Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-05-05


cottage was noiselessly opened, and the wo.
man again appeared. She approached her
husband, listened few moments to ascer.
tain that lie slept, and then stepping back
pace, raised her arm, and with her whole
force at one blow, drove the knife right
through her wretched partners heart. For
an instant only she appeared shocked at the
deed then recovering herself she attempted
to withdraw the knife which having gone
completely through her victim, had buried its
sharp and fine point in the bench. After
severe exerton, she succeeded, but not with.
out breaking of The point Of the cocoa split
ter, which remained fixed in the wood. The
woman's anxiety now 10 obtain the spoil, for
which she had thus pered soul and body, APP
pearcd almost Internal. She seemed 10 grin
in ccs,acy at the deed she had done, and pant
for the i'll gotten gain she had thus made her
own. Exultingly she dragged the pack Of
Jewels from beneath the head Of the corpse,
when her movement drew from her victims
face the cloth that had covered il, and the
savage murderess beheld the well known lin.
eaments of her own husbands countenance.
She gave IA sudden scream, and threw down
the sack; then, with frantic cries, rushed
from the cottage, and sought shelter in
neighboring wood.
The horror.strickcn witness feared TO
move. If he descended, he might NEE, the
murdercss, who would doubtless revenge her
dreadful mistake on the unarmed man, or BY
possibility, he might become mixed up in the
business; SO he determined not to leave his
. refuge unit, morning. He therefore kept his
position, staring IN spite Of himself at the
/. dreadful object beneath him, in sort Of wa.
king dream, till he was suddenly aroused BY
seeing the woman, accompanied by several
a persons (evdcnlly officers Of justce) ap-
), proach the hut
: They examined the corpse they search.
Y cd the house and began to take down their
notes in writing, when the pedar, anxious to
seek their protection, by sudden stir Of the
= branches succeeded IN attracting their atten.
G ton.
IS In an instant gun was pointed at him,
e and he was commanded TO descend. The
= poor man willingly clambered down, when
e 10 his horror and surprise he was instantly
e seized and bound, at the nsiigation Of the
S woman, who, with frantic gestures, declared
!. that she recognized in him the assassin Of
her adored husband.
The wretched prisoner was Immediately
brough, to trial, and, despite Of his declare.
,r tons Of his innocence, condemned 10 death,
,. the woman's statement being clear and prob.
!. able. She affirmed tina, the pedar had come
e TO their house and sought shelter for the
- nigh,-a boon her husband had unhestating.
ar ly accorded that the two men had severe
$. dispute about the price Of some trinkets,
Of when her husband in fit Of passion thrust
s, the ilincrant merchant out Of the house who,
III it seemed, had not gone far; for soon after
n. the ioddy collector feeling warm and uncom.
g. Portable from the debate he had held, and the
nj liquor he had drunk, had gone to lie down.
RI A slight noise, however, awoke his wife, who
distinctly saw the wicked traveller stab her
no husband through the heart; and that she
". then, witIou, u,tering any cry from fear Of
he instant humiliation herself, stole from the
he back door, and rushed into town for assist
@. ance. and succeeded in arresling the assas.
in sin before he had time 10 escape.
an The account seemed so plausible, that
10 scarcely any one IN the court doubted the
prisoners guilt In the first place, what mo.
te, tive could the wretched widow, who wa.
Ca well known to have been warmly attached Ia
er her husband, have to invent a falsehood p
en- In word thousand arguments were brought
D v
r- unhappy prisoner.
H. Only one person presen, doubted the Who'll,
'g, story; and that, fortunately for the innocen
is nan, was the enlightened judge before whom
EST the case was tried. He felt assured of tn,
CHI ,euth o! the defendants statement, ye, he hat
es, no means of upsetting the strong testimon,
he :" the woman. The jury gave verdict o
guilty" without moments hesitation -
OK bat still the judge was no. satisfied, and at
nd forwards declared. that one Of the most aw
b, lul moments of his life was that when he fouu,
kr himself compelled to pass sentence of dealt
est On the unhappy prisoner. He, however, ha
m one power, that Of reprieve and he exer
,er cscd i, by delaying the execution of the cul
al pr for fifteen days.
ing The very instant that he left the court
va sudden thought struck him. He directl
IN. sent for the bench on which the murder wa
all said 10 have been committed had it closet
he examined, and discovered that the point Of
OF sharp instrument was lodged in il. This h
ISL had carefully extracted, and found it to b
iry the end of cocoa nut knife, which, of course
the further strengthened the Judges suspicion.
The and he sent a fresh reprIeve to the prisone,
'u- lie then caused the road leading from tn
ip- cottage of the deco ased to the town, to b
his closely searched and ransackcd. HIS effort
er- happily succeeded. Close to the edge Of
ar, half dried tank, the weapon was found
an was rusled with blood. had lost It's point, u
- bore ON its handle the name Of the murdere
de- man.
ne, The woman without receiving any pre
e'u vious notice, wds seized, and the knife sud
me denly produced before her. The sigh, ,
ia' once turned the current of her feelings sh
De, fell upon her knees confessed the Who'll.
mo declaring that the temptation had been 10
'ne great for her, but God had determined tia
NY she should not escape, since he had brongf
'oe up the knife from the bottom Of the tank ia
a'- 10 which she had thrown il; and all she no,
LAY prayed for was instant death.
~" Two days afterwards. she underwent he
just sentence, while the poor pedIar was re
anu laaSaH from, his iun in lone roo6~ou.o~s