The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1843-07-13

Power OF CoNscIENcE.-At the late
term of the Supreme judicial Court at
Plymouth, there occupied a very re-
markable case, Illustrative Of the inau-
ence of conscience. A man strong
and healthy in physical development,
and evidently possessed of a sane and
int Iigent mind = by the name of Lea
witt, was a.raigned at the bar, charged
with the muder of his wife. The in
dictment was read to him by the Clerk,
and istened to on his part with the ut
most calmness. 1t charged him with
wiIful murder. AT the conclusion of
the reading, the usual question was
propounded, when the prisoner deliber-
ately & very audiblyplead, GUILTY, The
| plea struck the whole bar and audience
with surprise and Amusement, and so I'M
expectedly did it come upon the Judge
presiding, that he directed the Clerk to
repeat the question, doubling whether
he could have heard correctly. The
question was accordingly repeated, and
again the same response of GUILTY was
deliberately returned. His Honor then
instructed the Clerk not to make record
Of the plea, and proceeded to address
the prisoner as to his rights and duties :;
informing him that thought he might
have slain the woman, yet he might not
have done it with the intent and in the
manner and form charged in the indct-
ment that he had no right to throw
away his own life, and concluding with
the recommendation that he should de-
liberate further, and advise with Coun-
sci, whom the Court would instruct to
wait upon him and explain the nature Of
the p!eadlngs, and the light in which
they were to be considered. He was
then remanded to Jail. Subsequently
he was visited by two members of the
bar, under instructions of the Court, who
explained to him the character orthe in
dictment, that plea of "not guilty"
did not necessarily involve an untruih.
and urged him to revise his decision. -
The only answer, however, that nc
made was, that he slew the woman, and,
having COMM ted this terrible crime, he
should not consent to add to It the
crime OF perjury, aud appear before
Cod. as he shortly expected to do, with
lie in his right hand. At this inter-
view the Counsel learned, that after his
arrest, he had been waited upon by a
clergyman who, after representing the
enormlty OF the olfense he had already
committed, advised him that to plead
not guilty would be TO utter falsehood,
and cautioned him against heaping this
SIN upon the mountain OF wickedness
which now weighed upon his soul. The
warning had made so strong an Impress
ION upon his mind, that the efforts ofthe
Cpuhsol we're truitess, and they left
him determined upon adherng to his
CORNER Flea. Some days afterwards he
was again put at the bar, aud again
responded GUILTY to the indictment. Il
As he appeared perfectly aware of the
course he was pursuing, and no doubt
could be entertained of his sanity, the
Court could do no other than proce d |
as required by law. The prisoner was
accordingly remanded, and some days
afterwards the Judge informed the Bar
that on the next morning he should pro-
coed to pronounce the sentence OF de til.
AT the time appointed, the prisoner
again replied, "cUILTY | slew The
woman, and cannot add perjury to the
crime" This seemed to shut out all
hope, and the Clerk was about to record
the plea, when the wretched man added.
g but had no malice against er."-
This, OF course, was a denial of the
charge IN the indictment, and equiva-
lent to plea Of not guilty, which plea
the Court ordered to be entered, and
the prisoner was remanded to take his
trial at a special term TO be holden for