Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-07-27


said-'Look at Mr.. Wharton, young woman.
Are you sure he is the man you saw! Be
careful. Remember how strong likenesses
are
Every eye turned upon him; and none
OF US but felt that very cursory glance in
deed would be sufficient to fix such features
ana figure in our memories, with little fear
of installing them for others. SO thought
the witness, for, with yet louder burst of
sorrow, she exclaimed
"Oh, no / could never mistake him.
| have watched him and dear Miss Minnie
too often God help her God help her
She will now surely die
"The prisoner started to his feet, his face
flushed for moment; but in another all
was calm, and his eyes fixed upon the ground.
Yet, from that instant, | felt assured, as
though | had seen the deed doae, that Charles,
overcome by anger and love, was the muir
| derer With whom else was the old man
at such open war? Where had lie been
from the time he left the Abbey and if not
prepared for some such deed, why and what
were the strange threats he had used Nor
| did ], till long afterwards, lose the convic-
ton, though, as one of the visiting justices
at the county gaol, | saw him frequently
Once, as was leaving his cell, after seeing,
with the silent bow, which was all that ever
| passed between us, that everything was in
due order, he called me back, and after IA
pologising for doing SO, he said
"' have request to make that | can
! place in none but the hands of gentleman.
You are aware that have no means of
learning exactly the state of my plighted
wife. hear, indeed, daily reports from the
surgeon, but he deals only with the body,
and pine to know truly how her mind
bears up under this calamity. You know
her, and she values and trusts you. Will
you do me so much kindness as to see her,
and cheer her, if she needs it Tell her
to trust me even now; and if she has a
doubt-for sickness engenders distrust and
fances, otherwise would not so insult her
tell her | am innocent of the foul charge
they make against me. As God lives in
heaven-as | love her-as | believe this
book'--and his hand rested on a Bible, -
am utterly, wholly innocent | never saw
the murdered man from the hour | parted
with him in his library, to that looked up
on him dead. You do not believe me. 1t
matters not: she will Tush sir, do you
think love her? Should add the bar Of
slaughtered father to those already be-
tween us? Men dcvour the marvellous, Oh
they would laugh at such charge
"For an instant his fine proud tone ant
bearing shook my belief in his guilt; but
, only that it might return the stronger.
saw Minnie, as he requested but, fortunate
, ly, she was still too i'll to be made aware o
the truth.
: " Very soon after, the assizes came on
: true bill was found; and, charged witl
his uncle's murder, Charles Wnasr0n stkot
at the felon's bar. The trial was but rep
ettion of many another such and although
the first man on the circuit, with leade
/ retained and brought specially from town
= exerted every nerve, / do believe the jury
t long before the closing speech was over, ha'
s decided upon their verdict. 1t was as stron.
= a case of circumstantia evidence as / eve
d heard and after the unwavering testimon
of the girl, who swore most positively t
d the identity of the prisoner with the maj
t she had seen in the park, there seemed n
0 shadow of doubt. Yet all our precon
e ceived ideas of the appearances of gull
n were at fault Defiance, boldness, nigh
d have been the veil "A strongly nerved ma
would choose to mask his consciousness {
e crime but there was no such manner j
d the prisoner. Dauntless-as if, be the rt
= suit what it would, he was fearless-scorr
l. full, with his naughty lip curling in strang
h dsdain, he looked upon the court. 1t wa
y most puzzing. All we heard, loudly pre-
d claimed his guilt all we sac, loudly spok
W of innocence He was asked the usu'
II question, to which he answered. in tone
y clear and unfaltering as they had ever bee
it on the covers side
a. "' am innocent, my lord. shall sa
IN nothing more, for l cannot prove it, viii
ii nothing less can satisfy justice. Only TIL
is this is a public record, would not say s
III much--but that, with the chronicle of II
lie death, may go forth the protest of my inn
ut cence.'
to "The Judge looked keenly at the gloriol
IN figure he was about to sentence to frigf
I'd full death and, as if he read something
e, that dauntess brow he could not compr
I'd bend, turned over his notes again and agai
n, The barrsters leaned across the table
d. gaze upon the man who spoke so calmly
n his fate, and the ladies' wept aloud as Il
IL Judge put on the fatal cap The senten'
r. was passed; and, doomed to felon's deaf
ed Charles Wharton left the dock The ne
nd day, was dining at the house Of the unde
he sheriff. when note, every word of whit
rs remember, was brought tonne 1t II
n thus
in "'Come with the bearer instantly to m
er and bring with you any other magistra
ID you can soonest find. Come instantly
he 1t was signed by the surgeon who h
er- been attending Minnie Referring this nc
es at once to the case of Mr.. Wharton, Whit
en- we were even then discussing, Sir Jol
ut, Mos,yn, (your father, my boy,) our ho
,e, and myself, started up, and in five mnut
'h- were in the carriage Mr.. Roberts had sci
ne We drove rapidly on, and, to our great ST
he prise, turned out of the town into lane
so no good repute, where stood the cottages
he some suspected poachers. We had fanci
icy we were going to the gaol When we ste
icy ped, our conductor sprang from the be
ne and rushed into the house. We iollowe
ell and were met by Mr.. Roberts. lie W
The pale with anxiety and establishment
so :" There lies in that room, he said, poi
nat ting to an inner door, a man so like Char
nd Wharton that if had not seen him in
A LIZ. Il -.