The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-01-31

Do not form opinions blindly-
Hastiness to trouble tends;
Those of whom we've thought unkindly
Oft become our warmest friends.
The Dead, Alive.
BY S. u EIGELow.
Many has been the tale that has been
written to depict the uncertainties, and moi
unfrequent injustice, that arises from the
results Of trial, the prosecution of which
is founded purely on circumstantial evidence;
still, juries do not seem TO heed them, and
when prejudice is once raised against an ac-
cused party on account Of certain suspicious
circumstances by which he may be acciden-
tally surrounded, they seem to blindly seek
his conviction, and as quickly return YER
diets to that effect when, If the wisdom oil
the Bench does not detect the fal.acy and
unjustncss OF the proceeding, the unhappy
but innocent prisoner is doomed to pass
weeks, months, and even years Of suffering,
in agony of spirit that none but those who
have been thus martyrcd on the altar OF
public. opinion, can appreciate or imagine.
More terrible is it, when a capital crime is
charged and apparently susta;ncd-when
stHtIitc - idsSNu-N Htil tllc VI CStNu-
ton arrives, and a fellow being is deprived
of his existence-swuns into the myteries
Of eternity, by virtue OF the administration
Of an " even-kanded justice ."-whie myri-
ads of whose guilt there is positive, over
whelmine, and direct testimony, escape
through the dodge Of 4 sharp" practition-
or, or by reason of some technical illegal ty
or immaterial proceeding on the part Of the
IN tho S,rirf LET
ter Of the law, which would not however in
the slightest degree affect the intrinsic
rights Of the accused. Justice may well be
represented as blind, for, as she prcsides in
our courts, her shafts equally destroy and
ruin the innocent a they fail to reach the
guilty bu. well-defended villain.
Some five years since, on a lovely day
about the middle Of August, party of chill
dren, whose parents resided in Lccouk,
Rhode Island, started on biackberrying
expedition. With clated spirits. and the
free, bounding step of nnsuspicious and
gleesome childhood, they sought the neigh
boring woods, fully expecting the holiday
they were thus improving would be one Of
una'oyed and uninterrupted pleasure. Their
only protector was large Newfoundland
dog, whose sagncity was equalled only by
his symmetrical, bounding form. Away
went the party over hills and across the cul-
tivatcd feds, to their destination. The
wood, TO which they bent their steps, lay
upon the side of a gently rising hill, some
what retired from the public roads, and was
fayorite summer-day resort for parties OF
pleasure from the surrounding country.
Arriving on the SPOT thsx sRa s89n tSana ase
ly alternately engaged in pickinc and romp-
ing.
Not long had they thus amused themselves
when their boisteTous mirth was suddenly
checked by scream of alright from one OF
the younges, Of the party, who, in company
with two or three others, had sauntered
short distance from the rest. Fastening to
the spot, they all. with a universal shrek Of
horror, fled rapidly towards their homes.
The sight that met their eyes was one that
was well calculated TO fill their young minds
with the utmost CONSERVATION. 1t seems
the dog Bruno had been scratching IN the
ground at a pace which on examination
bore the marks of recent removal. In so
doing he had exposed TO view the faac OF
human bcinc. which had been covered with
chloride of limo. Announcing the discOv
cry 10y a succession of sharp barks, he had
drawn the attention of the young children
to the place. The horrible intelligence
spield with almost lightning speed through
the usually unexcitable town Of Lccouk,
and a crowd rapidly hastened TO the wood.
where they speedily exhumed the body. 1t
was Immediately recognised as the body OF
Q woman whose husband, being sea cap
IA n, had left Providence the day previous
for Norfolk by the way of New York. A
coroner's jury was Immediately called, and
testimony taken. Dozens recognized the
body as that of Captain Loder's wife, and
swore to that fact. The sister of the de-
ceased identified the dress as the one she
usually wore. and also her earrings. The
murderous deed had evidently been com
mitted some two or three days previous;
several marss of violence wero found, some
of which appeared to have been made with
a knife. Her countcnance was so distigured
that her features could not be recognized,
but her sister ,emarking that her relative
had lost tooth from the centre Of the up
per row, on examination, that tooth was
found to be missing, and no fur her doubt
remained as to the identity of the body.
1t had been matter of gossip among the
neighbors, that trouble existed between
Captain Loder and his wife, which was very
manifest from the frequent 4uarrels that
would take place between them whenever
words having been heard issuing from their
dwelling but few days previous. Both
were well known to be in an i'll humor, and
were suddenly missing, but it was supposed
that she had accompanied him to Provi-
dence, as she occasionally did when her
husband was about leaving with his vessel
for the South. Nothing further was said
relative to her absence until this accidental
and horrible discovery.
The excitement Of the good people of Le-
conk was intense; the coroner's jury, with
out moments hesitation, brought in ..that
the deceased came to her death by violence
inflicted by her husband" A dispatch was
therefore Immediately forwarded to the
Chiefs office in New York, in which city,
steps were taken to secure the accused par
ty as on as his vessel should enter the
harbor. Captain Loder and his little bark
arrived safely at the quarantine. Here he
was surprised by the visit of two officers,
who evidently were connected with the po-
lice department.. When they arrested him
but few words were interchanged.
"Captain, we arrest you."
"For what?" he asked, with little appa-
rent emotion. 4c gs
"On charge of murder" was their bust
ness like reply.
Who? where's" was the quick rejoinder.
"Your wife"
"My God!" With this exclamation his
exhibited for a moment that
peculiar expression that battles even those
best yersed in the study of human nature,
and which might either be construed as the
evidence of detected guilt or indignant in
nocence. No other word escaped him,
while he hastily prepared to accompany the
officers. --i-...