Arkansas true Democrat., 1857-08-25
THE MURDERER

houSe ol MT J Smith, resident in retired part oi England, and requested nights lodg- Ing. The request was granted, and the stran. ger, having taken some refreshments. retired early to bed, requesting that he might be awakened at an early hour the following morn- ing
 When the servant appointed to call him en- tered the room for that purpose, he was found in his bed perfectly dead.
 on examining his body, no marks of violence appeared, but his counteilance looked extremely natural. The story of his death soon spread among the neishbors, and inquiries were made as to who he was and by what means he came to his death.
 Noting certain, however, was known. He l"u arrived on horseback, and was seen passing ,htouSn heiShborng village about an hour oeioie ne feached the house where he had come to HIS ehd. Ana then, as to the manner of his death so little could be discovered, that the Jury returned verdict that he "died by vii Sltat!on from God." When this was done. the stranger was buried.
 Days and weeks passed on, and little further was Known. The public mind, however, was not at rest Suspicious existed that foul means i'"u naSeehed the strangers death. Whispers .o Ina' eject were expressed, and in the
 'AA''Hy hoillltil was considered the guilty man.
 The former character of Smith had not heen soou' ne had lived loose and irregular life, lnVoi'eu himself ln debt by his extravagance, and at length being suspected of hayip9 ob' tained money wrongfully, he suddenly fled from the town.
 More than ten years, however, had now clans. ed since hls return, during which he had lived at his present residence, apparently in good cir. Culhsoances, and with an approved character Ills former life, however, was now remember ed, and suspicion was fastened upon him.
 At the expiration of two months, gentleman one day stopped in the place for the purpose of making inquiries respecting the stranger who had been found dead in his bed He supposed himself to be the brother of the man. The horse and clothes of the unfortunate man still remained, aud were melatelv known as haVln9 belonged to his brother The body also was taken up, and though considerably chang ed, pore strong resemblance to him.
 He now felt authorized to ascertain. if pOs- SioIe, the manner of his death. He proceeded. therefore, to investigate the circumstances as well as he was able. At length he made known to the magistrate of the district the in- formation he bad collected, and upon the strength ot thlS, Smith was taken to iail to be tired for the wiltul murder of Henry Thomp- son.
 The celebrated Lord Mansfield was then on the bench lie charged the grand jury to be cautious as to finding bill against the prisoner. ne evidence ot his guilt, if guilty, might be small. More information might be obtained ohould he be acquitted he could not be molest- eu aSalh Whatever testimony should rise up aSalnst hlm. The grand jury. however, did ma olli, but by maj jority of only one
 Al length the time oi trial arrived. Smith was brought into court and placed at the bar.- A great crowd thronged the room, eager and auXlous to see the prisoner, and to hear the trial lie himself appeared firm and collected No- 'hi'lS Ill ms manner or appearance indicated gum; and, when the question was put to him oy the clerk, Are you guilty or not guilty?o ne answered with an unfaltering tongue, and with countenance perfectly unchanged, "not guilty"
 The counsel for the prosecution now opened the case. But it was apparent that he had little expectation of being able to prove the prisoner guilty. lie stated to the jury, that the case was In great mystery. The prisoner was man ot responsibility and of property The deceas- ed was supposed to have had about him gold ana jewels to large amount; but the prisoner was not So much in want of funds as to be un- ger astrong temptation to commit murder- And besides, If the prisoner had obtained the property, he had effectually concealed it. Not a trace of it could be found.
 Why, then, was the prisoner suspected ?- The deceased, Henry Thompson, was jewell Ter, residing ill London, and man of wealth. lie had lett London for the purpose of meet Ing trader at Hull, of whom he ex2ected to make large purchase. The trader he did meet; and after the departure of the latter, MT. Thompson was known to have in his possession jewels and gold to large amount
 Whh these In his possession, he left Hull on his return to London. It. was rot known that ne stopped until he reached Smiths, and the next morning was discovered dead in his bed lie died, then, in Smiths house, and if it could be shown that he came to his death in an unna- tural way, 1t would increase the suspicion that the prisoner Was in some way connected with the murder.
 Now, then, continued the counsel, it will be proved beyond the possibility of a doubt that the deceased died by poison. What was that poison! It was recent discovery of some German chemists, said to be produced from dlstlIllng the seed of the wild cherry tree It was poson more powerful than any other known, and deprived of life so immediately as to leave no marks of suffering and no contor- ton of the features
 But then the question, when and by whom was 1t administered? One circumstance, small one indeed, and yet upon it might hang horrid tale, Was, that the stopper of small bottle of very singular description had been found in the prisoners house. The stopper had been examined, and said by medical men to have be- longed to German vial, containing the kind of poison he had described. But, then, was that poison administered by Smith, or at his nstiga- tion! Who were the prisoners family? It consisted only of himself housekeeper and one man servant. The man servant slept in an outhouse adjoining the stable, and did so on the night of Thompson's death. The prisoner slept in one end of the house, the housekeeper at the other, and the deceased had been put in room adjoining the housekeeper's.
 It could be proved, that about three hours after midnight, on the night of Thompson's death, light had been seen moving about the house, and that figure holding the light was seen to go from the room in which the prisoner slept to the housekeeper's room; the light now disappeared for minute when two persons were seen, but whether they went into Thomp- sons room the witness could not swear; but shortly after they were observed to pass quite through the entry to Smiths room, into which they entered, and in about five minutes the light was eXunguished.
 The witness would further state, that after the person had returned with the light into SmIh's room, and before it was extnyuished he had twice perceived some dark object to in- tervene between the light and the window. al- most as large as the surface of the window itself, and which he described by saving it ap- peared as if door had been placed before the light Now, in Smiths room, there was noth- ing that could account for this appearance. and there V as neither cupboard nor press in the room, which, but for the bed, was entirely empty; the room in which he dressed being a distance beyond it.
 The counsel forthe prosecution here conclud- ed what he had to say. During his address. Smith in no wise appeared to be agtated or distressed-and equally unmoved while the witness testified in substance what the ooepipo speech of the counsel led the court and irv to expect.
 Lord Mansfield now addressed the iurv. He