Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1854-11-30

nagerie exhibition some OF them brayinE Like an
ass, and roaring like lion, singhg the song Of the
.Landlady Of France, with the Good brandy
0h!p and other bacchanalian songs equally indie
corous and unbecoming. But, It Is said, there was
no undue excitement from liquor IN all this.
Those who urge this In behalf Of this jury, do
them great unkindness. 1t is infinitely better for
their reputation to admit that they were disguised
with liquor, than to allow that they had such UNI
i feeling savage natures rs TO frolc, and play the
jackass and the lion in the very hour when they
| were to render verdict which was to consign
father TO prison, and to blight and blast the hap
piness of an innocent wife and eight children, and
| hurry his aged parents In sorrow TO the grave
| Deeply as have been wronged by the verdict OF
the jury, must say to their credit II credit II Is
| that do not believe that they could 80 grossly
outrage propriety and common decency If 1t had
| not been for accused rum.
But there are facts in my possession which the
technicalites Of the law would not allow to be made
public. They are such as these; Besides the four
bottles of wine used at dinner on Friday, an hour
or two before the verdict was rendered, this jury
had brandy bottle in their room filed up three or
four times Besides this, they rung their bell on
several occasions, and called the landlord to their
door, opened 1t to him. and ordered glasses OF bran
| DIV and also of ale If am shut up in CELL there
| are those in this community who can and will sub
stantiate these facts, If they are denied.
Even the offer of my able and learned counsel
who had most perfect confidence in his case as well
| as in my innocence---after speech OF more than
two hours had been made against me, to submit
the case without argument in view Of an aihictive
providence by which brother Of one OF the jurors
was suddenly and in moment struck down by
DEATH say, even the offer to submit the case with
| out argument was used to my disadvantage, and
| FASTENED my conviction. juror, Immediately
after the rendering of the verdict said in the hear
| ing Of numbers, "Dayy" abiding TO Mr.. Browne,
twas like the boy that wet the bed, he had moth
ing to say"
Another juror, before he heard word Of my de-
fence, said of me-" DIN him, he is guilty fellow,
wen sweeten hmY If the forms of law made it
improper for the court to hear these facts an en-
lightened community shall hear them, and judge
what sort of jury rendered a verdict against me.
| One thing more have to say, and know they
will heartily join me in this, to wit: if any one OF
them shall ever be accused Of crime, hope they
viii have fairer, more sober, and more moral set
of men to judge of their case than had.
i speak not Of them all there were two or three
honorable exceptions, and my only regret is, that
they had not the frmness to stand by their convc-
tons in spite of ribad songs and all the other APP
pliances to hasten my doom.
And who were my clerical witnesses, who kindly
rallied around me in my extremity, spoken OF by
one or more Of the jurors? In this profane and
awful manner :--"G-d d--n the divhes they
of the jury.
The district attorney will pardon me in a pass
ing allusion to the which he has seen TIT to
pursue.
Was It altogether necessary to press upon me,
with all the weight of his character and influence,
to exert himself to the utmost to prevent the court
from granting me new trial Was there any
danger that should escape?
have one request to make OF the district at
torney 1t is this: than when he lies down at
night, surrounded by his family and all the COM
forts of home that he will remember there is one
husband and father lying in cell on pallet of
straw, torn from the wife of his bosom, and the
children of his love, heaving bitter signs, starting
from his unquiet sumbers by the fancied call of bis
loved ones and that husband and father is as inno
cent of the crime for which he is incarcerated as
Mr.. Reed himself.
And when he comes around his Widespread board
and greets the smiling happy face of his wife and
children, want him to remember that there Is one
husband and father taking his coarse and scanty
fare on the wooden trencher of a prison, with no
wife to cheer his dreary solitude and no children
to comfort their heart-stricken sorrowful father.
And when he goes TO the sanctuary on the Sabbath
want him to think of husband and father in
prison, who never boosted of going to fifty
churches" but who did feel it privilege to 60
with his family TO the church Of his choice, and
there, in quiet and humble manner to learn those
lessons of heavenly wisdom which are almost his
only support and solace now.
i will add no more, except to reiterate before
God and man my innocence of the charge alleged
Internal improvements in virginia.--Mr.
Segar's speech.
The people of Virginia are greatly divided
at this time upon what is technically called the
Gauge question" All seem anxious to es-
tablish as soon as possible, a railway connexion
between tide-water and the Ohio river, but, in
settling the details, much disagreement has oc-
Cured. A portion Of the State are anxious
that uniform gauge Of five feet should be
adopted for the proposed road, while another
portion, equally large, pertinaciously adhere to
a gauge Of four feet eight and half inches.
The railroads south Of James river, as well as
the great southern western road have adopted
the former gauge while the central road, as far
as completed, has employed the latter. The
advocates Of the five foot gauge contend that
its adoption win secure to Virginia cities a
large portion Of the western trade, which
might otherwise be diverted to Baltimore. On
the other hand, the supporters Of the narrow
gauge are equally positive that Its selection is
absolutely necessary TO developc fully the re-
sources Of the State.
The controversy which has thus originated,
threatens to terminate In a failure TO construct
any road at ALL So apparent is this, that many
prominent gentlemen in Virginia, who have
sincerely at heart the general interests Of the
entire State are strenuously endcavoring TO
harmonic conflicting interests and bring about
better state Of feeling among all parties. In
the foremost rank Of these stands Mr.. Scgar, Of
Elizabeth City, who is justly regarded as the
pioneer Of internal improvements in Virgins,
and as one Of the ablest and most efficient adj
vocates Of the cause. His great speech de-
livered last summer before the White Sulphur
convention, was, in part, directed to this end,
and its good effects are already becoming man.
ifest The controversy is losing much Of its
bitterness and more compromising and con-