Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-11-24

attachment 70 ne for the last time"
With profound emotion. Lewis en-.
tered upon tho most painful duty thai
had ever fallen TO his lot Ia his Who'll,
professional career Though he des
paired Of being able 10 save his un.
happy friend. he determined of eoursr
70 make every possible effort TO ac
complish this end.
With this view he objected that Er.
nests body had been committed to the
earth without any previous judicial ex.
animation and dissection. The iudg-
es replied that this ceremony seemed
unnecessary and snperfuous. az the
murderer had voluntarily confessed the
deed; but II he (the advocate J insisted
on the examination OF the body, il
should be taken up. By the desire of
Lewis, this was accordingly done. The
town surgeons attended. and declared
that as the ball had passed righ,throu'
the heart, death must naturally ensue
Lewis wished 10 know if the ball were
still in the body; the surgeon sought
for and found il; upon which the adj
vocate sent for the pistol with which
the deed had been perpretrated. and
tried to drop the ball into the barrel
Il seemed too large--he accordingly
tried It in all possible ways-still l.
would not goin. That this ball could
not be fred by that pistol was evident
to every observer; the judges looked at
one another and shook their heads
There was not person but had COM
pletely made up his mind Respecting
the guilt Of the prisoner; but this cir
cumstance quite confounded them oil.
The confession Of the prisoner. made
withou; the employment Of the slight
est fear or force. was corrJborateu by
every circumstance that had previous
ly come to light; the ball alone seemed
to proclaim his innocence.
Lewis tegan 10 conceive the strong
est hopes, and his judgment was nearly
overpowered with the excess of his
joy. He proposed that the proceed
ings, together with the ball and pistol,
should be sent to the supreme tribu-
nal. thatit might decide in this extra
ordinary affair. This proposal Was
the more readily accepted. as the To-
cal court was puzzled how to act. and
absolutely unable to pronounce any
judgment whatever.
While the papers were in the hands
of the supreme tribunal in the metrop-
oils, highwayman, who had shot and
robbed q traveller on the road not far
from the birth place OF the friends.
was brought to that town, Convicted
by sufiicientevidence. he acknowledged
his crime but that was not all; he
confessed. on further examination. that
two months before, he had murdered
another man on the same road. This
circumstance had excited suspicion,
and being still further questioned.
related the following particulars:
"About that time happened to be
in village public.house. Two men
on horseback came N after me; | re-
marked that ona of them had heavy
girdle filed witr money fastened round
his body underneath his waistcoat.
began 10 consider whether il was not
possible to possess myself OF this rich
booty; but then, how was this 10 be
done, as he had n companion? How
ever, thought to myself. / have a
blace of good pistols. II | shoot one.
the other will probably run away in a
fright, and before he can give The
alarm and fetch Witnesses to the spot,
my feet horse will have carried me far
enough out OF their reach; il, contrary
10 expectation, the survivor should
stand by his companion. what hinders
me from giving him the other ball?-
Such was Eny determination, which
resolved Immediately TO execute.
had verheard then talking of the way
they should take, rode of before, and
having tied my horse toa tree, con.
cealed myself in thicket by the road.
side. No sooner had taken my sta
ton than the travellers approached -
They were quarrelling violently |
had already taken aim at the man with
the girdle, when the other took out q
pistol and discharged it at his compan-
ion. | fired at the same moment. NV
man fell just as the others ball whiz- +.
zcd past my ear; he then sprung from
his horse, was engaged for u short
lime with his dying fellow-traveller, J
and at the instant when ! was going
to fire at hin, he mounted again and ,
galloped away. l had now time TO |
rifle the pockets of the deceased. and
having done this, | rode of as fast as
could"
He described the time, the place. I
and the two travellers so minutely, 4
that there remained not the slightest
doubt of his having actually committed
the murder of which George accused I
The latter trembling with 4
rage had fired ut random, and was in
nocent of the death of his friend.
The local tribunal transmitted all
these particulars to the supreme court;
the proceedings. with accompaniment,
were returned, and the ball exactly
fitted the pistols which were found up
on the murderer at the time of his ap-
prehcnsion.
Let the sympathizing reader now
cndeavor to form some conception of
the transport of Lewis on having saved
his friend Let him figure to himself
the Joy of George, VIXEN the painful
OF al atrocious crime
was thus removed from his bosoml He
was unanimously declared innocent of
the murder. his passion cost him Two