The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-10-09


risge. No entreaty, no command, could stay
him. There was that in his manner, in his de-
termined look and deep voice, which silenced
opposition; so that, supported by his sister and
servant, he was placed in the carriage, and
driven as he commanded.
The trial of Hanson had nearly closed
The evidence, carefully sifted and examined,
was given to the jury. 1t is singular fact, that
so soon as one is set upon by the community, and
charged with a heinous crime, certain class,
sever valiant on the stronger side," labor as
siduously to convict. and even distort the truth,
rather than the weak victim should escape.
Things doubtful at first, grew positive as the
trial progressed and one witness, himself by no
means reputable character, testified to seeing
Hanson in the neighborhood of the event on
the night of its occurrence. The shades of
evening, wintry evening, stole in upon the
crowd now gathered in breathless slence-for
the attorney for the State was rising to address
the jury. A few candles lighted, and placed
upon the lawyers table and judge desk, seemed
only to deepen the gloom. Hanson's mother,
bent with grief and fatigue. held in her tremu.
lous hands one of his, and looked with anxious
earnestness at the judge-as if mercy held any
sway with the dark and cherries tribunal. Sud-
denly a noise was heard near the door, as the
crowd, moved by mysterious impulse, fell to
the right and left, opening a way through which
Albert Pinckney, pale as death, with bandaged
head, staggered, leaning upon his sister, until
he stood against the table in the centre of the
courtroom.
Had one risen from the dead, and taken his
place among the living, the sensation could not
have been deeper. They stared in breathless
silence, as Albert, gasping for breath, told the
history of the unfortunate night. He could not
relate it all, for no sooner did the first dawning
of the truth appear, than wild shrek was ut
tered by Hanson's mother, as she tainted in the
sufferers arms and cheer after cheer broke
from the excited crowd, despite the efforts of
court officials to preserve order. Albert was
carried by the spectators, loving and gently, to
hotel, while his father was hooted and almost
pelted from the courtroom.
That such a prosecution should be sustained
under the circumstances, filled the community
with indignation-and this feeling was trans
ferred through Miss Pinckney to his son. He
disowned, almost drove him from his presence,
and, unmOved by the tears and entreaties of
Margaret, lived the remnant of his life as if no
such being as his son had ever existed. AL
bert felt the justice of the sentence, but mourn
ed over the absence of that love which should
have tempered justice with mercy. After an in
terview with Hanson, in which the clerk explain
ed, contdentially, why, after starting to give to
his mother certain sum of money obtained
in transaction not the fairest, but by no means
criminal, he shrunk from putting in her hands
such gains, and had returned without visiting
their cottage, Albert departed, none knew width
er, and for many years his wanderings were
known only to himself. That they had been
wide and various, his great knowledge, gather
| ed evidently from experience, abundantly proved.
He returned to find his father in the spirit-land-
his large property secured to Margaret. She
besought her brother to take the wealth, and
earnestly begged him at least to receive one
halt, without success. The son inherited the
resolute spirit of the father, without the hard
ness which had made life a miserable failure
The devotion of brother and sister was exceed
ingly beautiful. He watched over and protect
ed her-while no sacrifice, no attention. seemed
sufficiently great to lay at his feet. She pre-
vailed on him to accompany her to Newport,
under the pretence that her health req uired sea-
bathing, so as to have him near her a little
space, he left for the golden gates of the far
Pacific, to which his business called him.
To tell how characters, thus moulded, Jared
among the peculiar circles of Newport has
been one of the principal inducements to give
| record of one season out of many in that IA
vorite place of summer resort.