Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1842-01-14

But there was no appearance OF grave, pit,
or mound near the place; and those present
who were acquainted with the swamp, giving
it as their opinion, that G. had nottaken the
course, pointed outthc spot, he had before
described, the officer was desired TO take
him away. A further search was then made,
but with no further success. 1t was also,
during these days of unofficial inquiry, as
ccr,aincd in C's favor, that about the time
of Mr., BIS visit, the storekeepcrbefore named
did entrust the young man with some humid
red dollars TO pay over to the Mr.. D., who |
received il accordingly. But it likewise was
discovered, on the other hand, that G.. had, |
at different times, told, in confidence, so
much of his first story as related to his pos
session of paper y which he could always
command meney, TO -four individuals, beside
Mr.. B. and Mrs. n. And among these in
dviduals was a brother of c., which brother
admitted that G. not only told him about the
paper, but several times offered to let him
have some of the money obtained by it.
Ii being now useless to think ofmaking G.
a witness against others, since he refused to
implicatc any one, nothing remained but to
proceed with the Court of Inquiry on the
charge, on which he had been arrested-that
of accessory after the fact, to murder rest
ing on his own allegation. The court was
! accordingly hidden, but us We have fully an
ticipatcd all tina, appeared during the exam
| nation then had the result is all that need
be stated. TIE sitting magistrates, though
they considered the young mans conduct
wholly unaccountable, and his explanations
of it unsatisfactory, believed, nevertheless,
that as no murder had been established, they
were not authorized to bind the respondent
over for trial, and he was consequently dis
charged A few days after lie was brought
before the Grand Jury of the county, put
upon his oath, and examined in relation to
the alleged crime. But he here also persis-
ted in his last story, and though most of his
examiners felt thcmst Ives rather bafled than
satisfied, they we're yet compelled TO let him
depart, without being made any the wisel
for their attempt and he then Immediately
left town aud returned to his residence in the
village from which he had been taken.
Thus ends our account of this rcmarkabl,
, case-a case for which, as regards its mos
prominent features, a parallel will scarcel,
F, he found in the history of criminal urispru
= dcncc. If we assume as fact, that a muir
utI was HtIC uttudllN toHnIilltbs We
. Just glimpses enough Of the dark transaction
to see that it stands invested with all the 70
), mantle horrors which the pen Of Radcliffe
t or Monk Lewis could have impaired to II
while at the same time all further light res
, pcctIng the crime, or its cold-hloodcd per
, petrators, seems impenetrably closed to on
, view If, on the contrary, we take tn
ground which the self-consttuted accessor,
S has taken BY his last story, that no murde
: was committed, we find it almost utterly i'm
\ possible to reconcile the young mans conduc
with any known principle of human action
v That he might have invented such story
= and told il to one person one day, and pro-
, claimed it in joke the next, or even, that
for some object, l.e might have had the dis
t position and skill TO make creduous per.
son believe il for months, we can conceive
, Of But that, with only ordinary capacilie
> all lis minuli9, this revolving tale, give
direct clews to it to four or five Individuals
Q tell it, in allserousncss and apparent anguish
t of feeling, to keen business man, and fine
G implicit credit. offer to show him the bones
j and thus commit an act which must neces
: sarly detect him in talschood, and thel
n rcitcratc the same story through long cor
e respondcnce-,hat he should apparently pin'
r away under story of his own invention
and lastly that, when first called up at nigh
= by the arresting officers assistant, hi
G thoughts should instantly fly to that subject
n and when the true business of the officer wa
II announced, that he should be seized with
e terror and agitation that deprived him Of ii,
y power to speak and Standard all for "A iic
v titous story, is indeed difficult, ex,rcmcl
difficult either to believe or account for; an
yet, we are compelled to leave the subject
and call it, as the excited and dissatisfied
Il community to whom knowledge of 1t ha
come, have donc-an matathomabie mystery