Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1842-11-23

y
Witnesses being not unfrequenlIy them.
selyesthe guilty individuals. who are led to
add The crime Of perjury TO their previous
gull 10 order 10 shield them from It's penal
". In view of these considerations and Of
the f,ct that judges and jurors of the most
upright intentions are often deceived, how
fearful is the responsibility of partici2at.
ing in any manner in the inAiction of a
penalty which can never be revoked-of
being. 10 any way accessory 10 the death
of an innocent person. Were the penal
ty any thing besides death, the wrong
might be in measure at least, repaired.
when the error was detected which led 10
the infliction Of it; but in the case Of the
execution Of an innocent man, 10 possbil.
lily remains Of repairing The injury. He
has suffered an ignominious death and
mo reparation can possibly be made to
him-no proper recomperse or equiva-
lent can BE- rendered 10 his family.
Who is the guilty person. Who can
be found to make the requisite atonemenl2'
TIE Witnesses may be innocent; the judy
es and Jurors may be deceived the States
Attorney, Governor. Sheriff and hangman
are the mere instruments to execute the
law; the Legislators who enacted it, do
bot represent the will OF their constituents
The guilt lies upon the community and
upon them rest the consequences.
Many instances Of the kind above refer
red 10 are on record, which strikingly
illustrate the preceding remarks. | will
only mention a few cases, two Of which
occurred 10 our state.
| In one case the accused was condemn
ed on clrcumstantial evidence, and had
even been induced to confess himself gull
1 " OF numbering a man. who, BY a lorlu
nate concurrence of circumstances wa.
found alive only few days prior 10 tina
appointed for his execution"
The other was tha: of the two Bourn!
or Bowens. They were indicted fo
the murder of Russell Colvin, and wer,
convicted mainly on their own confessions
1et before the sentence Of the law coulC
De executed upon them, the identical
Colvln appeared alive? Had the Bourn'
been hanged, what mind could conceive
or tongue. or pen described the feeling
OF the jurors who declared them guilty T
The case of the uncle, related b.
Lord Halet is very strong one Hi,
niece had been heard to cry out Coco
uncle. do not kill me-" and soon after
wards disappeared; and he being suspec,
ed of having destroyed her f1r The sak'
; OF her property, was required TO produce
{ her before the justices of assiZe. Bein.
unable to do this (or she abscondtd) bu
. hoping to avert suspicious, he procure
/ another girl resembling his niece. and al
{ tempted TO pass her eff az such. TIL
' fraud was, however, detected and Ia
5 gether with other circumstances, apoearc
t SO strongly to indicate the guilt of the IN
Gle. that he was convicted and execute
e for the supposed murder ofhis niece. who
I. as it afterwards turned out, was s!ill-livins
: When Miner, the youth who was cor
i vieted of the murder OF Mr.. Chapman
was in prison. awaiting his execution, b
boldly declared bis innocence. When 0
n the scaffoid, the rope about his neck, b
v arms tied by his sile; wheG be had pra,
n ed 10 God 10 receive his spirit, babe far
at well 10 the clereymen, and was . bout
J be swung Off he said with a firm vuic
y but with despair written upon every liz
lie OF his face, 6 Poor Miner, he die inacccn
d he die innocent !" Ia another moment
| was in eternity. That declaration y
h heard says writer who witnessed the e
at ecution; and the words ring in our ca
De now, and will while we live, for the ii
er preston can never be effaced from o
ed memory. Miner was either unjus,ly co
is demned or he died with a lie on /
y tongue, and one contingency is no less a
IL full than the other II is in fact appalling
TO the soul to think Of sending an uncle
be spirit before the God of spirits; end
hit less appalling TO brand an innocent IN
. with the stain of murder and cut him
ife in the season Of youth from all The do.
tai and enjoyments of life"
~ Many similar cases might be recit
pm did my limits permit; but enough |
Of been given TO sicken the heart, and. Q
ire would think, 10 deter conscientious m
in from all participation in the coavicti
in or execution OF Capital Punishment.
- Row'D L. ROBINSON
Of llth Mo. 9th. 1912.
nal
INST