Democratic banner., 1846-11-23
LOUISIANA, PIKE COUNTY, MISSOURI, MONDAY, NOVEMBER e, 1876. mo.


was chilled with the horrid sig.,t before
him; bit when he saw By their re~vcngcful
looks and their illusions TO his :ring at the
eagle in the morning, t;at suspicion had
fallen upon tiim---tEath he must be branded
with the name Of murderer, and bear the
vengeance of men that evcr hated him
when these thoughts, ike a confluence of
Alpine torrents, flowed i'll upon his soul
he trembled-ie uttered a groan-he fell
pcwcriess to the ground.
Close tn the river, in that part Of tho city
now oc curicd by business houses Of every
size and description. stood a house built of
huge rough rocks. with grated windows
and heavy boltcl doors; recognized al once
rs a dark amt Grear7 Spanish prison. The
evening shadows had gathered over the vii
,iage. Tie night advanced in dark END
dreadful! majesty, now believing forth it,
threatening thunder, now scattering tliro'
tie vast expense the CLEANS Of lurid light.
ming. And there, within that drcarr pris-
On, pale, cod and sorrowfrl, sat WocGson
cn]4eavoring to trust to his innocence and
his Col. as his safeguards: get fearing tie
INJUSTICE and malice Of lis foes. But
what have ! TO fear? suspicion IS not guilt;
and Tomorrow the case will be tried, ana
all viii be we'll lie bowed before lis
Father, committed lis ali into His hand.
and witI Hop, bcaning onh:s hear:-hopc
that shines out brightest mid the darkrs,
scenes of earthly sorrow-he stretched him
s%If IL! ~ the cold damp ground, and was
soon wrart !" >!un.5er.
T.. morn again appeared. TIE winds
were h:I>ineG-the sky was clear, and the
sun. rising glorini,slv NJ tIr blue heavens.
was followed by a bri IIt train Of golden
clouds. Wood.om, av akincfrc his sIrn:-
Der, felt G. ;iic. aud cor fortress. IL.
llous!:s 81 home, his wife. Lis cI,:lh:. =.
Il" rri<on-w-!.S, tie dancer: L,r.re Lin.
al roe il :or:i,. array. Ike drcao sprc.rcc.
before MS mi:.d. Bat agoiu lie lo.cI he
ip:c lis Gop-his spirit was Gained Il, fell
cons ious tia: Ii- would ever L~ef.i,ni
in.
It VAS ten o'clock when Woodson was
brought $40 tae hail vi The Co nmandant's
'I.r>v e. undergo lis tri"i!. ;. c:ow,l was
Already assembled and was growing mcrc
nr'n.Icls ,Icry moment. At length a.,
:ommariant. a daik-,:saerd, heavy So
man. entered and took lis seat ia Il larG.
aru-ci,a.r. a. g." upper a.! oI lie l.ail
The trial vas commenced; Nuu1sIn Was
askc'; in a solemn anncr, to conf, IS ii,
murder Of the n whose body was found
LEAR his gate. IN an equally solemn ant
!cciicd tome, WooGscn denied having cv'
cr injured or even seen &c person III Gurs
Ton, until tie fatal morning when his bleed
ing corpse was cxToecd 20 public gaze
Tie witnesses were then called forward
aud sworn IN re crc5s ~ the priest. Twt
of them testified that, on tie morliHs O
the murder. iust before sunrise, willie 60,
ing towar,.S Ec03scn's house, they IIcart
the report &C a gun. That coming up &
Wood~on. they asked him at what he la;
fired, that he answered, as they thought
will, embarrassment, sat an eagle The,
stated the improhability Of lis story; for
lad an eagle been there, they must har'
seen Il; and that it was almost impo>si1!
hat Wnodson-a good ma~rksman-coul
fire al il and miss it. Other witnesses ties
tilted to TIE agitation that shcok Woodson'
frame, when he looked at the corps-a cir
cu:asiancc that went far to prove his guilt
The witnesses examined, the command
-, ant addressed the prisoner as foI''ws: "io
); see that we have the p~lainrst proof tina
you are guilty Of imbruing your hands l
, tie blood of your fellow-man--a GRIN
r which cal. for TIE vengeance both Of lleav
3 en- and Of earth, and must be punished Wit
= almost instant death. But before your door
, is pronounced, We ISL to hear what 20
t have TO say concerning this hor;ld charG