The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-04-09
NUMBER so.

nections in this community, and one who
was benelaclor cf that Institution. The
intelligence Of such crime created tho
deepest sensation in the community.
You were in due time arraigncd before
Court organized for that purpose; able
counsel were appointed for your defence;
every thing that could be urged in your
favor was brought forward; and Jury,
almost Of your own selection, have
brought in a verdict Of guilty
To this verdict, am constrained 10
say, upon careful revision Of the whole
proceedings, the Court can find no Just
or legal grounds Of exception. GULL
! TY How much, under the thrilling
circumstances which cluster around the
case, and throng our memories in the re-
Prospect, does this single word import
The willul, violent, malicious deslruc-
ton Of the life of fellow man ono in
the midst Of life with bright hopes,
warm affections, mutual attachments
making life blessing to himself and
others.
VIC allude thus 10 the injury that has
been inflicted, not for the purpose Of
creating an unnecessary pang in heart
already deeply lacerated; but to remind
you Of the irreparable wrong done to the
victim of your crueliy--in sheer Justice
to him whose voice is now hushed in
death, and whose wrongs can be only
yindicated by the living action of tho
law.
II. therefore, at any moment, you may
be disposed TO complain that your pun
lshmcnt is too severe, or any murmuring
word seeks utterance from your lips
think, oh think. of him who was in.
stanty deprived Of life by your hand.
Remember tina; you are to be cui
down, not as he was, by unlawful vio-
lence, but by the hand OF retributve JUS
tice and ifyou have any colnpunctious
yisitings Of conscience, you will, per-
HIPS, be led 10 exclaim, in bitter anguish,
81 have snned against my own soul
against heaven-my punishment is just
God be mercifal to me a sinner %
God grant that your example may af-
ford solemn. warning TO all, especially
10 the young May it impress deeply
| bRbi hhCli illhON tnC sdluliTN lCSsOl
which it is intended to teach-to guard
against the indulgence OF unhallowed
and vlndictive passions ito resist temp
tatlon to any sordid, wicked purpose-a
lesson Of warning to heed the voice of
conscience, and obey the high dictates
Of duty, while they instinctively shrink
with abhorrence from tine first thought
Of assaiing the life of another. May
they learn To reserence the Divine law,
as well as the laws Of society, which are
designed 10 secure protection to its mem
bers.
We furbear, from obvious considera-
tions, adding such words of advice TO
you, as we sometimes deem tit and prop
er on occasions like this. It has com.
monty been our province, on occasions
like the present, to address the illitcrale
and degraded, whose early life has been
cast among the vicious, who have never
been blesl with any means of moral and
religious instruction, and who have new
er received the benefit Of cultivated So
ciety. 1t has been our practice, in such
cases. to add a word Of advice, which
may be "word fuy spoken" and rend
to good.
But, in case like this, where all these
circumstances are reversed, no word Of
ours could be more eflicacious than what
your own reflections will suggest.
But we approach this sad last duty,
of pronouncing the sentence, which is
indeed the voice of the law and not our
own; in giving utlerance TO which. we
cannot do it with feelings Of lndltler-
ence, as mere formal act. God for
bid that we should be prevented from in
dulglng and expressing the irrepressibe
feelings and interest," and compassion,
which arises spontaneously in our hearts
We do most sincerely dcploro the dis
Iressng condition to which crime has
brought you and, though we have uo
present words of consolation and hope
} to offer you in this hour Of anliciion. vet
we do earnestly commend you In the
mercy of our Heavenly Father, with
whom is abundance of mercy, and from
whom We may all hope for pardon and
peace.
And now nothing remains but the SOL
emn duty Of pronouncing the sentence
which the law allixes TO the crime Of
murder, Of which you stand convicted
which sentence is, that you, John W.
Webster, be removed from this place,
and detained in close custody, in the
prison of this county, and from thence
taken, at such time as the Executive Gov
ernmont of this Commonwealth shall, BY
their warrant, appoint, to the place Of
execution, and there be HUNG By
THE NECK, UNTIL YOU ARE
DEAD And may God, in his infinite
goodness, have mercy upon your soul !
Chief Justice Shaw pronounced tho
sentence under the deepest emotion.
which, in some parts OF it, almost choked
his uiterance The feeling in the Court
room was intense. The prisoner sat
down, leaned forward, resting his head
on the railing in front of him, and wep,.
The Court adjourned till nine o'clock
tomorrow morning.
The demtanor of Professor Webster
while awaiting in one Of the rooms of
the Court House the time assigned for
the sentence, was that of man deeply
! impressed with the solemn ceremony a.
bout to be enacted. He passed to the
window of the room and looking up 10