Plymouth advertiser. [volume] (Plymouth, Ohio) 1853-1988, 1855-09-08

than a child unborn. | am tine son OF
poor brt respectable parents near Albany.
| never was guilty OF a crime. l appeal
to God for m innocence Of this murder.
Mr.. Withers was kind 10 me on tue jour
ney from Albany, aud upon telling him
that came with letters of recommends
ton to see some gentlemen in New York,
who might procure me situation, Inc
promised to use his endeayorS TO get me
one himself. If ! have murdered this
man ] am a monster, thing tor mia to
shudder at and for Heaven to fursab be.
Yet you see | can with unLlanchsd check
call upon God to witness my innocence
| am guiltless Of the crime, aud Heaven
may yet point out the hidden perpetrators
Of it. Mr.. Withers had small portman-
teau with him when he went to bed, and
we babe each other good night at the
door. turned TO the servant of the inn
and gave him my cloak with the promise
of shilling if he would brush it vel, and
return it to me in the morning. lie took
it and went away then went TO bed.
How / came to be in Mr.. Wither'S bed
room as Heaven is my Judge | know not.
, | did no murder. | had no weapon.
am innocent. My life may be sacrificed,
| but | am innocent. God help me-God
help me ?
l There was dcath-like silence in the
court when | had finished speaking, and !
noticed the spectators looking at each 9th
' Ell in doubt and surprise.
T Where is the servant man? said tn,
e magistrate, for he had left the court room
= There was a little hustle in the justice
/ room, and the man was brought hack.
e What is your name 2 said the magis
4 istrate.
n 'Ephraim Jenkins, sir
: State again your reason for supposinG
| this youth guilty of this horrible crime
, 4 heard cry Of murder, and | wok'
: up the captain of the sloop, who slept il
J., the next room to mine, and together wen
= to the room from whence the cries pro
o coedcd. We fouad this young man in hi
night clothes, just in the act Of ESCAPING
? towards tho window, and having secure
), him, we went to the side of the bed O
/ which lay the old gentleman he wa
wounded, stabbed in the breast with a Ion
lie knife or dagger, apparently, and he gaspe
ID out something about a red cloak, he mer
II toned the same words again before he dice
a and the prisoner had on cloak lined wit
" bright red when he came to the inn las
night
OF 'On your OATH said the magistrate, di
It the prisoner OF did he not hand you h
le cloak, and promise you shilling ic
le brushing it, as he says?'
n ITe did not
'God forgive you,' said I.
he you may retire said the magistrat
ed AMI then turning to the captain he aske
Did Jenkins awaken you during Il
ne night .
ne He did,
al State what followel'
by The witness gave the same account
nd Jenkins. lie had heard cries for help, Al
ds shouts Of murder, and he had proceed
ID with Jenkins TO the room whence t
nd sounds came, and had there found t
&C. prisoner, his late passenger, as already {
1st scrbcd. The landlord had also heard t
'w noise, but he had not reached the roc
where the murder was committed until
-et prisoner was secured. The magistrate &C
on, tinued.
sed you have no doubt, presume, that
u a murder was committed for the purpose
obtaining the money that was in the *
ave tlemans possession p
M No doubt OF that, replied the accuse
on But where is the portmanteou the g
mt, tloman carried to the inn with him, q
md which, doubtless contained money? |
any one seen it since the MURDER
No. was the response, no one has ST
hat it,
sWhat can have become Of the pc
the manteau,' continued the magistrate.
ave No one spoke. and lie then added.
nat WAS the knife or weapon found
lme which the wound on the unfortunate
III Withers could have been inflicted p
gin There was no answer.
pris ,ner,' said the magistrate to
we this case is involved in some mist, iy
sred absence Of your supposed temptations
hau commit the murder, viz: the portmante
'e0" anu they not finding the kniio with wi
/: Mr.. Withers was stabbed. | do not
sk J; how you could have time to conceal Il
'ED' things, seeing how and where you v
ual- taken, but it is my duty to commit
ugh for trial. The dying words Of the vic
hg,: concerning the cloak are against you.
Win are fully committed for trial on the CT
tai charge
am | tainted away, and in that conditic
VINO was borne to the prison. The Session
not come ON for month, and during
time an inquest was held on the body,
ONE it was found that the heart had been pi
ho ed with some sharp weapon and the
9" wonder was that death had not ensued Il
my quickly than it did, the verdict of the
the oners jury was 'wilful MURDER Of col
!, and everything appeared in a fair wa.
tue hanging ne. Time wore away, an
tne wanted only four days to the trial. NJ
rneo while my father and mother had com
Dom 9 New York, and had visited me. ]
by were overwhelmed with grief, poor thi
ehseS and they truly believed me innocent
re fancy they were alone in this belief :
:, had sought out counsel for me, but
> the lawyer had plainly told them that t.