The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1853-08-17

lnCluuluH Tue IleUTCW, AIuDlC anu Ncl-
tic, and was alike conversant in the
bellies lettres,' in antiquities. and in sew.
cral branches of modern science, our
wonder amounts almost to disbelief; yet
there can be no doubt of the fact. He
had been, before his apprehension, ad-
vanccd great way in comparative
polyglott lexicon, upon new, and, for
that age, profound plan, in which it seems
not unlikely that, if it had been carried
into effect, he might have anticipated
some of the honors of tie German phi
lologists. lie had also composed sever
al tracts upon British antiquities In a
fiction grounded upon his story by one of
the most delightful of modern novclists.
his thirst for knowledge is seized with
admirable art as a means of palliating
his crime: he is there represented as
entering into the base plans of his ac-
completes, for the purpose Of supplying
the means of study. But no such mo-
tive can be traced In bis real story,whch
simply sets him down as remarkable
example of capacity and talent, degra-
ded, lost through moral infrmity. Yet,
even while wo execratc the atrocious
guilt of Aram, such is the homage we
naturally yield to intellectual superiori-
ty, such tho sympathy we accord to the
painful struggles of the mind devoted to
knowledge, that he has never been reck-
oned one of the herd of ordinary crimi-
nails. In Caufeld's Portraits there is a
genuine likeness of this singular man
an intellectual but melancholy counte.
nance, forming a touching commentary
on his history.
At the trial Of Aram, which took place
before the York assizes, on the Sd of
August, 1869, Richard IIouseman was
admitted as kings evidence, and gave
minute narration of the murder. slightly
distorted, 1t was supposed, in order to
Tighten his own share Of blame. Accor
ding to the witness, Clarke had received
his wifcs fortune, amounting to fl60,on
the night before he was murdered. He
called at Aram's with this sum in his
pocket and also carrying the plate which
he had obtained among his friends. He
and Houscman, at the request of Aram,
walked out in the direction of st. Rob
ert's Cave, where the party had no SOON
or arrived than Aram knocked down
Clarke and murdered him. Houseman,
according to his own account, then retlr-
ed but it afterwards appeared that he
had assisted in burying the body in the
cave. The clothes of the murdered man
were brought to Aram's house and burnt,
but not without betraymg the secret to
Mrs. Aram' After this and other evl-
denco had been glvon' Aram delivered a
written defence, IN winch he cndeavored,
by the exercise OF much ingenuity; ahd
also a show of curious learning, to make
up for the want OF exculpatory evidence
FIRST, my lord, the whole tenor OF my
conduct IN NE contradicts every partlc'
ular OF inns Indictment Yet had new
or SAID tins; DID not my present circum-
stances extort II from me, and seem to
maze II necessary Permit me mere, my
,ord, TO call upon mai'ghi,y ltseii' SO
iohS ana crueliy pusieu III this prosecu-
llon, 10 charge upon me any immortality
oI wnicn pre)qu'ce was not inc author:
NO. my lord' l concerted no schemes OF
ifauo, projected no violence, INJURED no
mans person or property my days
were honestly iaporious' my Aign's IN
tenseiy studious' ANA humbiy CON
eeiVe my ho'ice OF thls, cspcciaiiy at tins
'ime' VIII no' DC 'hought impertinent or
uhreasonapie' ou' az least ueservihg some
attention, because, my lordi tnat any
person ai.er temperate use OF me, SC,
ries Oh th'hKins ana acting regulariy,ahd
without one single deVlat'oh from sobri,
e'y shouia plunge INTO me very depth OF
proh'eacy Precipita,eiy ana at once, Is
a,together impropaoie q unprecedented,
absolutely inconsistent with the course
OF tnings; man is never corrupted at
once 'iliany Is always progressive. and
deciihes from rign,, s'cp py STEP TN ev-
cry reearu oi propity Is iost, ana every
sense Oh all moral opiiSation totally per-
lshes
Again, my lord, Suspicion OF this
kiha,, which nothing but malevolence
couiu entertain, ana ignorance propagate,
Is violently opposed BY my very, sltua-
tion at the time' with respect 70 health
ior' put httie space oeiore' had peen
cohhneu 10 my ped' ana suhered uhaef
very long ana severe disorder, and was
not abe, Tor haif a year together, SO
mucn as 70 walk; ihe distemper iet'
me, ihdecd, yet Slowly ana IN part but
SO emac'a'ed' so enfeepled' that was
reouceu 10 crutches' ana was SO lar 'rom
peing wen about inc time am charged
Win this iac1 tnat nave never tlil TINS