Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1855-05-12
The BlaeksMlth's IriAl---Scele In Western
Court,

The Blaeks@lth's IriAl---Scele In Western
Court,
In the fall of 1919, ! was travelling in
the West on business. I left the Mis-
sissippi steamboat at Columbia. Ken
lucky, having made up my mind to trav-
ell by land as far as Muhlenburgh coun>
ty, where | should strike Great river far
enough to the northward to take one oI
the small fiat boats for the Ohio. Late
one evening, l arrived at the town Of
NJ =, intending to take the stage from
there ON the next morning, The bar
room of the tavern was crowded with
people, and ! noticed that large numbers
of the citizens were collected about the
street corners, appearing to be discuss
ing some matter Of more than usual in
terest. OF course | became curious to
know the cause of all this, and at the
first favorable opportunity I asked the
question of the landlord. He gagged at
me moment in silence, and then, with
an omennus shakesof the head, he gave
me to understand that most dreadful
thing had happened, but before he had
explained to me what it was. he was
called away to attend to other business.
[ soon found, however, that the
dreadful thing" was the subject Of con-
vers4tion all around me, and by simply
listening, gained an insight into the
mystery 1t seemed that there was to
he a trial for murder there on the next
d Y, and the criminal was young black
smith who-had been born and brought
up IL the town, and who, until the pres
ent time, had borne character above
reproach. | endeavorcd to find out the
particulars, but | could ascertain little
upon which to depend, for different pco-
pie gave different accounts, and all who
knew anything of the matter were too
much excited to sp. ak calmly. The
murder had transpired only about week
befhre, and Consequently the event was
fresh in the minds of the people. The
only facts that came to me, upon
which | could rely, were, that middle
aged man named Matthew Hampton, had
Teen 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, to the
amount of over two thousand dollars,
had been found upon the young mans
person, but others denied this fact. Yet
all sympathized with the prisoner. He
was beloved by all his townsmen, and but
few of them could believe any thing of
the reports that had crept into circu-
lation.
As | was in no particular haste, | re.
solved to remain in NJ - until the trial
had come off so | went and erased my
name from the stage book, where ! had
placed it, and then informed mine host
of my determination.
On the following morning, at an early
hour, the people began to flock towards
the courthouse, and 1 saw that if 1 would
secure a place | must join the crowd. l
did SO, and at length found myself with
in the building, and as good fortune
would have it, l made stand near the
prisoners box. Ten O'Clock was the
hour fixed for opening the court, and
before that time every conceivable stand
ing place outside of the dock was filed
Stagings were erected on the outside un-
der the windows, and these, too, were
crowded.
AT the appointed time the court came
in, and the prisoner was conducted to
the box. Said prisoner was not more
than five and twenty years of age. he
possess d one Of the most pleasing
countenanccs ever saw 1t was one of
those bold, frank faces, full of courage
and good nature, just such an one as is
unhesitatingly taken as the index to a
pure generous SOUL He was stout,
athletic man, and carried the palm at
every wrestling match in the country. l
thought within myself, this man is no
murderer. And vet we know not to
shat extremities man may sometimes
be driven Young Adams was quite
pale, and his neither lip quivered as he
saw the gaze of the multitude fixed Upon
him, but his eye was bright and-quick,
but not defiant, yet bold and hopeful in
It's deep blur.
The trial commenced. The complaint
was clear aud distinct, setting forth the