Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1851-08-22
A Painful Case.

The Courier des Efa!s Unis, gives us an &C.
count of recent trial at the Old Bailey, in
/ London--Lord Chief Justice Tindal presid-
ing
George Hammond, portrait painter, was
placed at the bar, TO be tried on an indictment
| found against him by the grand jury for wful
murder, with malice aforethought, of George
Baldwin, a rope dancer and montebank. The
prisoner was man of middle hight, but slender
form. His whole being, gave evidence of sub
dued sadness, and melancholy resignation. He
was forty-one years of age, had soft voice, and
his appearance and manner give 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 he did kill Baldwin, and he deplored the
act;-adding, however, that his soul and con-
science he did not believe himself guilty. There
upon jury was empanneled 10 try the prison.
er. The indictment was then read to the jury,
and the act of killing being admitted the govern
ment rested his case and the prisoner was called
upon for his defence.
The prisoner then addressed himself to the
court and jury.
My Lord" said ne, "my justification is to be
found in the recital of the facts. Three years
ago. lost daughter, then four years of age
had pleased God to recall to himself lost her :;
but did not see her die, as | had seen her moth
er die. She disappeared-sne was stolen from
me. She was a charming child, and but for her,
| had nobody in the world to love me- Gentle
man, what have suffered cannot be described
You cannot comprehendit. | have expended
in advertising and in trutless searches, every
thing poSsessed-furniture, pictures, even to
my clothes. All have been sold. For three
years, and on foot, have sought for my child in
all the cities and all the villages in the three KING
doms. As by painting portraits, have succeed
ed in gaining little money, | returned TO Lon
don, TO recOmmcnce advertising in the newspa
pers At length, on Friday, the 18th of April
last, crossed the SmitEheld Cattle Market. In
the centre OF the market troop of mountebanks
were performing their fetes. Among them
child was turning on its head, its legs in The air,
and its head supported by 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. 1t was my poor
child. Her mother would, perhaps, have pre-
cipitated herself towards her, and locked herself
in her arms. As for me, veil passed over nv
eyes. threw myself upon the chief of the rope
dancers. | know not how it was, |, habItually
gentle even to weakness, seized him by the
cIothes-l raised him in the air, then dashed him
to the ground-then again. He was dead
Afterwards repeated what ] had done. At the
momentd regretted that was only able to kill
but one"
Lord Chief Justice Tindal.-Those are not
Christian sentiments. How can you expect
the court and jury TO look with favor on your
defence, or God to pardon you, if you cannot
forgive.
PriSoner.--I know my lord, what will be your
Judgment, and that of the jury, but God has al
ready pardoned me, | feel it in my heart. You
know not, 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. Ter man
ner, her language, infamous like those of the
people with whom she had been living She
did not recognize me, and | recognized her no
longer myself. Do you comprehend now p
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 our
verdict.
Chief .Justice.--I understand you gentlemen,
but law must take its course. | must sum I'D
the case and then you will retire to deliberate.
The Chief Justice, having summed up the
case, the Jury retired and in an instant after re-
turned into the Court, with verdict not guilty
On the discharge of Hammond, the sheriff
was obliged to surround him with an escort
The crowd of men and women was immense
The women were determined TO carry him off
in triumph. The crowd followed him all the
way to his lodgings with dealing shouts and huz-
zas.