Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1855-09-15
From IIarpers Magazine-Seplembef.l
THE JUDGES DAUGHTER.


Here and there. along the streets, the plim-
mer of light nigh, be seen. Ii was before
the days of gas, and the oil-lamps were mostly
blown out by moderate breeze. Sometimes
pedestrian could he deserted staggering along,
gathering his cloak around him at every fourth
step. and turning his back as often TO the storm
that threatened to strip him.
Long before midnight every street in the city
was silent and deserted, and the few lights left
might as well have gone ont with their fellows,
since they served no good purpose TO any NOR
tai. No, even thief would venture out on
such night, or expose his precious body to
such storm.
ln the old courtroom of the Oyer and Term
iner a scene was presented on that night which
at this day is somewhat unusual.
The court had been in session since ten in
the forenoon. having taken recess for dinner
and another for supper. It was now ten o.
clock, and the court and Jury were alike ex-
hausted but they had agreed to fnish the cause
on trial that night, and the jury were listening
TO the summing up on the part of the people
by the districtattorney, who was calmly and
dispassionately laying before them the evidence
and, with tremendous force, urging on them
the propriety of a verdict against the prisoner.
The judge was a stranger to that BENCH
He was from country circuit, appointed to
relieve the press of city business, and he had
worked steadily for four weeks Of the term,
which was now approaching its close, and had
disposed of an immense amount of work. He
had won the respect of the bar by his dignifed
and urbane bearing, his clear and lucid opin-
l..
members of the profession, and his sieadlast
attention 10 the work before him. But olffrom
the bench no one saw him. From the moment
that he left the court room he disappeared. His
carriage blinds we're always closed and he
drove directly to his hotel, where he kept his
rooms, and did not appear until TO return to the
courtroom.
II was said that he was a man of great
wealth, of elegant tastes, of refined and luxu-
rious habits of lfe Men wondered why he
submitted to the drudgery Of the bench to the
hard labor which Judge must do.
He did not need the salary that was evident
from his style of living at home and in the city
He did not need the position or reputation il
gave him that he had enjoyed while at the
bar and 10 Congress, when to be in Congress
was an honor. He did not do it from love OF
it that no one who knew him would suspect
for, while he was prompt and faithful to attend
to his duties, he never went one step farther,
and in all his decisions was exceedingly care
ful not TO waste time or words, or TO travel out
of the record, as is the fashion with our judges
now, who seek arguments in Karnak aud old
Thehes TO decide real estate questions in Rock
land county.
Why he retained his judgeship, therefore,
remained subject Of conjecture and perhaps
the most reasonable suggestion that he did
SO for employment Of mind, and 10 keep him
self from painful thought. lfso, it was good
plan. Nothing could more efectually drive
away all painful recollectons than steady deyo-
tion to the business of circuit judge, provd
ed he could once get the victory for the labor
over the memories. If painful memory kepl
him from business it would be of no avail, bu
lei him once forget the past in the absorbing
interest Of judicial study, and he might Tetair
the victory.
Such doubtless, was the truth with Judge
Cameron.
To the case now before him he had devoted
himself with even usual diligence. He seem
ed 10 be absorbed in it during the sessions OF
the court, and 10 have bent all the energies Of
his mind to the point involved. Ii was re-
marked, too, that from day to day, as il pro
gressed, he had gradually leaned more and more
against the prisoner, as if he had become con
WINGED Of the propriety of verdict Of guilty
even before the evidence closed. This is no
an uncommon occurrence. In most cases {
man must be superhuman to avoid this. It may
be said that judge should conceal them, if he
has such feelings. We will not stop to discus;
that now. Charles Cameron was no man Il
disguise his feelings on or off the bench.
The distric,-aitorney closed, and the jury
rose TO listen to the charge of the court.
The prisoner was a woman. She was in
dicted for the murder of her child, young in
fant, and the case had hung, as most cases o
this nature do, on medical testimony. Th'
child was but month old, and was found dea,
in its bed. The marks on its body might hay'
indicated the cause of its death, or might hav'
been the convulsive graspings of the mothe
holding her dead boy to her heart. The prose
cuiion contended for the one view, the defens
for the other. The medical evidence had bee
about equally balanced.
II was in proof that the mother lived alon
in house in the outskirts at the city. Iha
she kept servant, and had frequent visits fror
gentleman, whose face the servant had neye
seen, though two years had passed durin
which he was there almost daily. She live
in plain and respectable style, was seldom ou
of her house, saw no other person but this on
man, and had two children, of which this chill
was one which died one month after it wa
horn Her usual visitor had not been seen fc
a month before her arrest.
On the cross examination the servant Shove
clearly that she had feeling of enmity TO III
prisoner, growing out of some trihe, but nj
uncommon in persons Of her nation and pos
tion, leading them, as lawyers see daily illni
,rated, to lie, and verify their lies by oaths, I
obtain revenge for their real or fancied wrong
View it in its best light, the case was
dark one. So all who were in the courtroom
seemed TO think. So thought the prisoner