Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1855-03-23
OLD SERIES. VOL. %, NO. II.

Abel Adams, stand up and look the
foreman in the face. Now, sir, Is AbelAd-
ans, the prisoner at the bar, guilty Of thu
murder or nOt!"
IIarki The syllable Of The word, Z" Gd.
ty," Is upon the foreman's lips, but he
speaks IL not. Those who yet croud about
the windows shout with all tleir might, and
In a momen, more man crowds his way
into the court room. lie hurries up and
whisper, TO the judge. Henry Bilgcr, starts
up and moves towards the door, but In an
instant the hand Of the sheriff is -upon him.
Al is excitement the most intense. Direct.
ly the mas a, the door begins to give way,
and four men are secn hearing upon their
shoulders a chair--a large stuiT'd chair
and in that chair sits Matthew Hampton
not dead but alive. True he IS pale and
CHASTITY, bu, his eyes arc open and bis liTs
... ,.' - -. - -
fore tho bench, and the old physician OF
NJ asks permission 'osPcak. Assoon
as this fact became known, all Is quiet once
more.
The physician say. thas neither Of tho
wounds which Mr. Hampton had received
i. mortal, though he at hr,t thought they
were. The blow upon the head, and the
.tab In the breast, combined to produce
case Of catalcrsy which rc.mblcd death -
nearly that many an experienced P"r'on
might have b,cn received. When he gave
out shat Mr.. Hampton wa' dead, he thought
i, wass,. But when he found that llamT-
ton ~as living. he kept the secret 10 himself,
for fear that a certain man, who's presence
was much nocici, might L. missing.
At this juncturr, Mr.. lIrnry Rilscr mad"
a .ayacr attcmr, to hr,ak away from III"
.hcriT. hut it did not avail him. The jury
wcrr directed to return 20 their box, and
and then. Mr.. Hampton was requested to
,p,ak. lie ras TOO weak to rise, but he
,pokc plainly, and in manner that showed
hi. mind tp b. clear.
IIe stated HAT when be- reached the bluH
on the night II the disaster, hc discovered
that Nj. pocket book was gone I've stop
r.-i hi- horse, and was trying to think Wher'
he had lost Il. ~hcn some one came up from
the raad.iIe. lIe had just time 10 -cc that
IL WI. Henry Bil.rr, when he received
blow upon the bead from club that knock
cI him from hi-horsc. Then he frlta sharp
singing, burning pain in the hosom' and
with a momcntary starting Of his muscles
he opened hi. eyes. lIcaV that Bilser Wa'
stopping over him, ani ransackinr hi Tock'
r,. lie could ju,t remember Of hearing the
Ji.,,pt Gallon II a hor.c-tha, he thought
hi. bgIy WI. bcin; dragged TO III" roadside
and after that he could remember nothing
an no .-.L =. o.. own hOusr, aud found
u,- ip,,or ~ hish"d'ii'.
For little ~hile longer The multitude
had 10 restrain them,.lyc-. I remember
that the Judge said something 70 the jury
and tha, the jury whispered together for
moment, then the prisoner 'tood mp one"
morr. and the foreman Of the jury said, not.
guilty.
Then burt forth the hearty shouts of the
r.oplr. Abcl ADAMS sank hack into hi'
lat. bat in moment more he was seifci
bra,c,re of stout men, ani with wild
shouts thcy hur, him into the free, purc
air. where the bright stars looked down and
smiled upon them. 4 Little way had they
cone when they met young woman whose
hair was howiug in the night wind, and
who runc her hands in agony. They stop
roi ami 1T their burjcn down. Abcl Ad'
ans saw the woman, and spans forward
aud caught her to hi. bosom.
Mary-Mary-I'm innocen'-innoecn'
and free"
The wife did not speak She only clunS
wildly to her noble husband and Nrpt upon
his bosom.
\ wagon body was torn from its a1Ie'r-e
the blacksmith and his wife werc placed
therein: and then they were borne away to-
varl. their home, and long after they had
passed from my sight, could hear the glad
shout Of the impul.iye people waking tho
night air, and rcycrbcratins among the dis
tant hills.
On the next morning, before ihee'asi
started. | learned that Matthew Hampton
had determined to make the young black
smith accept Of one thousand dollars wh'th'
or he WIS willing or not.
Two weeks aiterwnrd, while sitting IN
the Office Of my hotel At Cincinnati, ~
cciyc,l newspaper from NJ; Henry
R,lrr had been hangcl, and on the eallow'
Acknowledged hi gull. Matthew llamP-
ton was slowly recovering, and the black
smith had, after much eypostnla''on' as-
cep,od the thousand dollars ffom lIampton's
bounty.
F,NxY Frav DACumREorYrED. She Is