Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1855-01-18
The BIacksmilhs Trial.
BY AUSTIN q. BuRDIck.


= BY AUSTIN q. BURDICK.
In the fall of 1649. / was travel
! ing in the West on business. llel
the Mississippi steamboat at Colun
} bus, Kentucky, having made up m,
mind to trayelby land as far as Muh
lenburgh county, where ! shoul
strike the Green River far enough t
the northward to take one OF tn
small flat boats for Ohio.
: Late one evening ! arrived at tn
town Of Mayfeld, intending to taxi
the stage from there on the mex
morning. The bar-room of the tav
ern was crowded with people, and
noticed that large number OF tn
citizens were collectedaboutth street
corners. appearing to be discussing
some matter Of more than usual IN
terest. i.in J. si.ssss D. 9en6fsr
Ofcourse became curious to know
the cause Of all this, and a. the first
favorable opportunity / asked the
question of the landlord. He gazed
at me moment in silence, and then
with an ominous shake Of the head,
he gave me to understand that most
dreadful thing bad happened. but
before he had explained me what it
was, he was called away to attend to
other business.
] soon found, however, that the
dreadful thing was the subject Of the
conversation all around me; and BY
simple listening, gained an insight
into the mystery. 1t seemed that
there was to be trial for murder
there on the next day, and that the
criminal was young blacksmith, who
had been born and brought up in
that town, and who, until the present
time, had borne character above re-
proach. si5st'a3 Fl ..sgies ll
/ endeavored to find out the par
ticulars, but i could not ascertain but
little upon which to depend, for diff
ferent people gave different accounts,
and all who knew anything Of the
matter we're too much excited to
speak calmly The murder had
transpired only a week before, anc
consequently the event was fresh in
the minds of the people. 9
The only facts that came to me,
upon which could rely, were that
a middle aged man, named Mathew
Hampton, had been murdered and
robbed, and that Abel Adams, the
young blacksmith, had been arrested
for the crime, and would be tried on
the morrow. Some said that the
murdered mans money, amounting
to over two thousand dollars, had
been found upon the young mans
person, but others denied this state
ment. Yet all sympathized with the
prisoner. He was beloved by all Of
the townsmen, and but few Of them
could believe anything ofthe reports
that had crept into circnlations s'aa
As I was 10 no particular hurry, g
resolved to remain in Mayfield until
the trial had come of; so / wentand
erased my name from the stage book
where had placed it, and then In
formed mine host Of my determina-
ton.
On the following day, at an early
hour, the people began to aock to-
wards the courthouse and I saw that,
if / would secure q place, l must
join the crowd. / did SO, and at
length found myself within the build
ing, and, as good fortune would have
it, l made stand near the prisoner g
box. Ten o'clock was the hour fixed
for opening the court, and before that
time, every conceivably standing
place outside Of the dock was filed,
Stagings were erected upon the out
side under the windows, and these
too, we're crowded. ii
At the appointed time the court
came in, and the prisoner vas con-
dueted to the box. Said prisoner
vas not more than Eve and twenty
years Of age. He possessed one o.
the most pleasing ooun.enances l ev-
er saw. 1t was one OF those bold.
frank faces, full Of courage and good
nature-just such an cne as Is an
hesitatinsly taken as the index 20 Il
pure and generous soul. He was a
Stout, athletic man, and carried the
palm at every wrestling match in the
country.
| thought within myself, this man