The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-11-27


her nephew against his wife, whenever the
latter failed to obey her bchcsts; while, as it
proved by several witnesses. RosaIe became
at length so much irritated by the ceaseless
severity of which she was the object, and so
indignant at the taUntS uttered against her
previous poverty, that she had been more
than once heard to declare that she wished
the farm burnt to the ground, and her hus-
band reduced to the rank of a common labor
er, and that she would gladly fire it herself.
in order to be delivered from the life of
wretchedncss to which the was then condemn
ed More than one witness. stated the acc,1-
sation, would swear to this fact, which at once
pointed suspicion towards the prisoner; when
several months previous TO the present trial,
on calm evening. between seven and eIoht
O'Clock, long after the farm servants had quit
ted the premises, a FIRE broke out in barn
adjacent to the dweling-house occupied bv
the family, which, after consuming the out
buildings and several stacks of unthreshed
grain and beans had been with difficulty ex-
tingui>hed by the emerge tic labor of the villa
gers.
Among other evidence rendered to the
mayor during the examination was that Of the
maiden aunt, who to her unqualified accusa
tion OF the prisoner as the sole author of the
catastrophe. Suppraddcl the information tina,
koSalc had, onl Y week or two previously
attempted to murder her husband, hv mixing
aquantIty of white powder in some soup
which had been kept warm for his supper up.
on the ashes of the hearth. and which had
produced violent vomitngS. after he had par
taken OF it about half an hour.
As the monotonouS accents of the orcfrcr
tell upon her ear. the unhappy woman sal
with her hands torciblv clasnrd together. and
her flushed face and oagcr ewes turned stead
ilv towards him: int he no sooner ceased
reading, than she started convulSivelv fron,
her seat. and leaning forward eagerly to-
wards the bench. exclaimed II am innocent,
NJ. lc President: am innocent"
peace ~ Numbered ont the trowninr oflic
lal: and then as the wrctchcl prisoner sank
back between her guards. and once more en-
deavored to conceal herself. he extended his
arm towards her. and. with ou.strotcbcJ fin
Ger. directed the attention of the cour. 70 tho
quailng form of the accused amid = silence
50 deep that it could almost N, hoard and
which he ultimately Terminated hv these cx-
traordinarv wor,l>-.You see that woman
gentlemen Of the Jury, who has inst 50 vobo
mcntlv declared her innoccnce and now T
in nv turn tell Won ,b,, ! ,n,on.o;,
Of her nuiIt and thar r ror.oo. ,,,;
her to be capable of anythinr"
Be il remembered ,h,, hi. ao.,o.
the mart Of tho nro.;l;,o of,;cou -. .1o.
Of the man who sat beneath III. awf,J oa;,,
of crucificd Savior-and to whom had hoon
delegated the sunr.mc d,,v of ,J,,;n;
cven-handcd Justice alike to tho accrs.1 on,
TO >orietv did NOT evor ,u.,;, ,Lo
of the witnesses wLoso rer.l,,;o
decide. = nucst;o, ofEt, on1 I1 !,
h. roI,ntccred his 5;joJ,tJ oss,,,;oo l.,..,
hat beca cdI,,ccd. nor sborI1 a.,
verIooked that the iurv. which w,s co,,noJ
of small farmers and nettv tr,J.smo, r,,,,n,
ed with awe and reverence tho so,onn on,
stately ,crson,cc who b,1 ouu;1 e.. :,
capital expressly TO nrcs;dc o,or tho .u;l,..,.,
of their remote province. and tb,, ,,o, ,.o
consequently nrcnarcd 70 con.;J,, -:
ion as infaliblc.
watched the countcn,ncos &C .,,o. l
We're nearest 70 mo ,nd1,.
that the cruel worJs of ,bo puo.:,.,,
failed in their e,r.rt ro. ,r,, :, :,1
sible that such dac,,r,t;on
moreover. with an omnhas;s ,h:.l
to insure the nertect conv;c,;on 90 - rr,
cr. could do otherwise than ;nnro.s a ~
one who heard il and + u,. ,n,;, .
tion nroduccd b,. ,b;, s....I:-..,
the first witness r,s .,,,a,a5 '''''
This witness w,, .ho ..,.c 20
conceived nation, %, ,u.,..I pre-
ready been s,,,lon 1haoo. ~, ''''i "'
w;ldcrcd a,d s,,r,,u1
nroorossod Irs,oaa