The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1839-07-23


The Crown Court was that off man for the muir
der OF his wife, He seemed about 25 years old
and was dressed in respectable mourning. lie
stood at the bar with an air at once Of flrmneSs
and depression. He was little under the AVE.
rage height, and his countenanCe rather prepo-
sessing than otherwise. From the evidence in
chief of the first two witnesses, it would have
appeared clear that he had been guilty of q
most barbarnus murder. On their dispositions
before the Coroner, verdict of manslaughter
had been returned; but in reading them, Mr. JUS
lice Patterson had felt it his duty tonstruct The
Grand Jury to bring in bill Of murder step
which seemed most amply justified by the evi,
dence which they now gave. 1t appeared from
testimony that the prisoner had some disputes
with the deceased-being a most violent man
they sad-and knock her down, her head fall.
ing against the sharp corner of chest of draw
ers, which cut it open, and the wound bled pro-
fusely; and that while she was thus PROSTATE 81
insensible, the prisoner furiousy kicked and
struck her repeatedly-denth OH the same eve
ming, or the evening after, forget which, be-
ing the consequence.
As far as this evidence went, nothing, OF
course, could have been more brutal] than
the conduct of the prisoner /; but cross
examination of he first witness, little i'll look
ing old woman, the mother of the deceased,
and who gave her evidence manifestly under
the influence of the most bitter resentment to-
wards the prisoner, the case began to assume
great prevarication, and was also established by
other witnesses, that she had herself, on the
evening in question, been drinking gin with the
deceased, at the residence Of the latter, mser
able cellar That she had herself, fetched five
quarterns o. gin for the deceased OH that coca
sion. That the deceased and the witness, at her
request, had frequently pawned all her husbands
clothes, and those Of her children, who she had
once or twice sent to bed early in the afternoon,
to enable her so to dispose of their clothes.
The prisoner was pilot, remarkable steady
and hard working man, and earned amply suf-
ficient to enable himself and family to live in
very comfortable circumstances; hut this occur
sed propensity of his wife had beggared them,
and driven them from their former comfortable
dwelling 10 the Wretched cellar in which had
occurred the catastrophe then the subject of in.
quiry. That on the evening in question, he
had come from the sea, wet and wearied, but
found that every article of his clothes had been
paWned by his wife, and that the children were
lying in bed almost naked, their little clothes
having shared the same fate; and that his wife
was drunk as was also the first witness. Furi-
GUS words were naturally ensued, and it was I'M
der these truly exasperating circumstances that
he had struggled with his wife, so as TO occasion
but it was clear unintentionally-he fall; and
it certainly did appear that either while she was
falling, or Immediately afterwards, he had more
than once struck her with some violence, but not
in way to have caused her death, which the
medical evidence showed TO have been occasion
ed by the in uries which she had received upon
her head in falling upon the drawers, added TO
the effects of violent excitement and excessive
liquors upon person in her situation.
The third person brought forward against the
prisoner, was alas! his own daughter little girl
about or years of age, decently dressed in
black. When her name CALLED, the pris-
oner with an agonzed countenance, looked a
way from the spot where she was to stand; his
lip quivered, his chest heaved, and in spite Of
off 20 fror,, h;S
si Justice Patterson observed his agitation, and
seemed bimselfno little affected when he be-
aleld the little thing in obedience to the loud
voiced officer, brought into court and placed
close beside him, to give evidence which might
seal the fate Of her father. She was so very
short, that he had handed over TO the officer the
footstooi he had been using, in order that she
might stand upon it; and even then the head Of
che little witness did but Just come above the
head of the witness box. She did not,
however, cry, though her eyes seemed glued to
the figure of her miserable father, who never
once ventured to look towards her, and whose
tear was silent evidence of the anguish he was
enduring, frequently. In all other respects, ne
preserved stern composure throughout the pro-
ceedings
'My child said the judge, as thought, with
little emotion, as he bent down his ear to hear.
ido you know that you have come here to speak
the truth?"
yes, SIR
tell lie?' y"
She paused; the judge repeated the question:
she answered distinctly, 81 shall be burned in ey
erlastug fire." - w
sWhere did you learn thats'
Sin the Bible, SIR
Have you ever been at scboolt'
'Yes sir, at the Sunday SCHOOL,
She may be sworn, said the Judge, and the
oath was Immediately administered to her.
Was not this, dear Christopher, a grevious
sight to see9 The little daughter called to give
evidence against her father on his trial for his
life, for the murder of her mother2-Though in
melancholy tone and snd manner, she gave
ner evidence with great propriety, clearly, and
nrrniy her tiny voice could be Eheard distinctly,
IN all parts of the crowded and silent court. She