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


enough, more than enough we care not to
remain mark for the finger of scorn and of
suspicion; We must leave this court not only
free. but justified maintain, gentlemen of
the jury, that We have right todemand this:
and | have no fear but that You will feel as |
do. What has been proved against the ac-
cused: will tell YOU in few words. Ii
has been proved that she was pretty and
good-so pretty and so good that half the
young peasants of the village sought TO win
hor affections; that she was industrious. o.
bliging, and modest; and hat 50 pre.cm-
nent'y' that, although poor and humble, the
daughter of a daily laborer, and menial in
the family of a richer ncishbor. she was cho-
sen by the son of her master for wife. !
will even recall TO YOUR minds the fact that
ne would have won her more liobtlv. and
that 1t was only when he became convinced
OF the uSelessness of his illicit addresses. that
he came forward loyallv and generously to
offer her his hand-fi.E this circumstance
tends prove her worth-age, and that hand
was gwen was given despite the reproaches
and opposition Of his relatives. who in their
ignorance OF the Just value of qualities like
hers, believed their kinsman. the heir of a few
acres Of land. and few thousands of boarded
francs to be degrading himselfbv such an al
lanre. lou have heard that the marriage
was an unhappy one and it has been inferred
that my client was the cause of this unhapp'-
ness; but viii merely ask YOU to reflect up
on what YOU have seen and heard this dav be-
fore You credit the assertion. The prisoner
Is accnssi of having attempted tie life of her
husband by poison. Where wa. the husband
-th" intended victim-whcn his wou!l-b
mur'crc>S was arraigned for the offence .
W here was he: will tell YOU. gentlemen:
so securely hidden away. that even the ennis
SarlcS Of his vindictive aunt could not trace
him out and drag him hither to appear a
gainst tra1uced and injured wife. What
was the poison? You must allow me to fall
back upon the evidence and TO add to it A
most material fact. The accusation sets forth
that Rosalic, assisted hv her aunt. prepared
a pan of cahhage-soup for the dinner and
supper of the family, and that Of this Soup
they all partook, at noon: i, was then set a.
side til evening, when it was once mere rlac-
ed upon the fire: and at five o'clock, Ban
ti>te being still absent at the winc-shop {:
the prisoner and her female relative aoain
ate OF the soup: and. the cmhers of the
fire being still warm. the pan was carefully
surrounded by hot ashes to await his return.
More than once the lid of the pan was raised
10 stir the contents lest they should adhere
to the bottom of the vessel: and this prpcau-
tiOn was taken bv the aunt herself, who ney-
er moved from the chimney corner from the
termination of her own supper to the return
OF her nephew, who. according To his usual
habit was far from sober, and who. after par
taking OF the soup. was attarkc,i hv violent
sl"kness. On the following morning, the
aunt-you have seen and heard her. gentle
men, and can consequently appreciate her
rharacter-showed the drcg> of the soup. mp
on which there foatcd species of white fla
Ky film, with infinite mystery, to half ioz-
en- chosen friends; after which she herself
7
flung out the residue of the soup beside the
door OF the house. where pigs and poultry
could alike devour it, and where it DOUBTLESS
ly ras devoured, without any dctrimrnt to
either from the ashes. which, in the action of
stirring the contents, she had herself. bevond
all bt,introduced into the mixture WHY.
If she indeed suspected poison. did she cleanse
the vessel with her own hands WHY did
she, whose God was mammon. incur the risk
of poisoning the animals who might rartal,e
of 1t: Great stress was laid upon the fact
of the vomiting by which her nephew was at
tackled after having eaten ofthiS soup; but we
have shown that he was a man of im,eprnerat.
habits, who was subject to this maladv and
our wonder should rather he excited. bv the
fact. that he could, while full of wine have
swallowed mess of this description, than
that it should have produced, under the cir
cumStances, the effect ascribcd to it.
"Gentlemen of the jury, before God and
society, Is Rosalie - guilty of having at
tempted,in that soup,tc poison her husband
We calmly await your decision. We now
come to to the second charge. On certain
evening, the barn of Baptistcs father and
aunt is fired the two women are seated IN
the common room, or house, as the witnesses
have described 1t. meaning thereby the single
apartment not used as a sleeping-chamber;
this room looks upon the arm-vard: the pris-
oner is near the window, occupied in repair
ing her husbands linen; the aunt, accorIino
to her habit is doing near the fire. Ro
Rosalle leaves the room Tor a few minutes.
and shortly after her return remarks that She
bears an extraordinary noise upon the prem
lscs; upon which she is told that she is a fool
and always full of absurd fancics; hut, not
withstanding this rebuff, she again exclainls
that she is sure something must be wrong, and
that she smells an odor of burnt straw. The
words are scarcely uttered, when body of
flame bursts from an adjacent barn; upon
which, the accused, uttering loud scream,
I'll she's IN III. bod Si,lu of bor .I..,,, 1 m /