Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1855-03-23


looked like a man. They at oncc dismount-
ed, and found that which they had seen
was the body df Matthew Hampton, all gore
covered and bleeding. They had not been
there more than minute, when they were
Dined by third man, who said that he's
the murlcr committed, and that the mur-
dcrrr hed towards n.
Simple and Jordan both recognized this
new conner a. one Henry Bilser, and, though
his character was by no means Of the most
exemplary character. vet that wa. no time
for discussion. The body Of Hampton was
still warm; 90 that the murderer could no,
b.-~ 49,. 49,. in-- un-a. LaS y. '-.--'
~ Simple agreed 10 remain by the body
while Jordan and Bilgcr went in pursuit of
the murderer They put their horses u the
top of their speed, and in hall an hour they
overlook the prisoner, whom Bilccr st once
pointci out a. the man. Jordan hailed the
Young blacksmith, and found him nervous
and .tcitei. lie then asked him II he hsi
sccr Matthew Hampton, and Adams replied
in the Affirmative, but he spoke in \ very
strange manner. Aftcr some cIpo'tulation
the prisoner ACCOMPANIED Jordan oM--,
and there he WAS placed in the hands Of the
sheriff, and upon examining his pcr-on, Mr..
HAMPTON. pockct.book, containing two
thousand dolIsr', wa' found upon lin, and
hi. hands covered with blood.
At thi. iuncsurc the eteit'ncnt in the lit
de court room wa' int,nsc. The crowded
mas swayrd to and r. like -ind-'scpt
srain-murmur. loud and dcrp, and It wa.
few minutes before anything like order
was restored
At length Henry Bil,cr was upon The
stand. H. uas known sy meet of the pro-
pie u NJ. ani thoush nothing psi
tive was known against hin " criminal
nature, vet he was Lno-n - h" r"cklcss,
wanlcrin. fellow. sometimes trading in
slaves: and sometime. dealing In hor-- And
sometimes driving ilat down the Mis-is-
.irpi lIc stopped upon the witnSs'c'' block
with complaisani how aud he gave in hi'
testimony clearly And distinctly.
H. said he was coming down the road To-
ward NJ On foot and when near the
Lluf hc heard struggle, ACCOMPANIED by
loud rruan. and cntruiic' H. 'prnc for.
ward and arrived in sa.1n 10 So" the pri--
oncr leap into hi. saddle AMI ride ID. Tho
moon wa. shining 1t the time, 81 he could
not have b."n mistaken ~ soon ~ b"
. f.p.,l Ne Uag,,ino vas As ne supposed,
dead, u" start~l 20 oHitcr hov -. '.'',-
Irrc,I man. hur.o nrl toward, home, - BE-
could rain m assistance in that way. H.
had mot gone f,r. however, when b, beard
the sound n horses iert, sni on returning
to the .r1t h. found simple and jordan
standing there
Bil.rr was cross-qncti'nci very severely,
hut hi, testimony was not to l. hawcl.
H. wa very explicit in all hi' statements.
and a, the Same time hc pror,'s't % fcl =
ior, regret that he was called upon 20 To-
,ify against = man cor whom hefnlta' much
rr.poc, a. be- lii for the prisoner.
At length Young Adams Arosr To tell hi-
story. H. spoke clearly AMI with the tone
of a man who tells the truth H. said that
about an hour after Matthew Hampton had
lcit hi, shop on the evening in question, he
went 10 the sink 10 wash his hands and
while there, be- tryd On something that at
tractrd hi attention. IIcGtoopciand pick
cd il up. and found it To h. q Iockct-hock,
AMI un takin, il 10 the light IL proved to he
Mr.. llamptous. lie remembered that
Mr. Hampton had paid him cor shocinc the
hor-e. ho went to the sink after a drink Of
water, and then be- must have dropped the
hook. The youn: blacksmith's first idea,
he aid, was TO keep the book until llamp-
ton came lack, butupon the second thought
he resolved To saddle his horse and try Ia
nyertakc him and restore the money. Ac-
cordingly he set oT, and when be reached
the hlufT, III. horse lcsan In rear and snort.
H. discovered something laying by the road
side, and upon dismoun,ins and going tn 1t,
he found it tn be the body Of Mr. Hampton
.uill warm and bleeding. H. first satisfied
himself that he could DO nothing alone, and
then he started back towards N for
assistance. when he was ovcrtaken by
Jordan and Bilccr. the idea Of having Ham
p,on'. money with him, broke upon him
with stunning force, and hence his strang'
and incohorcnt manner.
When the prisoner at down there vas
low murmur which told him that his story
was believed Butlhc Judge shook his head,
and the lawyers did the .ame, and the jury
looked troubled and anxious. The prison
cr's cuunsol dill all he could to establish his
clients good character, and al-o to imPoaeh
the character Of Bilgcr, but he could not
rcrute the testimony that had already been
given in.
When the Judge came to charge the jury
he spoke Of the testimony against the pri'-
oner, and Of corroboratiye circumstances
With regard to the prisoners story, he said
that it was very simple, and sounded very
much like the truth; but he would have the
jury remember how easy such stories codld
h. made.
1t was long after dark when the jury re-
tired to make up their verdict. They were
gone half an hour, and when they returned
the foreman showed by the hue of his ooun-