The Cecil Whig., 1843-11-04

while the principal ones for the defence,
viz: Purnell, Nowland, G A. Ford, Mahan,
J. Foard, Jones, and L. L. Foard, do not
contradict each other in Il single particu-
lar; with thesessI1anson also agrees; in
fact, his testimony was directly against
the prosecution, although he was called
by them. Moore's testimony so far as he
saw, was also i'll favor of the defence.
The precise agreement of the testimo-
nv Cor defence, carries home the convc-
ton that it is true, while the downright
contradictions Of most of that for the
prose eCuIion, argues with equal force, that
it was conceived in error. 1t was an ex-
cclient move by our counsel, to exclude
the witnesses from the court rocm.to pre-
ven. them from hearing each other testify.
On the morning alter the aflrav, before
onr hea, ing III the presence OF magistrates,
ami before we had heard the testimony oi
any witness, we wrote downa statement OF
the affiay, which as our readers will re-
collect, we published IN our next paper
thereafter. Since then we have not writ
ten line on the subject, and although
having paper under our control, we have
made no effort to correct the many false
and malicious accounts which leemed
from presses politically opposed to US.
and the thousands of equally false and
malicious rumors which our enemies
were busly circulating from that day
until court. We looked forward to our
| trial for a triumphant vindicalion from
every charge OF crime, ard having been
honorably acquitted by jury of our
countrymen, we choose to republish our
first statement, that 1t may be compared
with the testimony elected at coart, and
also with the statements uttered and pub
llshed bv our foes, SO that our reader
may see Oh whose side the truth lies
From the Cecil Wing of September End
"The mail from the east having arrived.
started from my office to get my papers
! ! went through F"ard's Hotel. When |
got on his front porch, sa Mr. For
| wood sitting on the pavement before his
cllice, aud thinking he would attack me il
| | went mp, sal down on the tavern porch.
! ! dreadet ienContre. told some ot
my friends during the forenoon TINT |
| would not VIC snn"id meet Tor any CON
sIde:ation. This was my feeling II, The
time-hence my delay on the tavern
! porch. He presently left his sea, on the
! pavement and went upwards across the
street out Of my eight. Alter lie bad
gone some 10 ur Is minutes, went u,
to the office, intending 10 get my papers
and come away without Il moments de
! lay, went and wihou, haIllng. spoke
TO Mr.. JAS S. Purnell and Col. Nhann.
who were in the Office at the lime-goI
| my papers out of the hoX-lurncd round
| Immediately and went ouu, intending to
proceed down the street When passc d
tlrongh the door, saw Mr.. Furwoott
meeting me, carrying heavy stick. |
believed he was goiwg 10 attack mc,--but
keeping my acc 10 hlm stepped aside
to allow him to go i'll tho post office f he
wished. lie came directly up in front of
ME, halling when about three feet distant
A few wolds passed, when lie sprang u
pom me, catching my right wrist with a
violent grasp vlh his left hand, (my
right hand hfin@ in my pocket and ran
me back against iiIe house attempt eed
to wrench my arm from his grasp, bu,
could not. it being against the house -
lie being against me, ] could not see what
he was dong vii, his righl herd, hul
from the motion of his arm ! believed he
vas attempting to draw pistol or bowie
knl'e. had been told that he CARED
both these weapons. knew he was u
violent mau. knew Ie had used dead
Iy weapons upon other occasions. ! hGu
been warned hundred times 10 be on my
guard night aud dav i was continually
h,a.ing lhr ais he had made lie had
stood al The post office with a heavy
hluGgron the day before, during nv usual
mme OF going there had been told re-
peatedly that he .aid this world could no,
hold us both. Some OF his friends had
said that one or other of us would be in
he'll before the week was out, | had seen
him cross the street when was up town
in the morning-he had on a linen coat
(lhe same he had on when he attack ed
me) IN The side pocket of which a wegn
was dangllng-I believed it to be pistol
with which he intended to shoot me. and
| helipye So still He cauuhi htS coal
and held up the side in which the weight
was, to keep from being observed, sup.
posed, From all these considerations
was led to expect no quarters. ! made a
violent effort to escape from his hold
= loosed myself and the exerIlon frrd the
pistol. thought i. did not strike him
rerea,ed backwards; he rushed upon mt