The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1850-02-21

hard to be supported-but when one who is loy
ed and esteemed, is cut off by the das.ardly hant
of the assassin, the pang Of bereavement be
comes doubly great, and in this instance, sh'
feelings Of deep gratitude which Grason felt to
wards his benefactor, caused him to mourn owe
the catastrophe with a melancholy anguish. =
He would sit for hours in state Of abstraction
from which even the smile Of love could no
awaken him.
The elections were at hand; and Grason wa
a candidate for the Legislature. In the progress
of the canvass, the foul charge was openly made
and propaga;ed with the remorseless spirit o
party animosity. Yet he heard il not, until ont
evering as he sat with Ellen, in her fathers
house. They were conyersing in low accents
when the sound OF approaching footsteps inter
rupted them, and the father OF Ellen entered the
room.
sMr. Grason,' said he, 4 am frank mani
consented to your union with my daughter, be.
Elieving your character to be rnsianed-but
regret TO hear that charge has been made
against you, which, if true, must render you
amenabe to the laws Of your country. Ibe ieye
it to be a fabrication Of your enemies-but, un-
til it shall be disproved, and your character as
man of honor placed above suspicion, you must
be sensible that the proposed union cannot take
place, and that your visits to my house must be
discontinued.'
sWha, does my father meant inquired the
young lady, anxiously, os her indignant parent
retired
Il do not know replied the lover sit is some
electioneering story, no doubt, which can easi-
y explain. l only regret that it should give
him or you moments uneasiness.'
III shall cause me none,' replied the coniding
girl: sI cannot believe any evil of you.'
He retred-sought out the nature of the
charge, and to his nexpressiblc astonishneni
and horror, learned that he was accused of the
murder and robbery Of his friend! In state
little short Of distraction, he retired TO his room,
recalled With painful minuteness all the circum-
stances connected with the melancholy catastro-
pae, and for the first time, saw the dangerous
ground on which he stood. But proud in con-
scious innocence, he felt that to withdraw at
that s,age of the canvass, might be construed
into confession of guilt.
He remained candidate, and was beaten
Now, for the frs. time, did he feel the wratehed-
mes of a condemned and degraded man. The
tribunal Of public opinion !; pronounced
against him the sentence Of conviction; ndcven
his friends, as the excitement ofhe party s.rug-
gle subsidized, became cold in his defence, and
wavering in their belief of his inn cence. Con-
scious that the eye of suspicion was open. and
satisfied that nothing short Of public inves.iga-
ton could restore him to honor, the unh;ppy
young man surrendered himself to the civi au-
thority, and demanded trial. All! little did
lie know the malignity Of man, or the fatal en-
ergy of popular deluson. He reflected notthat
when the public mind is imbued with prejudice,
even truth itself ceases TO be mighty. Many
believed him guilty, and those who, during the
canvass had indus,riously circulated the report,
now laborcd with untiring diligence to collect
and accumulate the evidence which should sus-
tain their previous assertions. But arraJed in
the panoply of innocence, he stood firm and con-
iden, of acqui.tal. The best counsel hal been
engaged-and on the day of trial, Grason stood
before the assembled country--an arraigned cul-
pitt in the presence Of those before whom lie had
walked in honor from childhood.
AS the trial proceeded, the confidence ,f his
friends diminished, and those who had doahted,
became confirmed in the belief of the prisoners
guilt. Trfcs light as air became confrm,tions
strong as proofs of Holy Wri, to the Jealous
minds, and one fact was linke to another IN GU
rious coincidence, until the chain Of corrobora-
ting circumstances seemed irress.iby conclu-
sive. His recent intimacy with the deceased.
aud even the attentions which friendship and
hospitality had dictated, were ingeniously insist
ed upon as evidences Of deliberate plan of
| wickedness-:ong formed and gradually deveo-
ped. The facts, that he had accompanied the
deceased on his way-that he had lost the path
in country with which he was supposed to be
familiar his conduct on hearing Of the death Of
his friend--the money-the knife--causcd the
incredulous to ,remb, for his fate. But when
the breast-pin Of Grason, found near the body Of
the murdered man was produced--and pistol,
known to have been that of the prisoner, was
proved to have been picked up near the same
spot-but little room was left, even for charity
10 indulge a benevolent doubt.
Nor was this ull-the prosecution had still an
other witness-she pale girl who sat by him,
clasping his hand in hers, was unexpectedly call
ed upon to rise and give testimony. She shrunk
from the unfeeling call, and buried her face in
her brothers. bosom.
The blow was not anticirated-for none but
the cunning myrnidons of party vengeance, who
had even violated the sanctuary Of family conf
dence, in search Of evidence, dreamed that any
eliminating circumstance was in the possession
Of this young lady. Atthe mandate Of the court,
size arose. laid aside her veil, and disclosed face
haggard with anxiety and terror. In low tremu-
lous accents, broken with sobs, she reluctantly
deposed, that the clothes worn by her brother,