The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1855-06-13

murderer and had right to dispose OF my
existence as much as the laws and society
had to do so. had not aught to break the
laws or offend society. / have not imposed
upon others or myself in this affair. That
VIM. Beatson fell and killed himself is true.
l am no murderer any way. might say
so much, commend myself TO God. and
stop here. 1t is said that I have had two
impartial trials, this ought to be conclusive.
But gentlemen the trial by jury is not yet
perfected, human approaches to truth are
but difficult aad uncertain. / regret am
not understood, that the bent of my mind,
and the scope ofmy understandings are mis-
understood. | never dreamed Of murder;
my conscience would never have dared to
conceive it. That | murdered Beatson for
his money is absurd He was but poor
man, with less money than l. He was not
rich, and his friends have never made them
selves known, though it is but short journ-
ey from England to Ohio. had no ma
lignity towards him, and feel none toward
any human being.
II have dear wife who has in my long
confinement been an angel in her soIicitude
and care of me- l had never known her
virtues had it not been for my sad misfor-
tune. leave dear infant who has been
taught to clasp its arms around my neck
and whom love dearly. L leave aged pa
rents now near eighty years old, from whose
kind hearts had hoped to keep the sad
news of the ignomnous fate of their son.
Here his voice faltered and he burst into
tears.) 1t was for the sake of all those that
l attempted yesterday to shorten my life a
day. feel that did right, and hope
that those who report for the public prints
if they have regard for those love, spare
them if possible from the pain of seeing my
name coupled with that of murderer.
have suffered mentally and bodily by my
confinement; circumstances have had much
to do in making me improperly understood.
No innocent man put upon trial can be Ger
tain of acquittal He labors unaer great
disadvantages, thousand circumstances
arise and are spread through the world by
the public prints In his cell, shut out from
a chance to meet the unlavorable SUSPECT
ons with the antidote, he is born down by
these predjudces which have taken poses
sion of-the public mind. He cannot etface
this first impre sson, he is victim to lt'and
l to day declare myself to have been de-
sroyed by the paragraphs which in the be-
ginning pronounced me monster hyen"'
blood hound, murderer, black, blacker,
blackest of the guilty. What right had
they to say what intended to gain by kill
BeAtson? mans mind and intent are secrets,
no man can know them."
After speaking twenty minutes he took a
sin of wine and rested little, and asked
the sheriff if he was too long for his patience
and being assured that he was not, went on:
"Ihad hopel to have spared you this de-
plorable scene next to the regret. that l can
not spare my wife and child this shame, is
that leave them in land Of strangers,
desti tute and almost friendless.
"I should be glad to unfold to you the
feeling that man cntertsins on the thres'
hold of death; but am not master OF words
to express them. At times. confess that
| have felt humiIliated and depressed, at
others, bitter and vindicltive; soured, by
long and oppressive imprisonment, toward
the world. Phase after phase of ones life
appears in different and changing lights and
the peculiar condition Of being shut out oI
the light Of day the free air and the conver'
sation Of the world, has its unnatural and
warping influence upon the thoughts,
have studied my thoughts, created my own
philosophy OF my intentions is not under
philosophy, striven after truth; but the
stood. The honest man will say, "why did
YOU not If Beatson fell and killed himself al
the bndge. go Immediately and tell Of it?'
Ali. there is where the circumstances tha
envToned me, my eleven years in prison
nv blackened character, flashed across ny
mind, and determined me in what | did had
,weryed me fom the path of duty, and hat
lost what Solomon speaks of in tina. goodpr'
verb, "a good name "A good name is bet
ter than riches All, how true! So long
as good name is yours, it will be rock o
defence against thousand sssailants, ant
without it, single man shall put you t.
fight.
"Gentlemen: l assure you that I do no
deserve this fate. No man has kinde
disposition, no one whose life is freer from
cruel acts. | cannot help expressing my
heartfelt appreciation of oil the kindnesses
have experienced at thv hands of all wh'
have had to deal with me. To my counsel
Mr.. Coe, must awa,d goodness of hear
which is unsurpassed; and for Mr.. Griswod
must sayhis splordid speech in my defenc'
cool and logical astonished me, by show
ing how mastery he had expressed my
feelings and intentions. ] have received
much kindness from many men of every