The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1841-05-26

PROSTATE on the ground, and he on yau'
you called out for quarters, saying, take
him of. You were separated near the
door siiI1-you being put out ofthe house,
whilst the deceased was carried to Par'i'
ton door in the building. In short time
YOU came in, and without saying word
to any one. or intimating your presence.
by any sign. you reached round one OF
the Witnesses, and gave, with your knife
the fatal and treacherous wound which
suiIt the life-blood Of the unfortunate ami
iii fated youth, of whose murder you have
been convicted. In secret you stole your
way ou, of the house, and ran ct-ex'
emplifying the truth of the remark, that
"the wicked fee when no man pursueth.
At the time you fled, the blood was
flowing from the deceased, andhe was call
ing for assistance. Such was the conslerna.
,i0n and confusion Of the Intoxicated
crowd, that you were not pursued and ap-
pretended till the next day. After you
were apprehended, and before the death
of Picket, you acknowledged it was your
design TO take his life, at the time you in
flic,ed the wound; but you added land 1t
appears in bright relief to the shocking
atrocity Of your conGuct-that you hoped
he would not die, and that thencetorward
YOU would not trus: yourself to carry
another knife.
Was this suggested by the apprehension
Of danger. or was It the result OF rem"rse'
and penitent sorrow! Your shocking de-
clarations, and past conduct, would seem
to imply that you had slifed these latter
feelings; and that you had accustomed
your mind to brood over mischief, violence.
and bloodshed. To one witness. VIII" wish
ed to trade for your murderous knife, the
same that you used on the deceased, yru
said you would not part with it, "that you
intended to keep it, TO cat some mans
leather" To another witness, you said,
without there being any occasion calling
for the remark, that you did not mind TAX
ing human life more than killing chick.
en-, for that one could do you harm, and
the other could not; and when he said. in
astonishmenl, why so7 you replied, "be-
cause you had Portuguese blood in you.
With mind thus educated in aepravity
and wickedness, and devoid Of social du-
", tits no wonder that your hands have
been familiar with bload. If am not
Incorrectly informed, this is not tire first,
or the second time. in which you have
offered violence to humaa life, by stabbing
with your knife. You may have suppes-
ell that ferocily became your Portuguese
blood, and was calculated to give you ter
rible distinction. This would indicate a
blind feeling of destruction, without suf-
ficienl purpose to influence human motive.
Indeed, from the circumstances before the
Court, there was no sufficient clue to your
mo,ives-evcn to your bad moiises-on
the occasion Of this homicide. / felt a
fearful solcitude, on your trial. lest in.
Justice might be done to you. from per-
verted or defective testimony, coming
from witnesses who, like yourself, had
been drinking to excess. In your drum.
kenness, your passions may have been
excited, and for time may have Nsurped
the throne Of reason. Your stealthy deli
beration would oppose this conclusion.-
The conduct Of the deceased may have
deserved rebuke; but yon took no notice
of it at the time, by an open demon:tra-
ton of resentment, such as furious and
violent passion, aggravated by inloxica,ion.
would have suggested. Had you entered
into quarrel with the deceased, under
such circumstances, and contest lad en-.
sued, in which he was killed, you might
not have been stained with the crime OF
although you might have been
guilty OF highly criminal homicide
Open resentment for sudden wrong, must
NIT be confounded with secret revenge,
that brootis over injury, attributable to
human infrmity. The one is the trans
port Of passion, and The other is malice
afore.hought, flowing from wicked
heart.
felt too much anxiety about your cuse
not to make every enquiry in relation to
it. to satisfy my mind Of the motive, BY
which you was actuated. According to !
your statement, made to others, it would
seem that during The evening the deceas.
ell had reproached or tainted you with
your col"r-itnot being as bright as that
of ordinary white people --ahd being un-
derstood that you are Of Portuguese ex-
traction. Siung with the insult, which
you did not think it prudent TO resent at
The time II was offered, you determined
on revenge, 10 be obtained with little or