Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-01-24
EXTRAORDINARY TURN IN A
LATE CRIMINAL TRIAL.

A correspondent Of the Aiba6y Argus has
furnished that paper with tiA4falowing account
at slse trial &c John Talmgs bstars ne court ,
would particularly commend il to the special at
teniion of all such persons and journals as have
been SO ready to give expression to their opin-
ions prejudicial to the case of Professor Web
ster.
BALLsToN SPA, Dec &c, le49.
Gentlemen The most singular and astounding
Developments that ever transpired in a court Of
justice, have just been made before the Oyer
and Termiuei now sitting in this place.
You remember the case Of John Talmage, in.
dicted here last spring for The murder of VIM.
l.. Dodge, the engineer who was killed by the
cars running off t. e track near this place. The
catastrophe was produced by stones placed, as
was charged, by the accused, on the inside Of
the rails. Talmuge is an intelligent and veal
thy farmer, and up to the time OF his arrest, had
maintained character and standing thai plac
ed him beyond the reach of calumny. Yet he
was high spirited and passionate defender of
his aledged rights and rs the railroad passed
lhrou! h his farm, he had been subjected to the
loss of several cattle, in consequence of which
much litigation and bitter animosty had ensued
between the parties. Talmage had been heard
TO say he "hoped to God tie cars would run off,
and this, together with the circumstances refer
red to, had concentrated public suspicion upGn
HIM, and he was indicted.
At length two witnesses (Irishmen) were
found, who professed to have seen Talmage
place the stones TN he track. Their story was
simple and plausible, and there seemed on the
part of the accused no possible escape from the
gallows. The man who had been honored by
the people with public trusts, and had repre-
sented them in the state legislature, was soon,
in the reluctant belief of all, TO swing on the
scaffod, and expiate the crime Of deliberate,
cold-blooded murder.
In this state of things the day of trial arrived.
Thousands frum all oections of the country
crowded the scene, eager to catch every move
ment and listening with fearful eyes to every
word that seemed to make against the prisoner.
The most eminent counsel in the state were en-
poyed on both sides. The prisoner persisting
in his innocense, with pale countenOnce and an
eye of wild agony, sat restless and trembling in
his box. The two principal witnesses took the
stand. They were calm and apparently hunett
in the plausible story which they tud, and from
the effect of which i: seemed impossible for the
accused to escape. His wife, who sat by hiG
side, and who up to this moment had preserved
an unexsmped compOsurs, now burst into q
flood OF tears, which streamed down her beauti
ful face, and by her heart broken sobs inter.
rupted the proceedings of the trial and the
friends Of Talmage began to abandon all hope
and to prepare their minds for the awful sen
tence of the still more appalling scene that wal
about to follow it.
At this point a sudden movement Of the Grove
took place towards the door of the court room
" Make way! make way| resounded through
the spacious hall. Two m{l entered, pressed
l their way up to the prisonert counsel and whis
pered agitated and almost lreatllless, in thei
ears. A fellow lrishman, wlo had long know
' that the story Of those tvc witnesses was
I sheer fabrication got up q obtain the reward
! offered for the detection OF ls man who pacet
: the stones on the track, had een moved BY con.
o science 10 disclose it and coIduct another per
son to the proof, positive an undeniable, tha
" "neh the 'a'ai catastrophe Occurred, those wit
I, "sSSes were not In this counry, but in ireland
0' on tnsir way mere. This roof was now PIE
o sented to the prisoners Oo,tns, The witness
+ lss "s'S Placeo upon tho sand, Their gull