The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1851-08-08
THE MURDER TRIAL AT
WASHINGTON,

w AOl1lLNO WV
We give the following extract from
the opening speech Of Mr.. Morgan,
for the defence, on the trial of John
Day for the murder of his wife. now
proceeding at Washington, to show
on what grounds an acquittal will be
claimed:
1.-THE prisoner. before has acquain.
lance with his wife, was young man
of high character, respected by all
who knew him. and esteemed by all
He became acquainted with, wooed,
and won her. AT that time he bclicv.
ed her pure, but at the very time
when she stood with him at the alter
breathing those fatal vows, she was
with child by another person. Those
fatal VOWS were indeed fatal TO him.
They have resulted in the destruction
Of his mind, the ruin Of his reason,
and have brought him here upon this
charge.
"Instead of finding in his wife
comfort and a solace, he found one
who had entwined his heart like an
adder, poisoning and CELEBRATING all
its faculties Of reason and intelligence.
Fatal indeed we're those vows to him.
In three months and some weeks
after he hal led her to the alter. she
was conGxed with a child. Up to
nkhat paefnent he believed her pure.
,6lk the time Of the birth of that
child commenced the change in his
conduct. Before that-a good me-
chanic--he had attended to his busI'
ness, and was cheerful and happy.
From that period, the common report
is, that he changed; his manners were
altered, his work neglected, and his
reason itself tottered under the blow;
for months he was not himself; and
when he perpetra,ed this act he was
still laboring under the effects o: this
great misfortune"
The testimony Of Mrs. F-cdley, the
mother Of Mrs. Day. and in whose
house she resided, shows. however,
that the bad treatment Of his wife hy
Day commenced as early as one week
after marriage; and she also alleges
That he never assigned any particular
cause for it. Mr.. Freddy, however,
said:
~ can't say when nv daughter was
confined. l saw no change in his con-
duct after that. Had never seen any
sudden bursts Of violence before that
The following terrible affair took
place in GAINESVILLE, according to the
Ledger, few days since:
AwrUh.--On Sunday afternoon a
scene occurred in our vicinity whose
horror beggars description! twas
awful horrible A dark wood near
town, a large athletic negro, spades
nick. axes, a deep hole, and the fear
inspiring scenery Of a deep forest
solitude, make up the picture. The
negro was discovered, by a youth, in
the act of digging "hole in the
ground" and upon being approached
The negro ran off abandoning his tools.
The alarm was communicated within
The walls Of the city, and few fear.
less spirits repaired to the hole with
horrid anticipations of being met by
some mutilated corpse, besmeared
with gore, and horrible in the ghastll'
ness Of murdered man. They sur<
rounded the ho.el and closed up
around it to secure the demon who
had perpetrated the deedi but lo!--he
was not there. The hole was there
but neither murderer nor victim could
be found. Not satisfied, however, the
company determined to "sct up with"
the hole all night, and having dcne so,
learned next morning that the old
darkey was digging for money!" be-
lieving that immense treasures lay ou'
ried about him. and that he was des'
,;ned IN find il one of these days.