American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-07-12
rFor the American Republican,
THE INJUSTICE OF M.CURRY'S CONFESsIt
TO THE LATE MIR. NOWLAN.


TO THE LATE MIR. NOWLAN.
as a friend to the cause oftruth, Justice anC
humanity, have waited, with deep interest
further developments in tine case of McCurryI
confession. From the editorial and other re.
marks in the papers, many were led to suppose
mat those acquainted with the circumstance
under which the confession was prepared
would, ere this, have made some explanation
calculated to remove from the public mind
the doubts and suspicious occasioned by thai
extra ordinary and mysterious publication.
The theological questions involved, viewed
N their practical influence on the conduct oil
men, are of the utmost Importance as the re-
!glous, or rather, the irrehgious sentiments Of
he confession, whether regarded as the real be-
Ief of the culprit, or the inCulcated dogmas OF
his spiritual teachers, are not less derogatory to
the character of the Ruler of men, than dan
geTous TO the public morals. The doctrine
that the Almighty permitted AicCurry to
murder Paul Roux for the purpose of bringing
the former to repentance and salvation, while
the latter was cut off in his sins, and of course
went to perdition," is not less blasphemous
than demorali2ing, nor less contrary to holy
scripture, than repugnant to common sense.
The contrariety Of the confession to several
known facts, of which the public have been put
L
as rs glaring discrepancy compared with the
confession made TO his counsel, J. NJ. Harris,
ESQ, and since published by that gentleman
are not to be reconciled by any light that can
re thrown upon the subject by any individual,
anless explained by him to whom the criminal
'Nus: haze made 'JWH confession" without
which there is no dissolution in the church ot
Rome.
But the point in which the confession is cal
ou.ated to excite the Indignation of generous
community, if it be not Legitimate subject
9! presentment of the grand inquest, is the libel
2pon the character of the late MIR. Nowlan
contained in the strong implication of his being
accessory TO the murder of Paul Roux. Upon
The suppositiun of Mr.. Nowlan's entire inno-
cence, (of which there appears to be but little
question on the public mind, } was it not requr-
co by common Justice, at the hands of McCurry,
10 bear, in his dying confession, decided and
ample testimony to that factl And if he had
cone so, would it not have been one unequivo-
cal evidence of his possessing pardoned and
renewed heart, an essential character OF which
6 go do Justice and TO loue mercy" as well as
ito ,caLk h,t,nbly with God" Bat from the Ian
cuace of the confession, and from the facts of
he case respecting the condition in which the
body of the murdered man was found, the in
ference is unavoidable that McCurry had an
scconplice, and that that accompce was Now
ian. The body was found with a blow on the
head and the throat cut from which wound
there was copious flow of blood. Now, from
This fact the throat must have been cut some
time before the extinction of life, and therefore,
before the infection of the blow ON the head,
simultaneously with it, or Immediately after 1t.
NlcCurry says he inflicted the blow on the
head-but did not cut the throat-that he did not
lock the door, and did nothing with the keys But
the keys were found in trunk in Mr.. Now
lan's bar Nowlan, then, according to the or
binary course and bearing of circumstantial
evidence, combined with the statement of the
confession, was the accomphce of McCurry.-
And the poor man descended TO the grave I'M
der the pressure of this injury to his reputation
inflicted by one from whom he had the RICH.
10 expect a far different treatment.
Mr.. Nowlan never recovered from the shock
he received when he went into the chamber,
and, for the first time, beheld the murdered
BODY of Paul Roux. The state of mental ex-
element produced by the occurrence, and
which was continued through the course of the
Trial, was such as to superinduce condition of
bodily disease, not uncommon to persons of
his age, and which alone, probably, would not
nave resulted in death, at the particular time.
Although legally acquitted of any suspicion of
Guilt, and fully conscious of his own innocence,
vet he naturally felt that the testimony of the
murderer, in his last solemn confession, was
that which alone could satisfy public opinion,
and wipe from his reputation, previously unsul-
lied, the foul stain of insinuated participation
in cruel murder. The confession at length
appeared. 1t was read to him by his affection
ate and attentive wife, who, supposng it to
contain the full exculpation of her much-injur-
ed husband, was, of course, anxious to commu-
nlcate to him the longdesired acquttal at the
bar of public opinion. And in the moment of
feverish excitement, occupied in the reading of
The short confession, how anxiously did that
wounded spirit listen for the declaration which
was to roll from his name the oppressive re-
preach! But no such declaration breaks upon
his ear-and astounded by tie calumnious in
situations, which now could be repelled only
by his own asseveration, his crushed spirit,
without attempting ali exculpation, or even
utterng word, fed its frail tenement, as if to
hasten in pursuit of the man, who with his
dying strength, sought so deeply to injure him,
and holding the calumnator before the bar OF
Heavens Justice, to demand of him, in the
presence OF God, that exoneration from the
implied charge of participation in crime, which
neither the benignant influences of religion,
nor the common feelings of humanity were ad-
equate to produce, and which could not be ex-
.ortcd from his perverted lips, even by the pre-
sent horrors Of the impending gibbet
Mr.. Nowlan either was the acconplice of
McCurry, or he was not. If he was, then, in
an extraordinary manner, he eluded the opera
lions Of Justice, and escaped the legal punish