The Iowa patriot. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1839-1839, 1839-07-04
INNOCENCE MADE MANIFEST.

INNOCENCE MADE MANIFEST.
Those who have always commended that
duelling settled no point in which charac-
ter was implicated, said right; and that it
could only be justified where great wrongs
had been inflicted: and even then it was
doubtful whether the guilty was punished,
and consequently as test of innocence,
duelling was doubtful and precarious. We
have now case before us which lorcibly
illustrates this position.
In the early struggle in Texas young
man of great promise-an assistant editor
of the Star-by the name of Laurens, was
determined to seek his fortune in that
country, under the most Aattering auspi-
ces. He found on his arrival there
number of young gentlemen from various
sections of the Union, who were actuated
by similar motives, and with whom natu-
rally an intimacy was formed. One stor.
my night, when their cabins in the new
town Of Houston were overfowed by the
rain, a Doctor Goodrich, Of Mississippi,
invited the whole party of five or six to
repair to his quarters for the night, which
was accepted. Some slept on benches,
some on the floor, unfortunately poor
Laurens-a great favorite among them all
slept in the bed with Doctor Goodrich.
In the morning the Doctor missed his wal
let, with large sum of money. All de-
manded to know of him whether he sus-
pected any one in the company with hav-
ing robbed him. He fixed his suspicious
upon poor Laurens, and accused him of
the theft. Horror struck at the accusa-
ton, he protested his innocence with tears
in his eyes, and appealed to his well
known character for integrity. 1t was of
no avail; he must redeem his honor by
challenging his accuser. He did so, they
fought with rifles, and poor Laurens fell.
1t now turns out that a yonug man by the
name Stanley was the thief, and as COM
men:ary on duelling, or an appeal to hon
or, this Stanley actually was second to
poor Laurens, and stood by to see him
fairly shot down in defending his inno-
cence. The following are the facts, which
we copy from the Louisianian:
Many of our readers will, doubtless, re-
collect the account Of duel, published in
nearly all the city papers about 10 or Is
months since--fough in the neighborhood
of Houston, in which Mr. Chauncy Good
rich and Mr. Lawrence were principals
The latter had been assistant editor of the
New York Star, and was Of highly re-
spectacle connections. AT the first fire,
if we recollect Alright, he was killed. The
grounds for quarrel originated in Good
rch's having had purloined from his
pocket book, Bank Note of $lO0O-this
occurred in an apartment Of boarding
house, in Houston; in which slept five or
six young men, including Lawrence. On
G.'s making known his loss, he was re-
quested to name the person, whom he
suspected, and after some hesitancy he
designated Lawrence. A challenge was
&C. M. Stanley, a son of an
ex-G Governor Of Carolina, and one of those
who occupied the room in common to the
member already mentioned, acted as sec
ond for Lawrence.
Stanley, according to the Galveston
Gazette, remained in Houston after the
death Of Lawrence was taken i'll, repre-
scented himself in straitened circumstances
and occasionally borrowed money to de-
fray his expenses! Notwithstanding his
apparent poverty, in a short time after he
called on q Mr.. boswell, about to leave
Houston for this city, and gave him a one
thousand dollar bank biH 70 purchase
goods for him. boswell, on his return,
having his suspicious excited waited On
Major Holman, who had seen the note il