Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-03-19
BRADFORD THE INNKEEFER.

Jonatlan DradIoru kept an Inn IN OXfOrd-
shire, on the London road to Oxford. lie bore
respectable character. Mr.. Hayes. gentleman
of fortune. being on his way to Oxford on a visit
to Il relation, put up at Bradlord's. He there
Joined company with two gentlemen, with whom
he suppcd, and in conversation unguardedly
mentioned that he had then about him consid-
cradle sum of money. In due time they retired
to their respective chambers the gentlemen to
a two-beddeu room, leaving. as is customary with
many, a candle burning in the chimney corner.
Some hours after they were in bed, one of the
gentlemen being awake. thought he heard deep
groan in an adjoining Chamber and this being
repeated, he softly awokc his friend. They lis
tened together. and the groans increasing, as of
one dying and in pain, they both instantly arose,
and proceeded silently 10 the door of the next
chamber, from which the groans had seemed to
come. The door being aiar. they saw light in
the room. They entered, but it is impossible to
paint their CONSERVATION on perceiving a person
wetering in his blood in the bed and a man
standing over him with dark lantern in one
hand. and knife in the other! The man SEEM
ed as much pctried as themselves. but his terror
carried with 1T all the appearance of guilt The
gentlemen soon discovered that the murdered
person was the stranger with whom they had
that night snpped, and that the man who was
standing over him was their host They seized
]
charged him with being the murderer He as
>umed by this time the air of innocence. posi-
lively denied the crime and asserted that he came
there with the same humane intentions as them
selves for that, hearing noise. which was sue
cceded by groaning. he got out Of bed. struck a
light, armed himself with a knife for his defence,
and had but that minute entered the room before
them. These assertions were of little avail !;
he was kept in close custody till the morning,
and then taken before a neighborng Justice Of
the peace. Bradford still denied the murder, but
with such apparent indications OF guilt, that the
Justice hesitated not TO make use of this extraor-
binary expression on writing his mittimus, mr..
| Bradford, either You or myself committed this
MURDER
| This remarkable affair became topic of con-
vcr>aton to the whole country. Bradford was
condemned by the general voice of every COM
pany, In the midst of all this prcdetcrmina,ion.
came on the assizes at Oxford Bradford was
brought to trial; he plead not guilty. Nothing
could be stronger than the evidence of the two
gentlemen. They testified To the finding Mr..
Hayes murdered in his bed, Bradford at the side
of the body with light and "A knife, and that
knife, aud the hand which held it, bloody. They
stated that, on their entering the room, he be-
traycd all the signs of a guilty man; and that,
but few minutes preceding, they had heard the
groanS of the deceased.
Bradiord's defence on his trial was the same
as before; he had heard a noise he suspected
that some vlllany was transacting: he struck a
light, snatched up the knife, the only weapon AZ
hand, TO defend himself, and entered the room of
the deceased. lie averred that the terrors he
betrayed were merely the feelings natural 10 in
nocencc, as well as guilt on behodng SO hor-
rid scene. The defence, however, could not
he considered as weak, con,rasted with the sew
eral powerful circumstances against him. New
or was crcumstantial evidence SD strong, so far
as it went. There was little need of comment
from the judge in summing up the evidence no
room appeared for eXtenuation and the prisoner
was declared guilty by the jury without their even
leaving the box.
Bradford was executed shortly after, still de-
clarng that he was not the murderer, nor privy
to the murder, of Mr.. Hayes but he died disbc.
heved by all.
Yet were these assertions not untrue! The
murder was actually committed BY the foo,man
OF Mr. Hayes; and the assassin, immediately on
stabblng his master, rted his pockets of his NOM
ey, gold watch, and snuif-box, and then escapeJ
back To his own room. This could SCARCELY
have been effected, as atcr-circumstances show.
cd more than two seconds before Bradfords en-.
tenng the unfortunate gentlemans chamber
The world owes this information to remorsc of
conscience on the par, of the footman eighteen
mouths after the execution of Bradford) when
laid on bed Of sickness II was a dcnth.hca to
pontence, and by that death tho law lost ~. NIs-
tim,
,wcre to he wished tina, this aeeesa' sS-l4