The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-02-01

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swear it,"
"But dearest Elem" said her father, implor
ingly, 'every body believes him guilty, an,
'.The greatest reason why should not de
sert him." said Ellen proudly. mo, father
if proofs of his guilt were written in letters o.
I fire upon my own heart, would cling to hin
still. Father, fear not that your daughter will
do aught for which you will have 10 blush, Blu
oppose not, | beseech you. if you would no
drive me mad. | must, will see him; he shall
know at least, there is one true heart, despite
of circumstances; and which would cherish
him still, were ii assured of his guilt"
The father buried his face with his hands
and sunk upon chair-the daughter left the
house, accompanied only by black servant
and in few moments was in the presence oil
him for whom she thus fearlessly braved the
scorn and censure of the world.
J The interview was brief; an age of thought
and feeling were crowded into the space of a
few moments Raymond insisted, and finally
obtained promise that she would not see him
again, until the trial should be over. She left
the prison with faith in his innocence, and in
the solitary cell in which he was consigned,h
had the satisfaction of knowing that there was
at least one heart satisfied of his innocence,
and that heart of all others in the memory of
which he would wish to have an unblemishcd
name,
At length the day Of trial arrved-the Court
was crowded to excess, for the excitement had
been unprecedented. The celebrated Colonel
H--was engaged for the defence, and at
an early hour the Sheriff proceeded to empan.
mel the jury.
The first witness called to the stand, testified
to the fact of the challenge having passed be-
tween Raymond and the deceased and the
arrangement that had been made for hostile
meeting.
The second testified to the finding of the
body, and to his meeting with RAYMOND retur.
ming from the woods some hours before the dis.
covery.
This portion of the testimony as,however,
OF little weight, as it was proved the body was
warm, and bleeding when found, and could not
have been dead more than half an hour.
The next witness was DIR. Stevens, the sur.
geon who examined the body. He testified to
the fact of having been with Raymond in his
office in the morning, and having in his pos
session dirk of peculiar construction-that
this same dirk was found concealed near the
murdered mans corpse, with about one inch
of the point broken off, which point was found
in one of the wounds; the dirk was here pro-
duced and identified by the witness-the point
which had been taken out correspondent exact
ly with the other part. When the dirk was
produced, the prisoner looked at it for a mo-
ment, and then starting suddenly from his
scat, while flash overspread his pale features,
leaned over the bar and whispered for a mo-
ment in his counsel's ear.
You say you know the dirk to be one that
Mr.. Raymond had in his possession on the
morning of the MURDER" said Col. HI. after a
moments study; "did you take it in your
hands while you were in Mr.. Raymond's Of
fee"
al did. and examined it atentively," was
the reply. do not think can be mistaken"
Did you make any remark relative to car
rying weapon of that kind in your hat, and
if so. what was il 2"
81 remarked that it was ofientimes more
convenient to carry small dirk in that way,
than in the breast; and placed the prisoners
dirk in my hat, to show him the way which
meant"
SHOW did it correspond with the length of
your hat ~
at was about half an inch shorter than the
crown"
'ls that the hat you have in your hand %
at is"
"Will you have the goodness to see how
this weapon which you have identified as the
prisoners corresponds with the measurement
The witness did as he was desired, when, to
his utter establishment, and the crowded audi
ence with which the court was thronged, it
proved one inch longer than the hat.
A suffocating murmur of half suppressed e.
motion rung through the court.
''There is some awful mistake here" said
the witness. "Gentlemen of the jury, have
-"
"Stop, STRIP exclaimed the deeply excited
counsel, rising from his seat with counter.
ance flushed to the brow, 81 want you to tell
this jury what Mr.. Raymond did with the dirk
after you took it out of your hat and returned it
TO him.
81 recollect distinctly" replied the witness
she laid it between the leaves of large Bible, !
which lay upon the lower end of his book |
case"
"Sherif-the book, the book !" exclaimed |
the counsel, sand on your life, open it not till
it is produced in court"
The sheriff left the court, and in few mo- |
ments returned, bearing with him large Bible,
which was Immediately identified by the wit.
ness on the stand, as the one in which he had |
seen Raymond deposite the dirk.
The sheriff was sworn, and testified that he |
had kept the key of Raymond's office from the
first hour of his arrest, and that no one but /
himself had ever had access to it. and that he |
mad found the Bible in the very situation de-
scribed by the last witness.
snow, gentlemen of the jury" said Col. H.