The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1854-11-17

manded to accompany me to the Crab Or
Ichard. Soon after our arrival, found my
self undergoing the formalities ola trial be-
fore court of inquiry. The dead body was
conveyed to the trial as a witness against me.
and also for iu.ernent at that place. ;
After the exparte trial was concluded, and
the magistrate handed tile sheriff mittimus
to commit me To prison, he said, "come, sir.
you must go with me to jail," and just as l
arose from my seat, manifesting willingness
to obey his commands, submitting myself
into the iron ftngs Of the lawwithout Justice
or the least shadow of q crime, vet without
a murmur, there was heard voice, loud and
clear, exclaiming mot, yet,". AT that mo-
ment general shout ensucd. procaiminc,
"Here is the colonel" A tail fne-looking
man, stepped in and said: "Stop, Sheriff,
this man is guiltlcss; am the man. | killed
McCloud." The whole crowd stood for sey-
eral moments as if electrified, until that aw-
ful silence was disturbed by shrieks from the
relations, both of McCloud and Van dyke
tears flowed in torrents every heart seemed
full of unrestrained grief. Old Mr. Lawson
came up to the colonel, and asked if he knew
anything ofhis lost Mary, while his frame
trembled with fearful emotion. Van Dyke
replied, with a placid smile upon his face
.'Sir, she is safe, and you will find her at
Mr.. Whites about two miles distant. She
IS there the same innocent, virtuous, immacu-
late child she was when dccoyed from her
Ipaternal home by treacherous william"
Then, turning to the sheriff, he said: "Sir, /
am ready to answer the demands of the law"
The fonnaties of trial before q court of in
quiry were had, and Van Dyke was commit
ted to prison. Time rolled ON. Various
were the opinions of the final result. The
abest lawyers of the day were employed on
both sides.
The great day, fraught with momentous
consequences to the prisoner, ut length ar
rived. The court house and court yard
were crowded with an excited audience,
All eyes were on the alert to catch one
| glimpse of the prisoner as he entered the
court house. His own voluntary confession
were read in evidence against him by the
prosecuting counsel, and proofs of his rivality
of McCloud, and other circumstances, were
established. Then Miss Lawson was brought
forward to give testimony. She came, lean
ling on her fathers arm-her pale, intelligent
and interesting face was modestly concealed
by veil and bonnet. All eyes were fixed
upon her as an object of pity and extreme
beauty. She came forward, trembling with
sensiblity and fear, to give evidence against
her benefactor, her preserver, and idol of her
heart. The tremor Of her voice and the gen
tie undulations of her bosom evinced the en-
barrassment other mind, and the peculiar
delicacy of her position, and aroused the SYM
pathy of a crowded assembly. After few
moments ofcomposure,she gave the following
statements of facts: Il was decoyed off from
home, some months since, by Mr.. McCloud.
| We started to tomeeting and after riding some
time, asked him if we were not lost. He
said he believed SO: (: then he said he knew
where we were, and that we had been lost,
but were now in the road back to town /;
and as the time for meeting had passed, we
wonld 90 on to town. After much conyer-
salion, he remarked, in an angry tone of
\ voice, swell, Mary, clearly see, under all
thee circumstances, you intend marrying
Col. Van Dyke, and before he shall thus
trample over my exalted claims, you and my
Iself must fall victims to your inhexible OBJ
/ tinacy." So saying, he turned our horses out
Of the road, and we bad not proceeded far
before he dislnounted aud hurried me form
my saddle down into deep, frightful cave.
"Now, Miss" said he, death or the full as
surance of your hand" and at the same time
waving pistol in one hand and dirk in the
ether ] plead for life, but he seemed unre-
lenting; his eye flashed fiery indignation;
at length Iceased to speak. "Then," said
he, obstinate Mary" raising his dirk over
my head and pointing it To my heart. Not
1yet, sounded in my ear, followed by the re-
port Of pistol. McCloud fell turned my
head -beheld my deliverer, and exclaimed,
thank Heaven, | am safe! Col. Van Dyke
then conducted me TO Mr.. Whites, where /
remained until my father came aud conduct
ed me home"
us this the man you call your deliyerer,"
asked the attorney for the defendant point
ing to the prisoner, who had remained un-
perceived by Mary until that moment.
] She gave a scream, and fell in a state Of in
sensibility, from which she did not recover
far SOME days,
r. With the testimony Of Miss Mary, the'At-
torney for the Commonwealth closed on his
lpart. The COUNCIL for defendant then re-
marked he wanted no witness, his client re-
llied alone upon the testimony Of Miss Lawson
for his justiiication. The attorney for the
Commonwealth then gave to the jury brief