The Daily spy., 1849-12-28

Common Uealh u.s. Wm. e. KnG10lt1n.
The prisoner was indicted at the May Term of the
Court of Common Pleas, for the murder of Prudence
s. Arnold, Uxbrdge, and, on being aragned, plead
ed not guilty The offence charged being capital the
case transferred, according to the provisions Of
law to the Supreme Court for trial. The prisoner, not
being ready for trial at the regular October Term the
Court adjourned, and made special assignment of the
present time for the trial of the case
The list of Jurors summoned being called, the prison
availed himself of his right of peremptorily chal-
engng Is Of them, and stated that he had formed
an opinion in the case. The jury as empannelled,
consists of the following persons:
Charles Brigham Of Grafton, Frcnan,
Samuel H Bailey of Lunenburg,
Nehemiah b. Chase of Sutton,
Henry Earl Of Worcester,
Levi N. Flagg of Boylston,
Jabez Harding Of Stmbridge,
Joseph L. Hitchcock of Warren,
Francis II. Kinnic, tt of Worcester,
Stiman Knowten Of Athol,
Nathan Pratt of Shrewsbury,
David Rice of Barre, and
George w Sawyer of Templeton
The prisoner is of about % years Of age, with
dull and heavy expression of the countenance, and Of
very ordinary intellectual developments, and we under
stand that his character conforms vel! the external
manifestations.
The Indictment having been read to the Court and
Jury, the opened by John II. Clifford Attor-
ney General Of the State, who stated that he unexpect
edly appeared alone for the governmentthe District
Attorney who had conducted the preliminary examina
tion being detained by official duties another County
He said that he of difference of opinion
between himself and the opposing counsel in relation to
any question Of law he should therefore leave that to
be explained by the COURT and proceed forthwith to the
facts in the case. He then stated, very briefly, that
on the morning Of the 3ls day of January last past, the
prisoner and deceased were both residing in the family
of Anan Richardson in Uxbridge. Richardson and
wife were away from home. The prisoner, having
drank very immoderatey Of cider, into the house
about 10 O'clock and induced the deceased to accom-
pany him up stairs the petence OF having something
to show her. Soon after, Knowlton down, and
another girl, named Thayer, who there at the
time, went up and found deceased the floor. with
her throat cut Knowlton, after the act went out into
the highway and there attempted to commit suicides
by cutting his threat. At the time, he made full
confession of his crme assigning "love and jealousy
as the cause but declaring that he should not have
done it, but for the intoxication induced by his free
drinking that morning. Aferward, he charged anoth-
er person with having instgaed him to the commission
of the crime, but subsequently withdrew the accusa
ton.
He then proceeded to call the witnesses.
Mary Ann Thayer-Was l3 years old last Novem-
ber On the 31st of January last, the house Of
Anan Richardson in Uxbridge. Went there about s
O'Clock of an errand. Saw Mrs R., Prudence Arnold,
the deceased, and two children. did my errand and
went home Between and 8 went there again and
then found Knowlton, Prudence, and the two children'
Mrs R. having left home. The children were and
5 years old Prudence was washing the dishes and
KnowIton was wipng them. took the cloth andtold
VIM would wipe the dishes. He went to setting
them away. Soon, Wm Il lrich I'd lis fatier came in
Shortly after, my father, Ephraim ThaYer, came, and
Prudence went to the door and spoke with him, and
then shut the door and came back [What he said
was objected to, and was not testified to.] William
then went out and soon returned, when William AL
drich and his father went out About this time, went
up to make the bed Before had done il, William
came up, and went the back side of the bed and asss
ted me to spread the clothes / do not recoileci
what he said When had done, j went down. VIII
liam came down about the time.
Prudence then went the crib, to get meat
for dinner and William followed her out. [What
Prudence said when she returned objected to and
not givenl Prudence and then went down cellar for
the vegetables, and William followed and helped get
Them We then returned. Prudence then washed the
vegetables, William standing about there. She kept
telling him to go to the wood pile to work. cam
not tell what he sad but think he said once, that he
was not going She repeated the request at difcfens
times Finally, she said if he would not go, his cap
should, and took it off his head and handed it me
and asked me to carry il out into the wen roomwhch
II did, and Prudence came out after handed the
cap to her and we returned to the kitchen did not
see what she did with it. When we returned to the
Kitchen, William was not be seen. then went up
stairs to get some nuts to crack for the children.
lIDoofs led from the kitchen to the wel-room, the
the linngroom, the cellar, to the landing, the closet
and out DOORS fThe house was formerly tavern T.
We had go through the dining to go mp stairs
got the nuts and was in the bedroom leading the