The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-03-09
The TriaI ofPearson

1 ne Iflal OF Pearson,
Pearson, charged with the mume, MI.
VIII aud Two children, several monu. ,...
has been on trial at East Cambridge a
Ills counsel did not HIempt TO rebut rir.'
denco Of his guil bui eourendsd lbotl.
not possessed Of mental faculties sua,..,
10 make him accountable fyglhe ae, m
deed was eoHmiusd At Wilmington M
lOth day ofAprl lasi, The reader uirI
oIleel the painful eirenmstances. IN.
Of Pearson and Two eLidren-wip,- ..
found Ia tile morning stabbed and DEAD ~.
Boston Traveller notices the Tr1 nv
lows
"Chief Justice Shaw charged Ls i,,g :,
WIS an elaborate review ofihe who'll ',,."
first as 20 the evidence which was nr,t,D-,
~ lhsten the act upon The prisoner Nv. II,
enmiiy exhibited against his wife, M s,..
enee Of Wilmington on the night pp,i,.,,
the murder and ~ hours aiief, The ,,-,t.
near the dwelling ofhis wife, and lbe n.,'
liar mark Of The boots, ln regard 10 ilr IN
Tor evidence ho observed HAT il soms,.,.
happens lhuta minute Circumstance s(d.'
nature fixes the guilt Of The parry quil. ~.
clusiyely, aud insIaneed the case of5,,I
for murder where tho handle Of lu.f,ar
the owners UHHIo upon It WIS foul tl,.,.
emily Ghsl away, IN u cellar, near do ,ssl.
of murder that upon post m0rleln exam.
alton of the body a knife blade was found
The wound, which undoubtedly belonftl.
The handle first found, aud linus n sm6llrt,,
Of evidence someiilnes comes 10 be ven o.t
II. A. /. al.
act can be done without motive, Il Is NOT 4.
SAIL absolutely necessary 10 show n nolt,
provided That II II shown that the ne, Is dos
with malice, In the case OF lhe prisote
there h. some motive shown for the deed m.
charges against his wife and his slate offael.
iug against her, onr witness having lssl,G,d
that he told her that he hated his wife, aoi
that ha could not get rid Of her oflhu he
jury must Judge. The question most fub
gone Into in the charge, was whether he lnr
" accused wns insane or not nj the limeg
commission Of the deed. H. he sAidihe 6si
relied upon TO establish insanity do not
mount 10 that slate where n man IL not ~.
crncd by his reason; ifihe crime is no, iu
oHcuscd-ra verdict must hc had ngn.ngh-
prisoner. Where there IL previous pftlt.
.iling- u -Gaea L. LGnel4 hG- Liza aiSaes.-l---
~
sumption that crimes are a violation Of ltu,
laws, although person may not know H.
precise punishment Of his peculiar crime
The Jury were not 10 consider the rcner
question whether a snne man could tomnB
such nm act IN IL here charged, fora man
may commit tho highest crimes in sane
mind. The Chief Justice, ns an instance oC
dolusion lending TO homicide, inslaucsd me
a 49, fl,s
den Of the State Poison undor The deluslos
That he WINS himself 20 bc.kiIlcd by beng
chased around his cell until he died from q.
hnusliou, or from the administration Of pos.
on. he spoke Of this ~ peculiar monou,
min In which the deed followed the deli.
ZION working in tho mind OF the nctYr Gree
stress whs ibid upon the testimony ofDr ".
mud IN conclusion hc remarked that ~
Jury were satisfied lhni tho net wrs done D.
The prisoner, aud not done IN thnt enu,fs
state Of inibecility which negatives malV,
then they would find for tho goycrnmttt-
The Jury retired nt about hnlcpast | | oelorl
and At about I o'clock returned INTO cuur
with verdict of guilty. Ailer The redid
was delivered, the foreman ofthc Jury stated
ihHt the jury, owing to the low STATE 0f men.
tai capacity Of the prisoner, had unanimous,
Is recommended him To mercy. The court
stated that that WINS matter pertaining 10
the Executive, to whom, the recommendation
would bc forwarded. The prisoner was yer.
fcctly unmoved during the rednon otllc
verdict.
The prisoner was sentenced the next day.
Tie CLERK of Ihe Court enquired ofPe''.
son whether lac had anything 10 sny ~h
sentence OF death should not be recorded 4
gninH him, when he made the following con-
fused answer.
"Well, 1 should like one thing ihaislo
have my wife aud children brought here
that | might sec them, and whether lhN
were murdered or no. | would Say llh' y
far us hurting them do not know NY Ne
or child would not kill mouse IN ny
own house. Now who is innocent IS ne
great question That leave my life N your
hands think Is about what have to say
The prisoner was then sentenced 10
hung nj n time TO TIC named by THE btee"''''-
Of HE Stale.
Jusr Vmwsor ruE ExEcuTrvE,-Gener
al Taylor recently visited ttrhurot'tT-A In
ginia, where ho had been invited to ASSIST u
laying the corner stone Of tho Washns'oo