Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-12-10

| uOIe uedSilJ upoh tHe e"se' hie WI" "' -
there was lingering doubt in our minds
we must give the prisoner the benefit of it
But I could plainly see that there was nc
doubt in his mind.
We, the jury, were conducted to our room
by an officer, and there locked up. \
silence of some minutes ensued. Moultor
Warren was the first to speak:
WELL he said, Il s'pose there's TO need
of our bein here great while. Of course
we all know that the prisoner must have sci
fire to the house!
There was. something in the manner o.
that man as he said this that excited my
curiosity-I won't say it was suspicion then
only curiosity. He spoke with forced
effort at calmness which atonce perceived
The more looked at him the more I be.
came strangely nervous and uneasy, wonder
ed why he should be so anxious to be rid OF
the case, and have Ambold convicted. /
knew that he had frequented thatevil house,
and that he had done so much towards help
ing Charley to dissipation. I knew he was
in that house on the night on which the
prisoner was robbed-for Charley had told
me so when visited him inh cell. had
then asked the unfortunate youth if he was
sure Warren was his friend. O,---he was
sure of it. He should have hunted him up
on the night of his robbery, only they told
him Warren had gone.
By the by, the foreman proposed that we
should each take up a peace Of paper and
write down our opinion, and then compare
notes. I went to my hat, which 1 had
placed upon table with number of others,
and took out sheet of paper. had got
half way back to the table when I found I
had made mistake. I had got part of a
letter from another mans hat. I was about
to turn back when the name of the writer
of the letter arrested my attention. I look
ed more closely, and read-'Stephen Grant.
Next I caught this sentence:
And now dear Charles, if not for your
own, yet for your mothers sake, letlne hope
you will do better
l started as though shot had struck
me. I held in my hand the other half of
the sheet which had been used to fire the
burned house [ went to the table and
found that had taken it from Moulton
Warren's hat I looked to see if I had
been observed-and 1 had not. I put the
paper back, and then took piece from my
own hat, which was Of the same pattern as
the other, and by its side.
I returned to the table and sat down.
Warren was by my side He had written
his opinion and took knife from his pocket
to cut it from the large sheet. Let me take
your knife moment, if you please I said
to him.
Without hesitation he did 50. ! took it
it acas Charles AmJolPs hnite tile
large Jladc was gone! With all the power
1 possessed, restrained my deep emotions,
and having cut my paper, I handed back the
knife.
Why should he have that knife so boldly
about him? 1 afterwards learned. He had
not worn those pantaloons before since the
night of the fire; and now he used the
knife, probably, without the least remem-
brance of the loss it had sustained during a
very peculiar piece of work, to the execution
of which it was made subservient.
We talked for some ten minutes, and I
found that eleven Of the jury were bent on
rendering verdict OF guilty though most
of them were in favor of recommending the
prisoner to mercy. Moulton Warren was
decided. He had no mercy at all.
Presently I started up and pretended to
be faint. I said | must 60 out a few mo-
ments. l kicked at the door and the deputy
sheriff came. He heard my plea and let
ME out. AS soon as we had gained safe
distance, l told him all. lie was astonish-
ed. He went away, and when he came
back he brought the district attorney and the
district judg and the sheriff I told again
what had seen-I assured them that knew
what 1 had seen-that it was no mere sus-
picion. And I explained, too, Warren's
manner in the jury room, his former con-
ncctior with the prisoner, and his known
character.
The officers went away, and at the end of
ten minutes they returned with constable
added to their number, and this constable
had freshly written instrumentin his hand.
The sheriff bade me point out the hat to
them as soon as we entered the room.
The door of the room was opened, and I
pointed them to the hat. The sheriff took
it, and asked whose it was. Warren leaped
to his feet and seized it, but he was held
back.
Word was instantly sent to the judge that
the jury could not agree. They were dis
charged, and then Moulton Warren was
searched The knife was found upon him,
and his behavior at once exposed his guilt.
The presence of that letter was accounted
for by him in dozen different ways within
an hour.
A new jury was empanneled, and Charles
Ambold was acquitted. Shortly after
wards, Warren was tried, and it was plainly
proved that he had set fire to the house, and
the woman kept it was to have been burned
up in it, as he had contrived to lock her in
to her room shortly after setting the fire
She had incurred his displeasure in various
ways, and this was his revenge. Not only
she, but two of her girls had suspected him