Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-08-09
INTERES TING TRIAL FOR MURDER.

|
Extract of an article under the head of
"The Northern Circuit" IN the 'ast nun
Der Of Blackwood's MagaZ'ne:-
The last tr.n. of interest that witnessed
! IN the Crown Court was that ct man '"r
he murder Of his wife. He seemed abon
thrtv-five wears old. and was dressed ~
respectable mouru,ng. He stood at The
bar with an air at once OF tirmness ana
depression. He was |ille under the
average height, and his conntcnanc' ra'haf
prppossessing than otherwise. From 'he
evidence ,r chief Of the first two witnesses,
u would have appeared clear that he had
been ru,liv Of a most botbaroUs murder.
On no., d"pnsitlous before the coroner.
vcrd,c' # man-laugh'er only had been
lutrod hu, ~ reading them Mr. Justice
p,t,otsou had falt It his duty 10 'nsfruc'
I.'. Grand JO,. ,p bong ~ bill Tor murder
q sep " bich seemed most amply Justified
BY the evidence which they now gave. II
appeared from testimony that the prisoner
had some dispute with the deceased being
a most violent man, they SAID l. and knocked
her down. her head falling against the
|, sharp corner of chest OF drawers, wh'ch
cut it open, and he wound b'ed profuse'y;
and that, while she WINS thus PROSTATE ana
. insens,be. the prisoner furlously attacked
and struck her epeatedly-death on the
I same evening, or the evening alter, forget
which, being the consequences
As far as this evidence went, nothing
of course, could have been more brutal
, than the conduct Of the prisoner; but on
cross.examnation Of the first witness,
. little ll.ook,ng old woman, the mother OF
] the deceased and who gave her evidence
manfes,'y under the influence of the most
, bitter resentment towards the prisoner, the
j case began to assume different aspect.
Y Il was Wrung from her under great pre-
6 varication, and was also established by
; other witnesses, that she had herself, on
e the evening in question. been drinking GIN
G with the deceased, at the residence OF the
. latter: miserable cellar. That she had
n herself fetched five qnarterns Of gin for the
# deceased on that occasion. That the de-
n ceased and the witness at her request, had
It frequently pawned all her husbands clothes
n and those of her children, whom she once
is or twice sent to bed early IN the afternoon
II to enable her to dispose Of their clothes
e That the prisoner was pilot, a remarkably
1t steady and hardworking man, and earned
= amply sufficient to enable hun and his fam
n lily to live in very comfortable clrcums,an-
n ces: but this accused propensity of his
h wlfe's had beggared them, and driven them
e from their former comfortable dwelling tC
= the Wretched cellar in which had occurred
d the catastrophe then the subject Of inquiry
n That on the evening IN question he hat
h come home from the sea, wet and wearled
,. but found that every article OF his clothing
e had been pawneG by his wife, and that b.,
IN children were lying in bed almost naked
is their little clothes having shared the same
re fate and that his wife was drunk. as wa
I'd also the first witness. Furious words yer.
fe naturally ensued. aud it was under these
ID truly exasperat,ng circumstances that h'
I'd had struggled with his wife. so as to coca
lie s,on-but it was clearly unintentlonally-
is her fall: and it certainly did appear that
III either while she was falling, or lmmedIat ell,
" afterwards, he had more than once strucl
er her with some violence; but not in an.
at wav to have alone caused her DEATH whlc
20 the medical evidence had shown to hav
ed been occssioned by the injuries which sh
y; had received upon her head in falling upo
I'D the drawers, added to the effect of vIolen
excitement and excessive liquor upon
to person IN her situation.
er The third witness brought forwar
n, against the prisoner, was, alas 4! his ow
he daughter. little girl about five or 81
an years of age, decenty dressed in black
nd When her name was called, the prisoner
th with an agonlzed countenance, locke
awav from the SPOT where she was to stanl
lie his lips quvered, his chest heaved, and,
m spite OF Efforts. tears forced themse I've
sly from his eyes. Mr.. Justice Patterson OF
ut served his agitation, and seemed hlmse
his u little affected when he behed tn
,rv little thing, IN obedience to the summons
led the loud voiced officer, brought into cou
40. and placed close beside him. to give ev
tes dence which might seal the fate of h'
me father. She was so very short, that /
handed over the officer the foostool he ha
ral been using, in order that she might star
he upon It; and even then the head OF II
| little witness did but Just come above Il
he top of the witness box. She was rather
my pretty looking girl, and her face was ve
tho sad and pale. She did not, however. or
IN, though her eyes seemed glued to the igu
hor of her miserable father. who never on,
of ventured to look towards her, and who
M tears silent evidence Of the anguish
wv was eOHh''nu' I'l hrqh'"t'y !" W."
h,> te,uoci>, ". preserved a stern composu
the thrunghpu, the proceedings.
N MY child" said the Judge, as though
,ful with little emotion, as he bent down
au. ear to her. "do you know that You ha
} ! come here to speak the TRUTH
the yes, Sir"
My What will become Of you, do you thin
hin if you tell he?"
i'm. She paused the Judge repeated t
thy question: she answered distinctly, IL sh
I'M be burned in everlasting fire."
thy "Where did you learn that ?"
'rty "The Bible. Sir"
end Wuaxa unn euar heen 10 school o.