The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1855-12-20

prisoner was soon placed at the bar. The
jury was duly enipanneled. The advocate
for the crown was in his place. The prison
er's counsel was beside him; and the Judge
was upon the bench. Brown as he entered
the dock, had been SO mach agitatcd by the
dread reality of his guilt, and the prospect Of
speedy punishment, that he had not cast his
eyes upon the Judge. IL now looked eau
tiously at him. He s.Y eye Of the Judge
fixed upon him, and :. ar:ed with horror
"Oh, God !" said he, with lound voice,
while the sweat rolled down his cla'k.like
face. cit is the murdered man. Ha, he
has como to judge the guilty See tflerp,
his forehead is SCARED Back, back, say
let tho dead man look his fill There's
blood upon my hand /; sec there thou nm
quiet spirit! that hand was reeking in thy
gore twas merciless when thou credst out
be merciless now in thy turn, thou man Of
the spirit land" ss.' s... ..- ........
Here the prisoner tainted and fell upon
the floor. A great sensation was caused in
court by this singular circumstance, and it was
not unit; "order" had been shouted for some
time that the trial was suffered to 90 on. 1t
appears that Browns neighbors all consider
ed him guilty Of the crime Of endeavoring to
murder the individual named in the begin
ming of this tale, and who was now the pre-
siding judge of the Old Bailey. The affida-
Wit was kept in green remembrance, especial
y by one old farmer in the neighborhood of
Hopedale, who had appropriated Browns
farm to his own use, and who constantly
watched the murderer's return, for he knew
human nature so we'll as to be certain that
no wretch can be so callous as to forget the
spot sacred to childhood, innocence and ear.
y love. The robber seeks his homo, the
murderer seeks the shades Of his once hap
py valley, the seducer wanders amid the
bowers where passion, like dark torrent,
burst away the barriers between his soul and
hell. The unfortunate man, Ignorant of his
wife's actions, and unconscious of the certif-
cate in her possession, ignorant of her exis-
tence even, after long cruise in the navy Of
England, returned to view the pleasant
homestead-the green yalley-the quiet hill
side, and the sunken graves of his parents
and children. He had met the urgus.eyed
speculator on his way. The old affidavit
hung like the sword of Damocles over his
head, and the informer, at sunset saw the
poor broken hearted sailor borne away to
London, and, as he trusted, to a felon's
grave. Man carelessly feeds upon the fruits
that hang over the church-yard wall, and
gathers roses from the sacred plains 2,
"where once the lifes blood warm and wet,
Had dimmod the glittering bayonet."
The trial then proceeded-the evidence
was strong, and the jury without quitting
their seats, pronounced the prisoner at the
bar GUILTY |"
"Guilty 2" said Brown, rising to his feet
'can it be All must die felon's death
and my poor wife. Oh that papg!-
How tender endear .nents rise up in Judge
ment against me her soft words, how they
thunder npon my soul! Hersmiles of beau
ty and innocence-Great God, how they
scar my heart must then die without her
fegivenessi Oh, the thought is torture, aye
torture as dreadful as that experienced by
the vilest of the damned !" ..',
Here the prisoner became unnamed, and
burying his face in his fettered hands wept
like child The strong passion of grief
shook the prisoners limbs, and ratified the
silence ensued, and then the judge put on
his black cap, and prepared to pronounce
that awful sentence which never can be pro-
nounced without awakening the dormant
sensibilities Of the most degraded which
none in fact but the condemned, ever heard
without flood of tears.
prisoner at the BAR" said the Judge,
"stand up" Brown rose. "What have you
to say why sentence of death should not be
pronounced against yog! said the Judge
continuing bis remarks. A eight rustling
noise was now heard at the bar, and a fe-
male in widows weeds, leaned her head over
to speak to the prisoner.
"Stand back, woman" said self.sutfi-
cient tip staff, who, like some of our consta-
bles, imagine the old adage, NECESSITY has
no law" to mean "law has no necessity"
The woman threw back her veil, and look.
ing the judge fully in the face. said--"May
IL please your worship TO permit me to aid
my husband in his last extremitya"
The Earl thought he knew the face, and
tone Of voice, and therefore commanded them
officer to place the wife beside her husband.
Meg" said Brown, while the tears stream.
ed down his face, haggard with guilt, "it is
very kind Of you to visit me thus. Can yon
forgive your guilty husband 7" aa lals Il
"John," said the meek-eyed woman, as