Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-11-20
A REMARKABLE TRIAL AND CASE
OF PERSONAL IDENTITY

volving a question of personal identity which
perhaps has ever occurred i'm this country
The trial took place at Lowell, Mass, on the
2Sth ult., and the facts are substantially
these
ION Saturday, the 26th of July last, as a
number oil young girls and a little boy were
out gathering berries in Mediord, one of the
girls, agNd about twelve years, was accosted
by a young man whom they had seen for
some time near them picking berries. who
asked her if her name was Ann, and on her
replying that 1t was, he told her that a person
n short distance from the bushes wished 10
see her, and offered TO conduct her tbi,ber.
She followed him, he then made the assault
upon her, telling her that if she screamed he
had a knife iii his pocket. He thus prevent
ed an outcry, but failed i'm accomplishing his
diabolicai purposes-thc girl shortly Joined
her companions, and appeared very much
frightened and on reaching home told the cir
cumstance TO her friends.
1.-The next case occurred in Newton. on the
following Monday, the 2Sth july, and here
too, itappeared that "a number of girls were
out gathering berries, when a young man
near them, and whom they had noticed for
some time, came 10 one of the little girls, and
and asked her ii her name was Ann, she an
swered that II was not. He then told her
that a child was crying in the bushes. and de-
sired her TO 60 and see it; and upon reaching
secluded spot, took hold OF her, ana told
her that II she made any nois2 he had a knife
In his pocket. The screams OF the unfortu-
nate girl Were heard by her little COMPANIONS.
but they dared not approach her. She was al
so heard by several pcople in the neighbor-
hood. A Mr.. Houghton and his wife, who
came TO her assistance, testified that when
near they saw Il man near the girl, with his
back to them, and the little girl was picking
up the berries which were split upon the
ground. The girl was crying, and appeared
much frightened, her fice scratched, and her
dress much orn-the scoundrel again escaped,
was seen and pursued, burnot overtaken.
o the 18th OF August following, the pri-
soner was seen by the same Houghton drink
ing at his well, and was immediately recog-
nized by him and his wife, as the same man
they had seen on the 2Sth July, and who COM
mitted the assault upon the girl. The prison.
or was o arrested, and on being told on
what account, said he could prove that at the
time OF commission of these crimes he was i'm
New hampshire. He was Immediately taken
TO a hotel in Watcrtown, and the two girls
spoken OF, together with fifty or sixty PERSONS;
attended the examination of the prisoner; the
girls were separately taken into the room, and
they each pointed out the prisoner as the man
"bo SoiiiiiilNtcN lic ASSAULT upon tnem.
The prisoner was then taken TO a Souire's Of
flee, i'll Cambridgeport, and the witnesses in
both eases sent for, and they in turn severally
ldentlied hum as the man. One man swore
that he saw the prisoner on the 26th july.
and had considerable conversation with him
and that he took considerable notice of him
as he bore every resemblance to relative of
his. He identified the prisoner at once as
the man. All the witnesses, TO the number
OF ten, swore that they had not a doubt that
the prisoner at the bar was the same person
they had seen at Nlediord on the 26th July,
and at Ncwto on the 2Sth and who had com
mitted these crimes.
at became apparent that the only import.
ant point IN the case was the identity of the
prisoner with the monster who committed
these crimes. The counsel for the defence
commended that they should prove an dIibi-
that the prisoner was in New Hampshire at
the time the offences were committed. To
prove this they called a Mr.. Ames, of Keene.
who testified that the prisoner rode with him
on tile 22d OF July last, and that he saw him
every day from that to the 18th. and during
That time the. prisoner bought a trunk at his
store; thc trunk was In court, and the witness
identified it at once as the one he sold. He
said the prisoner boarded at the Eagle Hotel
IN keene. The bar keeper of the Eagle Hotel
was called, and confirmed this, and further
testified that he sat beside the prisoner every
day from the 22d To- the 2Sth July; that the pri-
soner was constant at his meals. and that he
saw him frequently besides, and conyersed
with him; both witnesses testified in the
strongest manner that they saw the prisoner at
a Caravan Show on the 18th July i'll Kcene.
IA stage driver testified that on the 18th
OF July, (the day on which the assault was
committed in Newton the prisoner registered
his name i'm the Cfa0o nfI,,a 81 $500 e. r.
cord, and that he rode on the seat with him all
the way from keene to Concord that day, and
had considerable conversation with him. Mr..
Stewart, a tailor in Concord, testified that Inc
made a pair OF pantaloons for the prisoner ON
the 18th OF July, and from a peculiararity of
make identified those now worn by the priso.
ner TN courtas those IL made. Another wit
ness testified that he saw the prisoner about
the ISL oi August, IN Monmouth, ON his way
10 NASHUA. Several ct the witnesses were
recognized by the prisoner in court, and called
by name BY him; every one of thess witnesses
swore that they hld not q doubt that the pris.
oner at the bar was tie same man they saw in
New Hampshire as described.
Tho counsel for defence, here rested tbei,
cas- having proved tie most remarkable case
oil dttbt that has ever been known in This conn.
Try. The counsel Tor the government admit.
ted the mLiJf OH the 2Gth and 18th of JuIv
Dut thought the government witnesses were
mistaken as TO dates. and thought il mioht
have been on the 18th and 2lst of july. but
the dates could not be altered, and the iurv
acquitted the prisoner without retiring from
The court room, aud he was discharged,
There IS one thing very remarkable about
the casc; that Is, that a person 50 nearly rcsem.
bling the william who committed these .enor.
mites should he immediately recognized by all
ms witnesses Tor government, at the well of
VT isS1ugt0nb drinking, only two weeks after
InS mlciggS- Ysre committed; it would seem
ly9.ta s'IotfSs That the prisoner, il guilty,
shou0l jFve. bees found there; there ur0bn NJ
nfyer was a. Fact more satisfactorily rovcd
idi9n ihc Innocence Of tbc prisoner. II has