Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1851-10-29
The Aequitta1 ofA1mira Rere1x

We transcribe the following from the Providence
Journal:
Almira Bezely has been acquitted of the charge
OF murder the ground OF insanity. So say twelve
good and true men, their oaths, after a patient
investigations full argument, and the instructions of
the Court. The Evidence Of insanity The arocity
OF The ciine. The prisoner girl of fourteen killed
her brother to get rid of the trouble OF taking care
of him. She 'medum'' in the spiritual rap.
pings, and was sane enough to practice and keep up
deception on this subject, which excited the won
der of the ghborhood, and bafed the scrutiny of
thUse who came to hear the revelations. They
were willing dupes, doubtless, but still not likely to
be imposed upon by crazy girl.
by her own confession, she made all the rappings
herself, and accomplished by sundry petty thefts,
the predictions which she pretended 10 receive from
the spirits She predicted the death of her little
BROTHER she sent to apohecary, bought some ar
senc, administered it to the child, and he died.
When told that the body to be examined, she
asked il the doctors could detect poison in a dead
body Everything showed the cool calculation of a
mind sound enough except in the conception and ex-
ercise of so horrible aud unnatural crime. The
grounds of insanity the physical changes to
which girls OF her age subject, and which pre-
scented nothing unusual in her case, and the infu-
euce OF belief that she in connection with
spirits, which belief she did not entertain as by
her confession, she made the rappings herself.
We have very hig respect for the verdict of
jury. NeVeTy seldom question IL alter u has been
rendered i'll conformity to the law; and we have no
reason to doubt, that, in this case, has been rem
deIed eonscentlousy y; yet we cannot the less re-
gard il advertisement to all the nurses in R. l.
that they may poison the children conided to their
care, whenever they are weary of them. We do
not think that the example will be likely to be fol-
lowed; but the fear of punishment need not operate
to prevent it, if this precedent is to be followed
Certainly the Attorney General should not feel ius-
titled in putting the State to the expense of trial.
The GOLD EXCITEMENT IN AUSTRALIA.
In reference TO the excitement in Australia,
the London Economist uses the following for
chile language, which has much truth in it,
''Is the discovery of gold subject for congrat-
ulaton? We venture to say NO. The expert
ence during the last three years of the United
States with regard TO California; has proved how
true The old adage is-that s'eUen gold MAJ be
bought too dear" Individuals may have ac-
quired fortunes by the California discovery but
there can be no doubt that, as country the Uni
tedsStates at this time enormously out of pock-
ct by it. We hear OF iarge sums Of gold dust
brought by each packet: but we hear little of the
still larger sums that have been sent there in one
shape and another since the gold discovery was
made. To use an American phrase, California
IS the most indebted portion of the globe to the
Eastern States at this momentum ''indebted-
ness which we iear there Is but little chance of
ever being liquidated. In short, with some ex-
cepional articles, and at sumo exceptional times,
California has been the only loosing market Of
the United States for the last three years TO
say nothing of the enormous losses by fire, rob-
berry and tempest, we have reason to doubt if ais
the American citizens who left the old States fbr
California have really made, upon an average,
the ordinary wages of common laborers In New
England. The best evidence of this view of the
case, is, that nearly all the failures of Importance
which have occurred during the last three yeers
In the United States be traced to transactions
with California. Our observations are now con-
fined only TO the subject as matter of profit or
loss and without any reference 10 the social and
moral consequences which resulted to the numer-
ours emigrants to that country