Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1848-03-30
TRIALOF
DIR. L0RUS Y. COOLIDGE
ron THE MURDER OF
EDWARD MATHEWS,
Ar WaierUile, Ne.

w'th The Jury, Sc, &c.
AUGUSTA, March 23-l0P. NJ.
At9 O'Clock this morning The Court me, at the
Cour! House, to which place it had adjourned,
and messenger was sent TO inquire il The jury
had agreed upon verdict. lie returned with a
reply That they had not agreed, md did not know
that they should agree, whereupon the Court i'd
journed TO II l-2 o'clock
Al that hour the Court again convened and n
messenger was again despatched 10 the jury.
The reply this limo was, tina, the jury said they
had not ngreed, and there was no prospect thu,
they sho uld agree.
Chief Justice Whitman then directed that they
be brought into Cont, and they were conducted
thi'her, when he desired to know whether they
disagreed on any point Of law. The foreman re-
piled that their disagreement was principally upon
the amount OF weight tina! ought TO he attached to
certain portions Of the testimony, adding that he
feared there was no hope Of their agreeing nj all
After few moments consultation with his as
sociales, Judge W. directed that they be conduct.
ed back TO their room for further delberalion, and
shortly thereafter the Court adjourned 10 3 p. NJ
! AT this hour, when the messenger returned who
had been sent TO make inquiry Of the jury, he re
piled tina, they had not agreed, but that they
| thought they might agree in half all hour. AT The
expiration of about three quarters Of an hour the
! jury came in, took their seats, and the prisoner
/ yas placed at the bar There was dellhke
Stiffness throughout the court room; the prisoner s
features were as rigid as marble, and his face near
ly as white. his lips were compressed, his eyes
gared, and ii was tie opinion of many who had
watched him throughout thc trial, that his nerves
would soon give way, but they did not.
The clerk, after calling over list of the jurors,
said;--Jurors look upon the prisoner; prisoner
look upon Tho jurors. Gentlemen Of the jury,
have you agIeed upon your yedic,!
Foreman. We have.
tierk Who shall speak for your
JurorS.-Our Foreman
Clerk Prisoner, stand up and listen TO the
verdict of the jury. Mr. Foreman, do you find the
prisoner nj the bar guilty or not guilty.
Foreman.-GUlLTY.
was looking a. the prisoner attentively when
tho verdict was rendered. but he did not move a
muscle, nor change his appearance in the least;
there was the same compression Of lip and the
same sla,ue-like igidIy Of expression. lie stood
as unmoved and solid stone. Judge Whitman
then inquired Of the Foreman, Us 10 whether they
found the prisoner guilty of murder in The first or
second degree, and he replied that they had not
decided formally as TO the degree, but ii was un-
ders,ood by all Of them that he was guilty Of The
charges in the three last counts the Indictments
and us those counts charged malice aforehought
they all understood il TO be murder of the first de-
gree, 1t was so recorded by the clerk, and the
Jurors all asscnted 10 the record.
The prisoner, still standing, was now asked by
the presiding judge il he had anything to say why
sentence should not be pronounced against him.
when he spoke as Iollows:-
DIR. cooLIpGE's REMARKS,
can only say it will be pronounced against one
who is innocent. My counsel have pleaded ably
and eoquently for my life, bu, they have been
ovcrpowered by false testimony. There is one
who may 20 free and who may be within the sound
of my voice, with whom, fearful as is my position
would moi change places. have chosen my
lot. may leave upon paper, after shall have
gone, something TO show more clearly to what |
refer, but until then am content, knowing there
is higher court than this, where and ali of MS
shall be one day judged, and where justice will be
done TO all. now lid my friends my enemies,
and YOU all, an atectionae farewell, and am ready
TO receive my sentence.
| Mr. Evans now moved that the Court suspend
sentence until he could procure testimony relative
to what was contained in the letters, and while by
direction Of the Court, he was reducing his motion
10 writing, MIR Blake arose and said that letter
had been found near the door Of The Jury room;
which lie ea,cu was put mere IN inc nope 1t might
find its way TO the Jury all events ii was direct
ed to The Foreman. The letter was handed TO
the Foreman, who, after scanning ii rapidly, de-
clared it was not on private business and deliver
ed it over TO the Court. The letter was suisse
quenly handed to Mr. Blake, with directions to
| endeayor 10 find out the writer, if possible, and
commeuse prosecution. Thinking it might be
of interest as matter Of curiosity enclose copy
which is us follows:
GENTLEMEN OF THE jury:
| Sirs:-We appeal to your sympathy in Ian
guuge stronger than mortal tongue can express, for
one of our dearly beloved fellow beings, who as
vet almost remains an outcast from the world and
its few enjoymen,s, Will you, gentlemen on this
painful occasion, not consider him with the distant
feeling Of stranger, but consider him as father,
brother, or some dear friend, and that it were
| ,ou, and you onll that could remove them from
their perilous situation. Let us, for n moment,
take these things 10 ourselves consider his
dear and only parent, whose grey hairs by this
distressing event is fast approaching the srave-to-
geher with many other anxious friends whose
| hearts are matted with grief, 10 witness so solemn
scene. ifs one know him NOT but cannot look
uppn his placid countenance or trembling steps
without the tear Of sympathy. And can NE refrain
Gon. such when we.behold one in the pride Of life,
who hid fair for usefulness TO himself and society,
whose judgment and skin has been relied upon
,,;,h tho nj n ,osi confidence, now looked upon as
one CHARGED with that awful crime of murder. Oh,
how sad q chanse--i;om profession of high re-
spec,nblli,y, where many times honor and gra'l'
pde are due, to one go degraded as the poor, des-
pised, hear,-broken prisoner GOD knoweth his
heart heart whether guilty or innocent, HewiI neither
leave nor forsake him, but will haze mercy upon
him, for ho is still asking all to repent Of our
sins, and come to him, for he says, 'nota sparrow
ruIe,h to the ground bui what he noiceih ana
can he forget the poor prisoner, who is OF much
more valuo' In conclusion, judge not tina, ye De
no, judged, praying that the accused may be found
innocent. is the sincere desire Of her who is n
friend TO the fiiendIess and forlorn, and who wish
es to be comfor, to the comfOr!less and forsaken'
Augusta, March, ls4S. , nj,
1t was found in the place stated by Mr. Blake
wrapped up in pie:s Of newspaper, so us to rep
resent n small parcel 1t was written IN very
fine hand, and on the outside directed to
FRANCIS +. ilAlNES,
| Foreman,
Augusta, Me.