Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1839-06-27
THURSDAY, JUNE 81, 1889.
ACQUITTAL OF MIR. Sewers.

dicted before the Superior Court of this
county, for burning the barn of the un-
fortunate Miller, was brought to close
on Wednesday evening, Just after the
publication Of our last paper-having
occupied the Court in all, ten days, two
ofwhich were taken up by the argu.
ments of counsel. Never before was
there case in our community which
excited such deep and universal interest
and never shall we forget the feeling
OF intense anxiety exhibited in the coun,
tenances, and the actions, of the vast
crowd assembled in the Court house.
when the Jury were about to retire, to
deliberate on their verdict.--The feel.
ing amounted even to paiufulness. But
the dread suspense was happily of short
duration. The Jury, on comparing O.
pinions in their retirement, found thew
had come to unanimous conclusion as
to the prisoners innocence, and soon re-
turned with verdict of "not guilty."
"A momentary burst of generous ap>
probation from the audience followed its
announcement but it must have been
involuntary, and was soon che cked bv
the good sense OF our orderly popuIa-
ton.
When the verdict was put in proper
torn and read, Judge THOMPSON took
occasion to make some very happy and
appropriate remarks, we'll calculated to
soothe the feelings of those involved ia
this unfortunate prosecution. and alIay
the excitement in the public mind. He
said, in substance, that he was not mere
ly satisfied with the verdict Of the jury.
but that he could have consented TO no o.
ther-that all the evidence adduced in
the case had not raised in his mind even
shadow of suspicion of the prisoners
gulit-and that he could only account
Tor the accusation, and the weight CIV
en- to the circumstances which were re.
lied on to sustain it, by the harrassed
and excited state of the public mind
under the numerous burniDgs committed
amongst US ;-circumstances. which, to
him, were as strongly indicative of
the innocence, as they had been assum-
ed to be by others Of the guilt, of the
accused. At the same time, however.
he vindicated the motives and conduct
OF the principal witnesses in the case,
against the assaults which had been
made upon them. He said they had
acted under the influence of excitement
and suspicion. which were natural, but
no doubt with perfect integrity, nor did
he blame the course they had adopted
Tor detection. believing as they did that
their suspicious were we'll grounded
On the contrary, he thought it was
well justified, as measure of selfpre-
sefvation. by the alarming circumstan-
ces in which the community was placed.
This, we deem it proper to say, is given
merely from reco]lection-as the impress
sion has gone abroad that the Judges
remarks would be published.
We have not time now to give his
tory of this deeply interesting case,
which has so extensively agitated our
community, and indeed the whole coun.
try. wherever intelligence of it has
spread-even if it should be thought in
any way useful or desirable to perpetu-
ate the memory of an incident so painful
and affecting. The circumstances OF the
accused in life-being Of respectable
and wealthy family, and moreover him
self young man Of brilliant mind and e.
ducation, though somewhat eccentric in |
bis manners and babits,-ma5 veil OK.
plain the feeling and interest which the |
case has excited, apart from the horrible !
nature and circumstances of the offence
with which lie was charged. The |
Courthouse was throDged during The |
whole trial, protracted as it was--and |
even the Ladies, towards the close, were |
seen TO crowd into the gallery, ard bear
patiently Tor hours the suGocatipg at.
mosphere.