Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1853-07-30
For the Journal.
THE TRIAL OF CORN WHISKY.

A great number Of crimes Of all degrees,
such as thef.s, robberies, riots and murders
having been con- nitted in the land and il
having been strongly suspected for long
time, that one Corn Whisky was the instiga-
tor and abetor in the most Of them, he was
arrested in the year Of our Lord 1853, in the
State OF Ohio, and brought to trial.
The trial came on in the highest Court in
the State, the General Court Of the Whole
People; Judge Public Opinion presiding.
The appearance Of the prisoner, as the
Sheriff placed him at the bar, produced a
strong sensation of disgust throughout the
Court room. Hc appeared TO be about 35
years Of age, but his limbs trembled and shook
like an old man of eighty. His face was red
and bloated, his eyes heavy and bloodshot,
and his whole appearance indicated the hard.
ened villain capable of any crime.
The necessary forms having been gone
through with, the indictment was read which
charged the prisoner as follows:
l. That he ha5 robbed great number OF
families OF all their possessions, so that they
were left 10 suffer with cold and hunger.
2. That he bad instigated fathers to beat
their wives and children with cruel blows and
stripes, to the danger and sometimes to the
destruction Of their lives.
8. That he had filed our prisons with the
wret ches whom he had corrupted, and our
poorhouses with those whom he had disabled,
and with helpless women and children from
whom he had taken away their daily bread
4. That he had thus added n great burden
Of taxation to that which the people of the
State are already compelled to bear.
5. That he had aided and abetted in the
commission of various crimes such as theft
arson, burglary and murder.
To all which charges the prisoner pleaded
"Not guilty!" The witness was then called
And first the Prosecuting Attorney brought
into Court an immense crowd Of pale, forlorn
looking women, of all ages from twenty FIVE
to sixty. The sum Of their evidence, for we
have not space for details, was as follows:
They had married in youth, with as high
Expectations, and as fair opportunities for hap
piness rs others. Their husbands had beer
kind, industrious and good providers, unit
they became acquainted with Corn Whisky
the prisoner at the bar From that time they
had gradually become idle in their habits
loathsome in their appearance, unkind to theii
families, and at length spent all their money
and sometimes even the earnings of thei
wives and children. iu the company of thi.
worthless vagabond Corn Whisky. AS {
consequence their families were reduced tC
want, and often suffered for lack of sufficen
food and clothing.
These women testified also that their nus
bands who had sworn to cherish and protec
them, would return to their homes in compa
ny with the villain Corn Whisky, and woulC
at his instigation, without provocation bea
their wives and children and many of thes
women showed in open Court the marks o
this cruelty. Next the Prosecuting Attorney
called the keepers of prisons and poorhouse'
in the State to give in their evidence. The
sum of th ir testimony WAS that after careful
examination of the matter, they had fount
that more than half the whole number ofcrim
nals and paupers were made such by The
Iprisoner at the bar, Corn Whisky. A grea
humber of the criminals themselves were bro
Into Court The counsel for the defence OBJ
jected, but the Judge decided that all testi
mony should be received for what it nigh
be worth. The criminals testified that they
were peaceful and well ordered citizens unit
they became acquainted with Corn Whisky
which was also confirmed by the testimon,
of others. They further declared that th
villain, Corn Whisky. first suggested to then
lthounbts of crime That he SO beset then
and blunted their sense, reason and con
science by his eniicements, that they lost sci
control, and became mere slaves to his will
that often they did not know what crime the.
had committed till the ficnd deserted them
and they found themselves accused and i'm
prisoned.
Here the evidence for the prosecution clos
ed. The remainder of the trial must be post
Iponed to another number