Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-05-02
From the Boston Traveller.
CARTER, THE STATE PRISON MUIR
DERER.

The case of Carter. who was last Saturday
sentenced to be hanged, is one of the most remark
able which has ever occurred IN MASSACHUSETTS,
He is a mere youth, not quite 81. But as he sat
in the prisoners dock. he locked decidedly
superior in intelligence and in features to
any one we ever saw in that place OF doom.
He appears to be II person OF cultivation. Ills
language is admirable. As he stoud up and
addressed the Bench aud Jury, in a quiet but firm
manner, his words aud the arrangement OF his
thoughts were as apt and well-ehosen as the best
Advocates. Eugene Aram did not speak better 10
his famous trial. as Bul yer reports him. His
bearing in Court was marked. He had nothing OF
the down-cast, sullen look q! the criminal, but sat
on his hard bench in an attitude Of almost gentle
manly ease. With no cravat or shirt-cOilar, and n
poor coat buttoned across his chest, the only care
taken Of his appearance being apparently that
his hair was brushed, he yet, to the eye of an OBJ
server who went into Court with all his prejudices
infamed against him, looked intellectual, self
assured, and sonnet mes commanding. His face
is smooth and handsome, and his expression was
naughty. Train him in the good ard high circles
of life, and he would lie as loldly andhigh-bred a
looking man as aristocroiic society could show.
That a youth, thus talented and elevated by
nature above the common plane of vulgar ruiians.
should have deliberately committed murder, is one
of the strange pages of life's mystery. lie had
no motive to murder. His State Prison sentence
was one-third expired he had but a year or two
longer to stay in prison he had never, so far rs
appeared. known the Warden whom he killed,
before. Yet he killed him. His first tcoTds after
the killing were a full confession Of reconciliation,
and a full confidence Of Unsuitable reason there
for:-"I have been preparing for this" he said
and he added. you'll know the reason at the
proper time"
Az the close of the evidence on Saturday night,
when the packed audience Of the Supreme Cour;
room had waited there for many hours, and the
chief actors in the trial gave palpalle evidence OF
their exhaustion in the worn and spent ex pressions
Of countenance. which the lurid gas-light and
dark shadows did not hide. the prisoner requested
to be allowed to face the jury and speak to them.
This was not improperly denied, and he spoke
from the dock.
Calmly, dispassionately, with an aspect Of pro-
found earnestness and conviction, and in a distinct
and musical voice, he then delivered to the jury
his otoa plea--not the plea of his counsel, but his
own. They had pleaded insanity; he pleaded
sc!fdefenee,
That plea and the evidence disclosed either a
remarkable selfdelosion, or a marvellous craft,
reaching through several years, and commenced
IN the House OF Correction. before he was ever in
She State Prison.
His story is, that he became perfectly satisfied
in the prison that his food was drueged ; not tina,
IL vas poor, tas one of the papers has it, bul
poisonously drugged. Chat the insidious infnencs
Of that ~drugging he had watched from day to .day
aud found il to be wasting his life away to sure
death. lie demonstrated with the Inspectors and
she Warden. lie also begged the prison physician