The Minnesotian. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1851-1852, 1851-09-17


teriield, Va, for the murder of Robion, is
given in the Dispatch. From il we take
the following extraordinary statement:
"Mrs Emily Robion- This witness
is the daughter of NFormley, and the wife
Of the man her father killed. She is ap-
parrently about eighteen years of age, of
handsome size, form and face. Never in
our lives have we listened to q witness
with so much interest. Her entrance in
TO the court room excited the most pro-
found feeling. All seemed to regret that
she could not have been spercd the pain
of appearing there, Still, as she was
present when her father killed the man,
whom, only few moments before, she
had gone with to the sacred alter, and
there pledged herself TO ever love, honor,
and obey, all were anxious TO hear Il his
tory Of the tragedy from one occupying
SO peculiar a relation to it as herself
Her fathers life in jeopardy for sending
her husband to an untimeiy grave, and
she tie principal witness in the case
Her department, from the first TO the last
Of her examination, disappointed Us, and
excited more wonder and pity than admi-
ration. She is, unqucstionably, an extra
ordinary being. With her aged father
sitting before her in the felon's box, TO Ge
tried for offence involving his life and
.he reputation and happiness of herself,
his wife, and other children by his side,
and, also facing her the man whose name
rumor has Intimately blended with hers in
scandal all these things considered, we
expected to witness scene of feeling be-
yond any thing which had ever came un-
der our observation. Not so, however.
We were altogether disappointed; and
yet we cannot say agreecbly disappointed.
There was no feeling, no sensibiity, no
diifidencc, no embarrassment, no anything
which denoted that she, handsome and ef-
Terminate in appearance as she was, pos
sessed the heart of Il woman. She enter
ed the court room with the air and the
boldness OF the most impudent lawyer,
long accus' omed to facing courts and those
brazen and gazing crowds which usually
hang around the halls of justice.
Her feminine appearance and her intel
ligence were so at war with her demean-
or that we locke, upon her with amaze
mcnt. She is puzzle, perfect enigma
TO us. We hazard nothing in saying that
she was, Of all that crowded that court
room, the least affected person there
With a sweet voice and respectful man.
ner, yet there was nothing about her i'll
dicative of refined feeling, of those soft
amiab!e, and aiiectionatc qualities which
constitute the chief charm of lovely wo-
man. She gave her evidence il clear,
bold and unialtering voice, without the
least hesitancy. She spoke of the mur-
der her :" Pa had committed" as if it was
nothing more than an every day trans
action, and rcbuked the counsel for at
tempting 10 make her repeat portions Of
her testimony. She has however one re-
deening trait, unless we are deceived.
Notwithstanding any other deficiencies,
We could not doubt the truth of her tes-
timony. Her recollections it is true, were
confused in regard to Transactions imme-
diately iollJwing the report of the gun
which killed her husband vet we venture
to say, no other person, under similar en-
barrasslng circumstances, could have main
tained more self-possession or better rec
election. Profound silence, only now ard
then broken by an involuntary sigh from
some aching breast in the crowd, reigned
during the time she was delivering her
testimony. BY our own feelings at the
time, we Judge that cur hard heart would
almost have been broken by occupying
either her or her unfortuate fathers silu-
alton on this occasion; She, however,
came and went without a~tear or even
sigh.
Her testimony was mere cool state
ment of the shooting, as far as she wi :
messed it, and Of her being SO scared about
it that she threw her baby down on the
bed, and really did not know what she
was doing. Ii appeared, however, that
she was separated from her husband, and
was living with her father, and that her
husband rode by the house every day
abusing her and her father, and charging
that Reed was her paramount Sc. She
.staste1 TO go ito Robion, as he lay groaning
fr:oi hi. wounds, tut turned back, she
did'ncf know why.
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