Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1855-09-15


point in the case.
"You can not fail TO have observed, gentle
men, that no attempt has been made to clear
the mystery hanging abou, the prisoners form
or history, character, and manner Of living
| Whether it has or has not any direct bearing
on the question Of her guilt or innocence, il
has much weight on the general question of
character. No proof Of good character is Of
fered you. No one stands here 10 youch for il.
No one offers any endorsement of the prison.
er's manner of life, but, on the contrary, you
are left to believe that she was without friends,
without acquaintsnces, aud for some reason out
of the pale of society. While this frendless-
ness may be the result Of misfortune, it is or
dinarily understood TO be the result Of guilt !;
and though it by no means authorizes you 10
stamp the prisoner as a murderess, il is enti-
tied 10 It's weight in determining her character,
and the probability of her being induced to COM
nit the crime of which she stands accused 20
With a few general remarks the charge
closed
Before the jury retired, and Immediately af-
ter the Judge ceased, one of the jurors, man
of mild and venerable ,spect, asked the court
~ ~ was piVpci " it4Ntet tnt ptlcoHcI u re-
move her veil. 81 cainot well determine a
question of such importance with reference to
person have never SEEM said he.
The prisoner was sitting in the same attitude
with her face turned to The the Judge, her head
leaning toward him, as Il she still heard his
voice. She had not moved. She heard the
question, however, and with one hand swept
back her veil from her countedance.
Never in any courtroom, ,ince the trial Of
the beautiful Lady Jane Gray, did a face Of
such royal beauty fash on the gaze Of an as
tonished jury. She was youne mot more than
twenty-five. Her features wGe of exquisite
mould her forehead broad and massive her
} eye lght-blue, and exceedingly clear and rich +,
her lips of matchless chiselng
But the agony that was on al her face was
/ unuiterable, indescribable. Sic fixed her stea-
: dy, imPloring gaze on the jud,e, turned it to
} the juror who had spoken, ard again let her
, veil fall, and herself sank back exhausted and
fantiug.
| 1t was not till after the juryhad retired that
the clerk observed that the jtdge had fallen
/ from his chair Hastily rushing up to the
, bench, the officers lifted him and carried him
5 to an open window. He revived soon, and
the snow on his forehead recilled him to his
4; senses. At frs, he muiiered some inaudible
J sentences, and then gained strength to stand.
, He looked around him anxialsy, and then
thanking the officers for their attention, he re-
f, sumed his seat and quietly awhiied, with 9TH
ers, the return of the jury. The attack was
] attributed by all present to over-exertion and
E the coseness Of the room. No one--l an
wrong-only one of the persons who were in
the courtroom besides himself knew of the
5 emotions which had so shaken that man.
. While the jury are celebrating we will 60
: back in the story, and endeavor to make the
scene as Ineligible to the reader as it was to
Q those two.
= Charles Cameron, the only son of wealthy
= lawyer of the colony Of Virginia, was heii
alike to a large fortune and a stern disposition.
i The old man had been Royalist in the revo-
/ luton and never forgaye the colonies their sue
3 cessful revolt. The son was Wing, as vio-
n lent as his father was on the other side, ant
many severe contests arose between them OF
political subjects. Ii was remarked as strange
that the old man, after all the violent scene,
which had passed between his son and himself
T. and altar all the enmity he had expressed to hi
+ sons principles, should have left him his for
f fortune without limit or incumbrance. The
son was in all respects worthy fortune. Ill
= was polished gentleman, good companion
e faithful counselor, and splendid scholar
+ He removed to a northern state shortly aftel
y his fathers death, and soon took prominent
II stand at the bar. Party politics ran high
a He was a candidate for Congress against maj