The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1854-10-19

ney. Accordingly ne SET OH, and when he
reached the bluff bis horse stopped, and
began to rear and snort. He discovered
something laying by the roadside, and up
on dismounting and going to it he found
it to- be. the body of Mr.. Hampton, still
warm and bleeding. He first satisfied him
self that he could do nothing alone, and
then he started back towards M, after
assistance. When be was overtaken by
Jordan and Bilger, the idea of having
Hampton's money with him broke upon
him with a stunning force, and hence his
strange and incoherent manner.
When the prisoner sat down, there was
low murmur came up from the multitude
IA murmur which told that his story was
believed. But the judge shook his head,
and the lawyers shook their heads, and
the jury looked troubled and anxious. The
prisoners counsel did all he could to es-
tablish his clients good character, and also
to impeach the character of Bilger, but he
could refute none Of the testimony that had
been given in.
When the judge came to charge the ju-
ry, he spoke of the preciseness of the tes-
timony against the prisoner, and of the cor
roboratiye circumstances. With regard
to The prisoners story, he said that it was
very simple. and sounded very much like
truth; but he would have the jury remem-
Der how easily such stories could be made
| 1t was long after dark when the jury re-
tired to make up their verdict. They were
gone half an hour, and when they return
ed, the foreman showed by the very hue
of his conference.-the the verdict was to
be fatal ] All saw it, and could hear the
Ithrobbing of the hundred hearts that beat
about me. ...s.
Gentlemen of the jury, have you made
up verdict" 49,
1--WE have"
"Shall your foreman speak for me2.
eyes" '5 '.' ~ 'sal"s 'N.
"Abel Adams stand up and look the
foreman in the face. Mr.. foreman look at
the prisoner. Now sir, is Abel Adams, the
prisoner at the bar, guilty of murder, or
not 2"
Harkl The first syllable OF. the word
E"Guilty" is upon the foreman's lips, but
he speaks it not. Those who yet crowd
about the windows shout with all their
might, and in a moment more man crowds
his way into the court room. lie hurries
up and whispers to the sheriff-then he
goes to the bench and whispers to the
Judge. Henry Bilger starts up and moves
towards the door, but in all instant the hand
of the sheriff is upon h m, All is excite
ment the most intense. Directly the mass
about the door begins to give way, and
four men are seen bearing upon their shoul-
ders chair-a large stuffed chair--and
in that sits Matthew Hampton-not dead,
but alive. True, be is pale and ghastly,
but his eyes are open and his lips move
AT length the chair is set down before the
bench, and TIE old physician of Nj
asks permission to speak. As soon as this
act becomes known all is quiet once more.
The physician says that neither of the
wounds which Mr.. Hampton had received
are mortal, though he at first thought they
were. The blow upon the head, and TIE
stab in the breast, combined to produce a
state of fcatalepsy which resembled death so
nearly that many an experienced person
might have been deceived. When be gave
out that Mr.. Hampton was dead, he tho't
it was So. But when he found that Hamp-
son was living, he kept the secret to him
self, for fear that if the truth got out, GER
tain man, whose presence was much need
ed, might be, missing.
Atthis juncture, Mr.. Henry Bilger made
a savage attempt to break away from the
sheriff, but it did not avail him. The jury
were directed to return to their box, and
then Matthew Hampton was requested to
speak. He was too weak to rise, bat he
spoke plainly, and in manner that show
ed his mind to be clear,
He stated that when he reached the
bluff on the night of his disaster, he discov-
cred that his pocket book was gone. He
stopped his horse and was trying to think
where he could have lost it, when some
one came up from the side road. He had
Just time to see that it was Henry Bilger,
when he received blow upon the head
from club that knocked him from his
horse. Then he felt sharp, singing,
burning pain in his bosom, and with mo-
mentary starting Of the muscles he opened
his eyes. He saw that Bilger was stoop-
ing over him, and ransacking his pockets.
He could just remember OF hearing the dis
tant gallop of horse-then he thought his
body was being dragged to the road side
and after that he could remember nothing
until he awoke in his own house, and found
! the doctor by his bedside.
For little while longer the multitude
had to restrain themselves, | remember
that the Judge said something to the jury,
and that the jury whispered together for a
moment. Then the prisoner stood up once
more, and the foreman of the jury said
"NoT GU1LTY''
Then burst forth the heart.shouts of the
people. Abel Adams sank back upon his
seat, but in a moment more he was seized
by score of stout men, and with wild and
rending shouts they bore him out into the
free, open air, where the bright stars
looked down and smiled upon him. A lit.
Tie way had they gone when they met a
young woman, whose long hair was flying
in the night wind, and who wrung hel
hands in sgony. They stopped and SCI
their burden down. Abel Adams saw the
woman, and he sprang forward and caught
her to his bosom.
"Mary-Mary-I am innocsnt-inmOcen
! I-freeF" e'3a ''a,7 ~