Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1855-03-23
MIS- c ELLA " Y.
THE BLAcKsMITH's TRIAL.
ny srsrS c. BrRDlcx.

a, Muhlenburg county, where I should
strike the Green River far enough to the
n,rthward 10 take one Of the small aat boats
for the Ohio.
Late one evening | arrived at the town Of
Nj, intending TO take the stage from
there n 'hc next morning. The Bar.room
of the tav I'm was crowded with pcoplc, and
I noticed that largo numbers Of the citiicn.
were collected about the street corners, ap-
rcarins 10 - discu ssins soms matter o!n,osv
than usual interest.
I Of coursr became curious TO know tho
cau., of all thi., and at the first favorable
opportunity asked the question of the land
lord IL carcd at me a moment in silence,
and then. with an ominous shake Of the
head. hc gave me TO understand that most
dreadful thing had happened, but before he
could explain to me what il was, he was
called away to attend TO other business.
soon found, however, that the " drcad-
rul thing" was the subject Of conycration
an round me, and by simply listening, !
gained an insight into the mystery. ltsccm.
81 that there was 10 b. trial for murder
there on the next day and that the crimi.
nal was a Young blacksmith, who hAi t"cn
horn aud brought up in the town, and who,
until the present time, had horne a charnc.
- -. -
l cud,ayorcd q fni ou, the PARTICULAR,
hut could ascertain hut little upon which
To depend, Tor different people gave different
accounts. aud All who knew ANYTHING m
the matt.r wcrc to much excited 90 speak
calmly The murder had tau.pir-i only
about week before, and consequently
the cycnt Wa fresh in the minds II the
people.
Tho only fact. that came to mo, upon
which could roly. were ,ha, a midll'ac'l
man, named. Matthew Hampton, hah hc'n
murdered AMI roh'"i, and that Abel Al
ans. the young hlacksmi,h. had h"cn arrest
rl for the crime. and would H. tried on the
morrow. Some .aid that the mans money,
o. the amount II over two thousand dollars
had hcrn found IN the young mans p"r'on;
other. denied thi. statement. Yet all sym
rathi.rd with the prisoner. He was hc-
lowed hy an his town.mcn, aud hut Few
believed anything of the reports that hal
crrrt into ,i.,,,i-''a-
K. iUas Ice uo particular haste, r'-'lv'i
% remain in N until the trial bad
come IN. ~ | went AMI erased my name
from the .n-, book where had placed it,
and then informed mine host Of my deter
miuatiun.
On the following morning, at an Early
hour, the people l"can to hock towards TIE
court-hous,, and saw that ii would 80
cur a place I mus, pin the crowd. did
~. and at length found my~'lf within tho
building. aud, q. good fortune would have
il. | made stand near the prisoners box.
Ton O'Clock wa. the hour iycl for the open.
in. Of The court, and lerorc that time every
standing place outside the dock was dIIcl.
Staging. were erected upon the outside nm
der the windows, but thcsc, too, were crow
dci.
At the appointed time the court came in,
and the prisoner wa. conducted To the box.
Said prisoner was not more than h,c-and'
twenty YEAR. Of age lie possessed one Of
the mp.t rlrlsiu. rruntonaur'- ever saw.
/, wa. one or thos, bold, frank faces. full Of
courage and good naturc-ju.t such On.
~ /, uuhr.itatingly taken a. the index Of a
pure and generous soul H. was a stout
athletic man, and carried the palm at every
wrc.tling.match in the country.
| thought within myself, this man is NJ
murderer. And Vet We know not to what
cStrcmitics a man may h. driven. Young
ADAMS wa. quite pale, and hi' neither liT
, Quiycrcd rs hc found the gaze Of the multi
tudc frci on him; but his eve was bright
and quick, hut not deficient, yet bold and
hopeful in its deep blue light.
The trial commenced. The complaint
wa. clear and distinct, setting forth the fact
that the prisoner, Abel Adams, "did will
malice aforc thought" kill, etc, on such
T day. one Matthew IIampton-in the trt
placc by striking himon the head with some
blunt wcapon-and in the second place by
.tabhins him in the breast, etc. Toall thi'
the prisoner pleaded "not guilty From
the 6rst testimony called up learned the
following facts:
Near undown one afternoon about
week previous, Matthew Hampton stopped
at the shop of the prisoner to get his horsc
> .hod. This Hampton was wealthy far
mcr. and his estate lay To the southwark
near the Tennessee line, and only about tii'
teen miles from NJ. lie was known
10 have had some two thousand dollars with
him at that time-money which he had re-
ceiycl at Columbia for corn. IL was dusk
when he started from the prisoner shop
He took out his pocket.hcok to pay for the
job Of shoeins his horse. This he did with
in the shop, and two persons were present
who testified TO the fact, and also that, when
the pocket.book was opcncd, large bunch
Of Bank notes were exposed. About an
hour after Hampton left, the prisoner came
out Of his shop and went to his stable, and
having saddlod his Hcctest hors, he mount
ed and started a, full gallop, In the diree.
ton which Hampton had taken.
Next came two witnesses, Mr.. Simple