The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-04-21
AMURpRaHR's FLEA.

- h AMURDEaERT FLEA. l,y
As the court was about to commit the
cause to the jury, the prisoner was' asked
whether he had anything further 70 say.
7 tWher-upor. Mr.. Douglas rose deliberately
and looked around on the court and specta.
tors with great composurc. His tall. man.
| ly person, brilliant eyes. and eminently in
! tellectual expression, ernaciated 40 he was by
disease, and pale with confinement, i'm
pressed every one with bis personal dignity
and superiority To any who were sitting in
judgement up,n his life. Jra.- .yi!o
MAY It please the Court and Gentlemen
of the Jury, he said deliberately aud cool.
ly, .little did Z think that | sbould come to
this. Born ofparents who were able. AMI
ambitious 10 give their sun'the best educa.
tion the country uG ,rds, hnd advantages
above inost others ior reaching widely
different destiny lr,m that u which I seem
+, be d,1ned. Tie nfflusncs in which was
cr.dled was my ruin, was made to be.
lieve that II ~as manly tn take soci,,l
glass io fell io with companions. at c',llePe
and elsewhere. wha nourishel in me this de.
lusio,. Our po'ations were deep, our revels
MYSTERIOUS. STUDIED law hut e6 my pro.
ftssio. to look alter my fathers business.
which was of nature TO keep the poisoned
cup ever before me. drank till ] had sup
piled the place Of natural repugnance ~
strong drink with u mnddened appetite
which defed control with the articles within
my reach. ... "'..- 70.
Your honors, and Gentlemen Of the Jury,
The State would hold me responsible for the
consequences Of drinking. on my knowledge
Of them beforehand. This seems spccious.
Yet my experience assumes, ,me that the mad.
ness does Mt begin with drinking. but with
the causes that lead to it II dates frOln
personal contic, with alcohol, accompanied
with the consciousness Of the option to drink
or not drink. My wife saw the state oi the
case, and advised me 10 u country where
society has not yet introduced my enemy =
listened 10 her adv,ce, and brought my
iami!y to this then wi derne-s country. For
a few years We lived here in security and
peace. We prospered in the world. and nc.
auired competence. But the State then
located one of Its licensed grog.shops near
my door. lguarded against the danger for
months. My family stlod sentinel around
me" and, us he said This, his chin quivercd,
and the tears rolled down his manly face. i l
fortified myself with resolutions and prayers,
knowing that my lie and that Of my family
were involved. ,..
But, your Honors and Gentlemen Of the
Jury, my enemy suhdued my strongholds,
and led me captive in clains. ] was sur.
prised iito the trap that the State had set
Tor mel say this in no spirit Of recrimina'
;ipn-iind tie moment was there, oil my
motives of virtue .perished. | was occupied
with an inward ieeling-cal it what you
please-reputation, life. were nothing to IT.
Had your gallows then pre-. rented itself in
perspective, with myself hanging upon IL as
u consequences ot drinking, il would not
have deferred me. That was the beginning
of my in.nnity 10 every case. The contact is
the conquest of my enemy over me.
In reference tu the crime on which you
arc to adjudicate, your llonrs ind Gentle.
men Of the Jury. It is due to myself and
family. yea to justice and the public, TO say
that had for months kept under my great
enemy, till new dcquaintance. from no
good motive. brought into my field, from
our town groggery, bottle "fbranty. That
produced the madness which fired de.
struc,iye conH,gration, which led to the
death Of our worthy pastor, and which struck
my own dear Sun dead through, father 8
hand!" Here again his tears fell. and his
utterance was slightly obstructed: but he
soon g,inod his won'cd comPOsure. "On
my return. ielt that was pursued by
dreadful creatures, which led me to arm
myself with lever; and, as | approached
fmy door, l thought | saw cluster OF POI.
sonous serpents fintertwincd. writlring. his.
sing, and darting at me. when | dealt at
then, II blow. A huge monster then seem
ed to he cunning ut me, The crocodile genus,
covered with scales, with fiery eyes ,,nnd
open mouth, to swallow me up. A dread.
lul terrnr came over me, and, 10 protect my.
sell, I struck my lever ut 1t with all my
might. was then seized by giants. Il give
my own impressons) and verify believed the
hour Of my doom had come. Ny fears and
feelings overpowered INC. and ! recol'ected
no more untilnext mnrning. When c',me
to myself was weak, bruised, ind felt more
dead than alive. Soon my dear wife came,
and like u ministering ange', began In a
quiet way to soothc my feelings and ailevi'
ate my sufferings. said 70 her. "My dear.
wliyi Is your head bound up''" Never min J"
she said. "you a'e sick, and We must take
care of youh "Call the boys 10 help me
up," said, My wife stepped nut. and
soon returned with my elder son George,
when I asked. "Whcre is Sarnueli" She
waived an answer, and had not the remot.
est idea OF our dear SaInuel's death, till the
Sheriff came tn apprehend me. Then saw
that the love of those to whom | had made
IN myself most unoyely had drawn u veil oyer
the sad event, TO save me from the torments
which have since endured, and which q
hundred deaths on the gallows, cannot equal." "
The court and jury were much moved by
\ this recital. and the numerous audience
were bathed In tears. y. -. ~
"Think TO, that detail these facts 10
screen myself No, your Honors anu, Gen.
tlemen OF the Jury. il Is too late f,r me 70
hope for anything this side Of death. But,
in. Justice 10 the State and its Legislators in
\ Justice ~ the executors Of the law, IN justice
I to chs mass Of the people, the source VI. law
and power, in Justice 10 others whose misfor.
tune il is 10 losc command Of themselves
! through tho drinking cussoms Of society, yea,
as q sacriHcs ON the altar Of truth, the lust
shall ever make In this public manner, I
/ do alFirm that the state Of mind which pro.
duccd what your laws call murder did moi
result. in my case, from the act Of drinking,
but from the previous stops aken under The
authority OF tho State, " insure that act.--
Il resulted from the licensed hand that held
the cop 10 my lips. AS q dying man, j
leave this my true. my faithful testimony,
hoping and praying that It may lead To moro
just views on this subject, and to 6nal with
drswal of the means Of drinking, from that
unhappy elass to whom Il Sc an unfailing In
t,ocntive.to crime. do Il 10 save the State
from. the inhd,nanity Of first instigatinS the
crime, and then punishing tho criminsLH ?