Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-03-23
Moral u 80 OF thr ~ Horoscope.

WOt1t 80 of tnt microscopic.
It's thought that the microscope nny be used
IL detect secret murders by examining the last
impression upon tie Ictnn OF the murdered man.
This oplnl'r, may Prove erroneous. but the mi
croscopo has often acted the part of an accuser
in bringing to light proofs of criminal nets which
might otherwise have escaped detection. The
following incident is in point
The value of this peculiar discriminating pow
CT Of the microscope was remarkably illustrated
IN very curious case tried n few years ago at
Norwich. female child, about nine years old,
WAS found one morning, lying drad-the cause
of The death being at once denoted by II large and
deep cash in the throat sevcriDg both of the ca
rotd arteries, the traohea and the esophagus,-
Suspicion Immediately fell upon the mother of
the murdered girl, who had been seen by more
than Que person leading her daughter towards
the plantation ON the morning f the day upon
which the crime was presumed 10 have been com
mitted.
tpon being taken into custody, the woman
behaved with the utmost coone-s-at once I'D
mitted having taken the child IL the plantation
where the body was found, but averred that, hay
ing arrived there, the girl about gathering
wild flowers; that she subsequently lost sight Of
her, and after long search, returned home with
out her.
Upon being searched there was found in the
woman's possession a large and sharp knife.whch
was at once subjected to a minute and careful Elk
|,
with the exception of few pieces of hair adhering
to the handle, 50 exceedingly small AS scarcely to he
visible. The examination being conducted in
the presence of the prisoner. and the officer
marking,
Here is a bit of fur or hair on the handle of
your knife
The woman immediate replied
"les | dare say there is, and very likely some
stains of blood, for "a came home found rnb
bit caught in "a snare and cut its throat with the
knife"
The knife was sent to London. and. with the
PARTICLES of hair, sub, c'ed To microscopic cx-
animation. No traces of blood could at first be
detected upon the weapon, which appeared to
have been washed; but upon separating the horn
handle rom It's iron lining, it WIS found that be
tween the two a fluid had penetrated, which turn
ed out to toe blood. certainly not the bloal of Il
rabbit. but bearing ev1rv resemblance Ia that of
the human body. Then came the examination of
the hair. which added powerfully 10 :hr presump-
ton of the prisoners guilt. Without knowing
anything of the tucts OF the case. tho microsco.
p,t i'm mediaiply declared the hair tn be that of a
spuirrcl-in this e c>ui not be mistaken, Cor the
fur If one animal differs So entirely from that of
another, not only in its 2 collar, &c., but from
its actual construction, tna it i. altogr ether i'm
o,sibls to mis- axe when Under the microscopr.
Now. ronud the neck If the child, at the time Of
the inui der. there was tippet or ".ictolne"
eyer which the knife. by whumsoever held. must
hay gid e; h 5 vioior made of squirrels
far. The utrnng clrcum>tantial evidence of the
guilt of the prisoner deemed by the Jury suf.
icent for conviction, and while awaiting exc.
cuton the wretched woman fully confessed the
orime.-[ Waterman.