The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-02-19


no longer transparent unconscious medium for the
| influence of angels.
Indeed, paternal affection gradually became
hardening, rather than softenng influence. Am
billion for his son increased the love of accumula-
| ton and the qualification of this propensity mar
rowed his sympathes more and more. Joseph had
! within him the unexpanded germs of some noble
qualities; but he inherited his fathers passionate
! temperament with his mothers ohstinacy; and the
education of such circumstances as have described
turned his energies and feelings into wrong chan
| nels. The remarks, " 1t isn't has horse what bu-
sness is it to him? heard in his boyhood expressed
the views and habits of his later years. But this
mental growth, such it was, pleased his father,
who often said eyultingly, I" There is no danger of
Joe. He knows how TO fight his own way through
| the WOrld''
Such was their mutual product of character,
| when Mr. Barker summoned 10 a Jury, IN
case involving death. He was vexed TO be called
away from his emplOymens, and had never re-
hected at all upon the fearful responsibility of
! juryman. James Lloyd, the prisoner, Il very
! young man, and his open, honest cOuntenance gave
! no indication of capacity for crime but he was
| cused of murder and circums;antal evidence was
| strong against him. II proved that previous
| quarrel had existed between him and the murdered
man, and That they had been seen to take the same
| road the prisoner IN a stale OF mtOXlcatiOn, the
| night the violent deed was committed Most peO-
pie thought there was no doubt of his guilt others
| deemed the case by no means certain. Two of the
jury reluctant to convict him, and tCiShe9 to
find the evidence insufficient; the penalty so
| dreadful, and their feelings were much touched
by the settled misery of his youthful cOunlenance
Others talked serny of Justice, and urged that the
Scripture demanded blood for blood. Ofthis num-
Der was Peter Barker. From the beginning, he
was against the prisoner. The lawyer who pleaded
for him had once been employed in lawsuit
against Mr.. Barker, and had gained the cause for
his client. The luryman cherished grudge against
him for his sarcastic eoquence on that OCCASION
Moreover, it so happened that neghbor Goodwin
who years ago had reproved his severity to the
horse took compassionate interest in the accused
He often consulted with his lawyer, and seemed
to watch the countenances of the jury anxiousy 1t
was busy season of the year, and the Jury were
impatient TO he at their work shops and farms. Mr.
Barker would not have admitted it, even to HIMSELF
but all these circumstances helped TO increase his
hardness against the prisoner. BY such inconceiv-
ably slight motives is the conduct of men often
sWayed on most important occasions.
4" If the poor young fellow really did commit the
act said one OF the jury, " 1t seems likely that
he did il in a state of intoXicatiOn. |
drunk myself; and they told me alterward that |
had quarreled with man, and knocked him down
a high fight of steps; but had no recollection of
it. If | had killed him, and they had hung me for
it, what an awful thing it would have been for my
poor father and mother. 1t taught me a lesson, for
| was never again intoxicated Perhaps this poor
youth might profit by his dreadful experience, if a
chance were allowed him. He is SO young ; and
there is nothing bad in his cOuntenance.'
'there is no trusting TO that. The worst villains
are not always the worst-looking. As for his being
intoxicated there is telling whether it is true
not. That cunning lawyer may have made up the
story for the sake of exciting compassion, and the
witnesses may be more than willing enough to be-
lieve everything strange in the prisoners conduct
was the result of ntOxicaton. Moreover it won't
do to admit that plea in extenuatlon; for then,
don't you see. man who wants to kill his enemy
has only get drunk in the first place. If anybody
IinTr rl,nl Icln nr1t
him to swing for it,
BY such remarks, urged in his vehement way, he
swaVed minds more timid and lenient than his own,
without being fully aware of what he doing.
He was foreman of the jury; and when the awful
moment arrived on which depended the life OF a
fellow being he pronounced the word " Guilty.
in a strong firm voice. The next instant his eye
fell on the prisoner, standing there so 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 everywhere before him. This
is Weakness he said to himself. g have merely
done my duty The law required it. have done
my duty" But still the pale young face looked at
him-always and everywhere it looked at him.
lie feared to touch newspaper, for he wished
not to know when the day of execution would
arrive. But oflicious neghbors, ignorant of his
state of mind, eager TO talk upon the subject
and when drawn into such discourse, he strove to
forlify his own feelings by dwelling all the worst
efforts, the night preceding the execution, he had
troubled dreams, in which that ghastly young face
was always conspicuous. When he woke, he saw
it in the air. Ii walked beside him as he ploughed
the fields, it stood before him the threshold of
his own door. All that the merciful juryman had
suggested came before him with painful distinct |
ness. Could there be doubt that the condemned
had really committed murder9 Was he intoxca-
ted Might he have happened to be intoxicated
for the first time in his life And he so young
n he these tlOUuhtS YER n
himself, "The law required it. ! merely did my
duty" Still everything looked gloomy to him.
The evening clouds seemed like funeral pals, and
a pale despairing face gazed at him forever.
For the first time in his manhood, lie craved |
companion in the darkness. Neighbors came in,
and described the execuiion and while they talked
the agitated juryman beat the frebrands into a
thousand pieces, and spoke never word. They |
told how the youth had written 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
neighb0rhood, Do you remember a girl by the |
name of Mary Williams -
The tongs dropped from Mr. Bankers hand, as
he gasped out, g Mary Williams! What he her son
God forgive me 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 |
loquaciOuS neighhor said, in subdued tone, " am
sorry hurt your feelings. didn't know she was
a friend of yours"
The troubled juryman rose hastily, walked to the
window looked out at the stars, and, clearing his
choked voice. said: I" 1t is many years since knew
her. But she was good-tempered, pletty girl;
and it seems but yesterday that we used to go
together pick up our baskets full OF berries And
she was has mother! Remember now there was
something in his eye that seemed familiar 10 me.
Perhaps the mention of Mary's beauty, or the
melting mood, so unusual with her husband might
have excited vague feeling of jealousy in Mrs.
Barker Whatever might have been the motive,
she said, in her demure way, without raising Der
eyes from her knitting" Well, it was natural
enough to suppose the young man had mother:
and other mothers likely to have hearts that can
feel as well as this Mary Williams
He only answered by shaking his head slowly,
and repeating as if 10 himself, Poor Mary and |
so he was her SON.
Joseph came in, and the details of the dreadful |
scene repeated and dwet upon, as human
beings are prone 10 dwell on all that eNciles strong