Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1857-03-21
THE LATE TRAGEDY AT HAMPDEN
SIDNEY COLLEGE

SIDNEY COLLEGE
a gentleman who has possessed himself
of all the testimony offered before the OK.
aiming court, in the case of EDWARD LANG.
HORNE, charged with killing CHARLES Ep1r,
furnishes the Tobacco Plant newspaper, the
following:
Mr.. Edie after having made public pro-
LESSON OF religion, or at, any rate having
manifested serious concern on the subject,
unfortunately got into drinking frolic, and
Langhorne being on the most intimate terms
with him, determined, in order to prevent
his exposure, to make an effort to get him
to his room. where it was his purpose TO re-
main with him and take care of him. He
accordingly approached Edic and address
ing him in his usual friendly and familiar
manner, asked him to 60 with him---telling
him that he was drinking, and that he ought
to desist from it. Edie thereupon became en-
ragged, and applied numerous most abusive
epithets to him. All of which, under the
circumstances of Edie's intoxication. Lang
horne submitted to. lie afterwards remark
ed to his fellow students, that he hoped Edie.
when he grew sober, would retract, which
all agreed in assuring Langhorne he would
unquestioaably DO.
Early next morning Laughorne called on
Eide, and in the most friendly manner ask
ed him to retract the insulting language he
had used towards him the previous day.
This he declined most positively; and indeed
offered Langhorne fresh indignities lang
horne felt that he was bound to have re-
traction Of the insults, or to suffer in the es-
teen OF all his acquaintance Fearing that
some serious quarrel might ensue between
them. and determining to be in a state Of
preparation for any emergency he called on
fellow student and requested the loan of
weapons, selecting pistol and small dirk,
stating at the time, that it was his purpose
not to use them except in self defence. -
The pistol he loaded simply with paper Wad-
ding, having resolved not to kill even if he
found it necessary to shoot. Thus armed he
met with Eide at one end Of a passage thirty
SIX feet in length. Again he called upon
Eide to withdraw his offensive epithets, Eide
declining to comply reiterated these epithcts
If any thing in grosser style, whoreupon a
tight ensued, in which Edie dealt several
very hard blows upon Laughorne, until
finally he had driven him to the wall, at the
opposite end Of the passage. Thus driven
to the wall, and feeling himself unable to
repel the continued assault of his antagonist,
he drew the dirk and buried it in the heart
of his antagonist lie istanily said, ..boys
| did not intend to kill him" and drawing
his pistol said, ''here, look and see that I
have loaded it with wadding instead of bail,
that | might, in case of necessity shoot him
down. But could not get the pistol from
my pocket, and being pushed OH so closely,
l finally drew the dirk
Such are the facts of this most unfortun,
ate and melancholy case, as nearly as we
can detail them from memory. Certainly
they differ very far from the report given Of
the case at the time through the newspapers.
The public feeling throughout the State
was excited against Langborne, and the
general impression prevailed that lie was
guilty of a most cruel murder Such, doubt
less, was the impression made BY rumor up
on the minds of the examining court itself.
previous to the investigation had before it.
Such, however, we undertand was the re-
vulsien of feeling in the mind of the. court,
when the facts of the case were fully dis
closed by the witnesses, that though con-
strained to send him on far trial before the
circuit court, the presiding justice after
leaving the bench went to youngianghorne,
gave him his hand, and expressed to him
the wish and the conviction that he would
be acquitted.
Langhorne has since been acquitted.