New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-02-09

l what business il Il % tfui p" heard in his boy
hood, expressed the views and habits Of his late
years But this mentai growth. such as Il was
/ pie ased his father. who often said exutinsly
/ p There IS no danger Of Joe. he knows how q
/ hsht his own way through the world.
such vas their mutua product Of character
l when VI. Barker was summoned - Jury, m
case involving death. He was vexed % be called
/ away from his employments. and had never re-
I Elected a. A. upon the fearful responsibility Of a
I juryman. James Lloyd, the prisoner. was a very
young man, and l.s open. honest countenance
gave no indication o.. cspscity for crime: but he
was accused % murder and crcams,antisl evil
ience was strong against him. 10 was proved
/ that a previous quare. had existed between him
and the murdered man, and that they had been
seen % take the road the prisoner in a state
90 intoxicaton. the nisht the violent deed was
committed. Most people thought there was no
doubt Of his guilt Others deemed the case by no
means certain. Two OF the Jury were reluctant
q convict him, and rushed 20 find the evidence IN
sufficient the penalty wss s. dreadful. and their
feelings were 50 much touched by the settled mis-
cry 90 his youthful counteuance. Others talked
sternly Of justice, and urged that the Scripture
demanded blood for blood OF this number was
Peter Barker. From the beginning he was
against the prisoner. The lawyer who pleaded
for him bad once been employed in wsaiI
against Mr. Barker. and had gained the cause for
his client. The juryman cherished grudge against
him for his sarcastic eloquencs On that occasion -
Moreover. Il So happened that neighbor Goodwin,
who years ago had reproyed his severity to the
horse. took comp assonate interest IN the accused.
He often consulted with his lawyer. and seemed
TO watch the couEtensnces OF the jury anxiously
IL was a busy season Of the year, and the jury
were impatient % be az their workshops ana
farms Mr. Barker would not have admitted IT,
even 70 himself bur all these circumstances helped
70 increase his hardness against the prisoner. BY
slch incOncewably slight motives is the conduct
Of men often swayed on most important occasions
If the poor young fellow really did commit the
at, said one OF the jury. IL seems likely that
ne did It IN a state OF lutoxicsiion. l was once
drunk myself aud they told me aiterwsrd that
had quarreled with man, and knocked him
down a high flight Of steps but had no recol
lection OF 10. II | had killed him, and they had
hung me Tor 1t, wha, al awful thing il would have
been for my poor father and mother Ii taught
me a lesson for was never again Intoxicated
Perhaps this poor youth might profit by his dread
ful experience, II a chance were allowed him. He
IS So young end there IS nothing bad IN his coun-
tenance
As for his womanly face, replied Mr. Barker
there IS no trusting to that. The worst villains
are not always the worst-looking. rs tor his be-
ing intoxicated, there is no telling whether II Is
true or not. That cunning lawyer may have made
up the story tor the sake OF exciting compassion,
and the witnesses may be more than willing
enough 10 believe everything strange IN the prls
ouers conduct was the result OF Intoxication
Moreover, 1t won't do to admit that plea In extern
uaton for then don't you see, man who wants
20 kl his enemy has only TO get drunk In the first
place II anybody killed my Joe, drunk or not
drunk, should want him 70 swing for 1t.
By such remarks, urged in his vehement way
he swayed minds more tmld and lenient than his
own, without being fully aware OF what he was do
ing He was foreman OF the jury and when the
awful moment arrived on which depended the
lite OF a fellow being he pronounced the word
" Guilty" in a strong, firm voice. The next in-
start his eye fell the prisoner, standing there
50 pale and still looking at him with such fixed
despair. There was something in the face that
moved him strongly. He turned quickly away,
but the vision was before him. always and every
where before him. " This IS weakness he said
to himself 81 have merely done my duty. The
law required il ! have done my duty" But
still the pale young iace looked at him, always
and everywhere It looked at him
He feared to touch a newspaper, for he wished
not 10 know when the day OF execution would
arrive. But otiicious nei ghbors. ignorant OF his
state OF mind, were eager to talk upon the sub
ject and when drawn into such discourse, he
strove 10 tortliy his own feelings by DIV eliing on
all the worst circumstances OF the case. Notwith-
standing all MS efforts, the night preceding the
execution, he had troubled dreams in which that
CHASTITY young face was always conspicuous -
When he woke, he saw il in the air. IL walked
beside him as he plOwed the fields, II stood be-
fore him on the threshold OF his own door All
that the merciu juryman had suggested came
before him with painful dIstnctness. Could there
be a doubt that the condemned had really com
mitted murder Was be intoxicated Might be
have happened 10 be intoxicated for the first time
Ia his life And he 50 young But he drove
these thoughts away saying ever 10 himself,
The law required Il l merely did my duty"
Still everything looked gloomy 10 him. The eve
ming clouds seemed like funeral pals, and pale
despaIring face gazed at him forever.
For the first time in MS manhood, he crayed
companion in the darkness Neghbors came IN,
and described the execution; and while they
talked, the agltated juryman beat the iirebrands
into thousand pieces, and spoke never word
They told bow the youth had written a long letter
to his mother, and had died calm and resigned
By the way perhaps you knew his mother, Mr.
Barker" said one; they tell me she used To live
in this neghborhood Do you remember girl by
the name OF Mary Williams
The tongs dropped from Mr. Bankers hand, as
he gasped out, Mary Williams Was he her
son God forgive mel Was he her son And
the strong man laid his head upon the table and
wept.
There was silence in the room. At last, the To-
quacious neighbor said, in subdued tone, am
sorry hurt your feelings. didn't know she was
The troubled juryman rose hastily, walked u
the window looked out az the stars, and, clearing
bis choked voice. said, 1t il many years since
knew her. But she was a good tempered, pretty
gir and il seems but yesterday that We used 10
70 together 10 pick our baskets i1li OF berries And
80 she was his mother | remember now there
was something IN his eye that seemed familiar 10
me"
Perhaps the mention of Mays beauty. or the
melting mood, 50 unusual with her husband, might
have excited vague feeling Of Jealousy In afs.
Barker. Whatever might have been the motive,
she said 10 her demure way. withou, raising her
eyes from her knitting, well, u was natural
enough ~ suppose the young man had a mother
and other mothers are likely 20 have hearts that
can feel as well as this Mary Williams"
he only answered by shaking his head slowly,
and repeating, as II % himself, Poor Mary and
50 he was her son.
Joseph came in and the details Of the dreadful
scene were repeated and dwell upon, as human
beings are prone todwel on all that excites strong
emotion To him the name q Mary Williams
conured up no smiling visions OF juvenile love
and be stroye 70 ortIfy MS fathers reentng ieel-
ings by placing Ia strong hight al the arguments
ia favor OF the prisoners guilt. The J1ryman was
Cad 20 be thus fortified and replied in trm,
reass1red voice, At al events, did my duty -
Yet for months after the pale young face looked
AZ him despalnngly from the evening air, and
came between him and the sunshine. But time,
Vbicb soften. all things drfted the dreary spectre