rV .1".'''O'V Il WY
Il X II r A O Il ID N A RY G. A

EXTRA RDl N A RY CASE.
Many years ago, two respectable sea farng
men arrived late one evening al an inn in Graves
end,with the intention of going aboard their re-
spective vessels the tide served on
the following morning Although strangers to each
other, their similarity of pursuits and nten.
lions induced them to JOIN each others com
pany, They slIpped togerher,partook of bowl
of punch, and agreed to sleep IN the same cham
Der. I'm the middle of the night the youngest Of
the two travellers afflicted with fit of cholic
which obliged him to 60 down to the common
convenience. On reaching The door of the
place, he found the string of the latch broken,
and he had no alternative but to return to the
chanberto fetch his easp.knie to lift up the
latch There being no light in the room and
the night very dark, he by mistake took knife
from the waistcoat pocket OF the elder man and
returned to the place Of convenience, where he
detained a considerable time in acute pain.
Early in the morning the waiter knocked at the
chamber door, and called out that it was time to
rise, the tide serving The younger man got up
md dressed himself, somewhat surprised that
the elder did not respond to his inquiries but
supposed that he should find him below.
On arriving in the parlor he asked the waiter
for his chamber fellow. The waiter replied that
he best knew, having slept in the same room
with him. 1t being usual for travellers TO pre-
sent sthe waiter with a trifling douceur, the
young man drew from his waistcoat pocket some
loose silver, and IA knife with a King Williams
guinea sticking in the haft. The waiter imme-
diatey recognized the guinea as having been in
the possession of the missing man when the lat
ter discharged his quota of the supper bill on
the preceding night suspicion then arose
that foul play had taken place, and The man
detained and n constable sent for; an ex.
animation followed, when the hands of the
young man and the knife found in his possession
were discovered to be smeared with blood. He
was then accused of having murdered the elder
man, and taken before magistrate, who com
mitted him to Maidstone Gaol, at the ensuing
assizes he found guilty Of mmrder and con-
demued to be hung and gbbeted.
The morning of the execution was usbered
in by all the terrors of a winters storm. The
place of execution, (the accustomed heah) far
distant from the gaol, was scarcely approached
by the procession when the sheriff gave the ia.
tai signal, and left the body, stffened with cold,
TO the attention Of his officers, who, following
Ills example, one by one proceeded home-he
blacksmith who had contracted TO put the corpse
in chains, with his men, alone remaining, who
commenced their operations long before the lie,
gal term of suspension expired. In the course
Of the succeeding night some friends of the tel
low cut the gIbbet down, disencuInbered the
body from the chains, and took it to n lone pub
lie house, frequened by smugglers, and whilst
they were standing around it one OF the friends
discovered the region of The heart yet Warm-
Friction and cordials were administered, the
man recovered, and Ivy the and of the smugglers
before day break was placed hoard their
sloop in the river, which Immediately pf6eeeded
to Holland, whence he took berth in mer
chant ship for the Indies, which vessel tax.
en- by pirates, who carried him to their rendez-
an unfrequented island, where, among
many other capives, he met with the man for
whose supposed murder he had lost his civil
rights, and had on his account been hung and
gibheed.
Explanation on both sides followed. The
alderman said that when sleeping in the same
chamber at the Gravesend with the younger, he
was awakened by his groans, and apprehensive,
from his remaining below stairs so long, that he
was suffering severely, and that he required as.
sistance. he slightly dressed himself, and pro-
.ceeded down stairs and through n doorway
which opened into lane. At that moment
press gang passing, who, supposing that he
was endeavorng to escape from being pressed,
took him with them. Notwithstanding his repre-
-sentations and carried him to the receiving ship
where he was draughted to q gate, and pro.
,eeeded to foreign station, where he found an
opportunity and he engaged himself on board a
mel chairman, which almost Immediately
taken by the pirates
The two friends determined to endeavor to
effect their escape from the pirates, which, after
much difficulty, and experiencing many priva-
lions, they effected, and landed in England,
WHERE under legal advice, the younger applied
to the Court of Kings Bench at Westminster
for reversion of the Judgment passed upon
him at Maidstone, which granted, and the
records of the court bear witness to his having
in this miraculous manner recovered b civil
rights and liberties. ana,
HoRRID MURD Erp''-
We learn from various so,Ssa
mission OF most horritls M VI e.n
the 9th inst, by FfanKin KIlfu!H tie person