The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-08-14

4 Painea1 eAse.
An account Of ! rscsst trial At the Old Bailey,
In London, Lord Chisf Justice Tindal presiding
George Hammond. portrait painter, was
placed Il the bar. to he tried on an indictment
lound against him by the grand jury for wilfu
murder, with malice aforethought of George
Baldwin, rope-dancer and a mountsbank -
The prisoner was q man of middle height, but
slender form. His eyes were blue and mild
His wh0i6 bearing gave evidence of subdued
ssdness and melancholy resignation. He was
forty-one years of age, had a soft voice, aud
his appearance and N amer bore testimony to
his being man Of distinguished education, in
spite of the poverty of his dress
On being called on to plead, the prisoner ad-
mitted that he did kill Baldwin, and he deplored
the act, adding, however, that on his soul and
c0nscience he did not believe himself guilty.
Ihsreupon, jury was empannelled to try the
prisoner The indictment was then read to the
jury, and the act of killing admitted, the gov
ernment rested their case and the prisoner was
called upon for his defence.
The prisoner then addressed himself to the
court and jury - s4as,o
g Ny lord" said he, my justification is to be
found 10 recital Of the facts Three years ago.
l lost daughter then four years OF age, the
sole memorial left of my beloved wife, whom it
had pleased God to recall to Himself. | lost
her; but did not see her die, as had seen her
mother die. She disappeared-shs was stolen
from me- She was charming child, and but
for her had nobody in the world to love me-
Gentlemen what have suffered cannot be de-
scribed--you cannot comprehend it. have ex-
pended in advertising and fruitless searches
everything possessed furniture, pictures, even
a. ~I~thn A kno. al H.
years, and on foot, have sought for my child,
in all the cities and all the villages in the three
kingdoms. As soon as by painting portraits !
succeeded in gaining little money, returned
TO London to recommence my advertisements in
the newspapers. At length, on Friday, the 4th
of April last crossed the Smithfed cattle mar
ket In the centre of the market troupe of
mountebanks were performing their feats.
Among them child was turning on its head,
its legs in the air and its head supported by a
halberd. A ray from the soul of its mother must
at that moment have penetrated my own, for me
to have recognised my child in that condition.
II was my poor child. Her mother would per-
haps have precpitated herself towards her, and
Looked herself in her arms. AS for me, veil
passed over my eyes, threw myself upon the
chief of the rope-dancers. knew not how it
was; T. habitually GENTLE even to weakness,
seized him by his clothes-I raised him in the
air then dashed him to The ground-then again.
He was dead. Afterwards | repented what l
had done. AT the moment | regretted that |
was only able to kill but one"
Lord Chief Justice Tindal.--Thesc are not
Christian sentiments How can you expect the
court and jury to look with favor on your de-
fence, or God to pardon you, if you cannot for
give?
Prisoner know, my lord, what will be
your judgment, and that of the jury, but God
has already pardoned me | feel it in my heart
You know mott knew not then--the whole
extent of the evil that man had done me-
When some compassionate people brought me
my daughter in my prison, she was no longer my
child; she was no longer pure and angelic as
formerly; she was corrupted, body and soul
her manner, her language, infamous, like those
of the people with whom she had been living
She did not recognise me, and no longer re-
cognsed her myself. Do you comprehend now
That man had robbed me of the love and soul
of my child And IL have killed him but
once"
Foreman My lord, we have agreed in oul
verdict"
Chief Justice understand you gentlemen
but the law must take its course | must sun
up the case, and then you will retire to delber
ate"
The chief justice having summed up the case
the jury retired, and in instant after returned
into the court with the verdict, Not guilty"
On the discharge of Hammond, the sheriff
was obliged to surround him with an escort
The crowd of women and men was immense
The women were determined to carry him of
in triumph The crowd followed him all thu
way to his lodgings with deafening shouts ant
huzzas.