Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1850-07-06
The Murderer,
A THRILLING Tahr.

A little mafa il,an fifty years ago, 4 man
by the name df Henry Tle,npst'n, sailed
at the house nf Mr.. John Smith, a resi-
dent in n retired part Of England. aud
requested nights lodging The request
was readily granted, and the stranger,
having taken some refreshne,t. retired
early to led, requesting that lie might be
awakened at an early hour the following
morning,
When the servant appointed TO call him
entered the room for that purpose, he was
found in his bed perfectly dead.
On examining his body. no marks cf
vidle,,ce appeared, but his tountenaiice
looked extremely natural
The story Of his death sobb spread p.
,nong the neighlluts, and inquiries were
made who lie was. aud by whnt means
lie came TO his death,
Nothing certain, however, Whs known.
lie had arrived on horseback, and was
sezn passing through ,ieighboring village
about ali hour before he reached the house
where he eame to his end And then as
to the manner of his death, SO litis could
be discovered, that The jury which was
Summoned to investigate the cause return
ad verdict that he died by visitation
Of God. " When This was done, the
stranger was buried,
Days and weeks passed t,h, mi little
further was known. The public mind
however. was not ut rest Suspicious ex-
listed thHt foul means had FASTENED the
strangers aeath Whispers to that effect
were expressed, and.in the hearts Of many,
Smith was considered as the guilty man.
The former character of Smith had not
been good lie had lived loose and lr.
regular life. involved himself III debt by his
e8trnvaganees. and at length, being sus-
pectsd Of having obtained money wfong.
fully. he suddenly fled from the town.
More than ten years, however, Ind now
elapsed since his return, during which he
had lived nj his present resideiTe, appa-
rently in good circumstances ak with an
improved character. His former life, how
ever was now remembered, and suspicion,
after all. fastened upon him.
At the expiration Of two months, a
gentleman one dny stopped IN the place
for the purpose of making inquiry respect.
ing the stranger who had been found dead
in his bed. lie supposed himself to be Il
brother OF the man. The horse and clothes
Of the unfortunate man still remained. md
we're Immediately known as having be-
lonued to his brother. The body also, was
taken up aud though considerable change,
bore 4 strong resemblance to him.
lie now felt authorized to ascertain. if
possible. The manner Of his death He
pruteedsd, therefore, to investigate the
circumstances as well rs he was able AT
length. he made known to the magistrate
Of tie district the information he hud COL
lected and upon the strength Of this,
Smith was taken to lail to be tried for the
wilful murder Of Henry Thompson.
The celebrated Lord Mansfield was then
on the bench. He charged the Grand Jury
to be cautious rs to finding bill against
the prisoner. The evidence Of his guilt,
if guilty might he small. At future
time ii might be greater--rnore information
might he obtained. Should the jury now
find bill against him, ahd should he be
acquitted, he could not be molestsd again,
whatever testimony should rise MP against
him. The grand jury, however, did find
bill, but it was by majority OF only one.
At length the time Of trial arrived.
Smith was brought into court, and placed
at the bar. A great crowd thronged the
room, eager and anxious to see the prisoner,
and to hear the trial. lie himself appeared
firm and collected. Nothing in his man
ner or appearance Indicated guilt, and
when the question way put to him by the
clerk" Arc you g,dlty?' he answered
swith an unfatering tongue. and with
countenace perfectly Unchanged" Not
guilty. 4
The counsel for the prosecution now
openedthe case. But it wasapparent that
he had little expectation Of being able to
prove the prisoner guilty. He stated to
the Jury that the case was involved in
great mystery. The prisoner was. q man
of rcspectability and Of property. The
deceased was supposed toaliava had about
him gold and jewels to large amount !. but
the prisoner was not 80 much In want Of
funds, as to be under a strong temptation
to commit murder. And besides, it the
| prisoner had obtained the property he had
efectually concealed its Not a tracsof 4
could be found.
Why, then, was the prisoner suspected.
He wotild state the grounds OF suspicion.
The deceased Henry Thompson, was a
jeweler, residing in London, and man OF
| wealth. He had left London for the pur.
pose of meeting a trader at Hull, OF whom
he expected to make large purchase.
That trader he did meet and after the
departure Of the latter, Mr.. Thompson
was known to have had in his possession
goldsand jewels to large amount.
With this in his possession, he left Hull
on his return to London. 1t was not
known that he stopped until ne reached
Smiths, and the next morning was dis
. covered dead in his bed. He died, then, in
Smiths house; and if it could be shown
that he came to his death in an unnatural
way, it would increase the suspicion that
the prisoner was in some way connected
with the murder.
The counsel for the prosecution conclu