Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-12-29
An Old Man, and an Old Murder.

An Old Man, and an Old Murder.
| An old man, named John B. Jones, seventy
three wears old, has been convicted at Burling-
ton, Iowa, of murder committed fifteen years
| ago. The previous checkered history of the
murderer, and some of the incidents of the
muder, are brought out by the old mans con-
fession, which is given in the Burlington
Hawkeye:
| Nay aplease tile Honorable Court:
| | am an old man fast eottering to the grave.
The frosts of seventy three winters, though they
have not whitened my brow. have wrinkled my
face, and chilled my heart with many sorrows.
Mine has been a chequered life. And now.
when about to be separated from my fellows, |
may give truthful version Of the past.
| had a family and home-a rude home, it
is true, and plain and humble family-but
they were my all. The deceased robbed me Of
the one and invaded the sanctity Of the other.
Two small sons, lovely daughter, and wife
| "a cherished wife,
On returning to that home the day Of the
fatal deed, learned the certainty of the muddn-
ing truth, and fastened to the field, my rife
still in hand. I know not why went. l had
no fixed design. He met me with club
shot him. And though l claim not to have
acted in defence, do assert that there was
mutual combat. You know the rest. | fed
my family followed But for the fifteen years
l have lived at Lockland, l made no secret Of
! the deed had done.
| Now time has done its work. The Govern
ment itself has changed. New laws are passed
and old ones repealed-and those who then sur
rounded me have mostly passed away. Adif-
no 10 Il cn1p
of morals now prevails. drank liquor, it is
said, and true it is drank it. Not to have
done so then would have been the objection.
Men high in station leaned upon the dramshop
for support. To treat ones fellow 10 the poison
ing cup was deemed proof positive Of Genteet
training. l may not be held responsible alone
for the vices of society-it is enough that | have
been their victim.
Those days are past, and that loved one is
sone-borne down with trouble, she sank into
an early grave. That lovely daughter is now a
hopeless cripple, wearing a haggard face. OF
those two boys, who should have been the prop
| of my old age-the one is gone to join his in
! jured mother as witnesses against the dread
destroyer of their peace-the other, and my
heart sinks within me when | say it, Tires, but
not to me-with an deaf to my calamity, he
comes not near me. But I forgive.
To this Honorable Court, the Jury, and to
the Attorneys and officers thereof, and to the
people of this community, return my humble
thanks for their impartial hearing.
have never been criminal Of choice, but
rather the creature of circumstances, beneath
the weight of which far better men than me
have sunk. l may have been too jealous Of
mine honor, but never have but once proved
faithess to my trust. When my countrys
| rights were invaded, answered them, aud SO
did mine honor. With Gen. Jackson, in all his
Creek campaigns, l battled for my country and
| its laws At the FAST in the WILDERNESS, | was
| there. At the fast of Acorns, | was there-at
Emukfa and Taledaga, was there-and when
the shouts of victory drowned the cries Of the
dying at the battle of Horse Shoe, in the front
ranks of my country, l was there-and the
name of him whom now call John B. Jones
was another word for deeds Of daring.
These are of the past. A long life is nearly
spent--the scene has changed-but He above,
who reads the human heart, is, further than
the formal sentence of the law, competent to
judge me.
The Court sentenced the prisoner to hard
labor in the Peuitentiary, for the remainder of
his life on earth.
OHIO DENocEAcY.-The following very signi
Democracy" of Ohio, at their recent Conven-
| ton:
Resotred, That the people of Ohio moee, they hare
ARRAYS done look upon slavery evil and unfivo
rhy to the development of the spirit and practical benefit
of free institutions, and that entertaining these sentiments
they will at all times feel it to be their duty to all
clearly given by the terms Of the national compact pre-
rent Its influence to mitigate, and finally to etddicdte its
cells.
These, reader, are the principles and senti-
ments Of the Pierce democracy Of Ohio-the
regular " National Democracy and it will be
with men entertaining these sentiments that
the delegates to the National Convention at
Cincinnati will be compelled to affiliate, not
only from Ohio, but from New York, and all
the free States. The Charleston Mercury de-
clares that the South cannot, with honor, go
into this Convention, because it would be s'going
into fellowship with abolitonists and free
soilers." What think the old line conservative
wings of Georgia, to such a Z" fellowship p Is
abolitionism and freesoilism less obnoxious to
them than Americanism? In other words, will
they affiliate with the Ohio Democracy and the
New York Softs, the Van Burens included,
because of their hostility to the American Par
ty, whose platform on the slavery question is
the soundest ever adopted by any national par
ty? Will Southern Wings, intelligent reflect
ing men, permit themselves to be led into such
an utilization from sheer PREF Enthusiastically no
one but the place seekers will thus stultify
hemselves.-4ugusta Ga.) Sentinel.
FASHIONABLE ExTRAvAGANcE.-We hear a
great deal about i" hard tines in England as
we'll as elsewhere, but the following particulars,
gathered from the London Art Journal, would
seem to imply very different state Of things
among the uirttosi:
A collection of antique articles belonging to
Mr.. Bernal, having been sold under the ham,
mer, realized the enormous sum Of e62, SOL.
Wealthy noblemen competed with the British
Museum for many of the imaginary prizes.
Among the articles sold were the following: A
cup and saucer from China brought ESQ, and
two vases from the same country FL ,942, which
originally cost only 9200; two brass candle
sticks, with the date of 1862 upon them, fetched
22l guineas; a piece of Palsy ware, which
cost in France originally twelve francs, was
purchased by Baron Rothschild for e162;
common crystal, with story connected with it,
sold for e267, and yet the original cost in Paris
was ten francs; and a number Of old German
jugs were sold for 940 each. The articles
purchased for the Government amounted to the
nrettv fortune IF P19 600 The foIies uerne-