The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-05-23

saturday Mo- sinG, May 20, ,lso..
THE 81 RIDE II II +
"a ArHRTLiINa STORY.
little more than nf.y years ago. I'm man MY oy me s
- Henry Thompson, called at tne nouse OF
name o, ~ ,s.,dept IN a retired part Of Eng.
IA ana requested . nights LOGGING In.s re-
.rsss = A granted and the stlsnser' nAs'ns ,su
srs, refreshu,en.s. retired eely W oeu Lequess
ics that he might be awaAenco ~ ~ ess A""'
the ss servant appointed to call him entered
Wnen n NC thst purpose, he was found In bis bed
perfectly deaa. ~. hodv. no marks of violence
On hnt Els counsenance looked extremely
appeA The story Of bis death soon spread
nasa, he neirhbors and inquiries were made ~
amo "ne he was and by what means he came to his
death. .skrown ua hsa
.,wad on horseback, and was seen passing
shr,,eh a neghboring village about an hour be-
e,re he reached the house where ne nad coma 10
Ms end And then, as TO the mapner OF bis death.
20 UtIe could be discoveted, that the jury returned
verdiet tina. he tiled by visitation from God ,
when this was done, the stranger was buried.
Davs and weeks passed on, and little further
v.a Known The public mind, however, was not
nj rest Suspicious existed that foul means had
fastened the strangers death Whispers to
that effect were expressed, and in the hearts of
many. Smith was considered the guilty man.
The former character of Smith had not been
GOOD He had lived loose aud irregular life
Involved himself in debt by his extravaganza, and
a,.leneth being suspected of having obtained mo.
new wrougfully, he suddenly fled from the town
More than tea years, however, had now elapsed
since his return, during which he had lived At his
present residence, apparently IN good clrcum :
stances. and with al approved character. His for.
mer life however, was now remembered, and su.
picion was fastened upon him.
A, the expiration Of two months, a gentleman
one day stopped in the place for the purpose of
vnaktv~ !.
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 and
were Immediately known SIS having belonged to
hi, brother The body also, was taken mp and
though considerably changed, bore q strong re-
% nbance to him.
He now felt authorized to ascertain, If possible
the m amer of his death He proceeded, there.
FORE investigate the circumstances IS well as be
was able. At length he made known to the ma
gisrate of the district the information he had col.
lected, aud upon the strength of this, Smith was
taken to Jail to be tried for the wilful murder oil
Henry Thompson.
The celebrated Lord Mansfield was then on The
bench He charged the grand jury to be cautious
rs to finding bill against the prisoner. The evil
dence of his guilt If guilty, light be small. More
information might be obtained Should be be &C
quilted he could not be mo!ested again whatever
testimony should rise up against him. The grand
jury, however, did find bill, but by majority OF
Only one.
At length the time of trial arrived Smith was
brought into court and placed at the bar. A grea.
crowd thronged the room, eager and anxious to
see the prisoner, and to hear the trial He him
self appeared firm and collected. Nothing in his
manner or appearance indicated guilt; and, when
the question was put 10 him by the Clerk, "Are
you guilty or lot guilty? he answered with an
unfaltering tongue, and with countenance per,
fectly unchanged mot guilty.
The counsel for the prosecution now opened the
case. But it was apparent that he had little ex-
pectation of being able to prove the prisoner guilty
He stated to the jury, that the case was in great
mystery. The prisoner was a man of respecta-
6ility and of property. The deceased was sup-
pose1 to have had about him gold and Jewels to
. large amount; but the prisoner was not so much
in want of funds as to be under strong tempta
ton to commit murder. And besides if the pris-
ener had obtained the property, heaad effec.ually
concealed it. Not trace of it could be found.
Why, then, was the prisoner suspectedl The
deceased, Henry Thompson, was a ieweiler re.
siding in London, and man of wealth H. had
left London for the purpose of meeting trader at
Hull, of whom he expected to make large pur-
chase. The trader he did meet: and after the de
parture of the latter, Mr.. Thompson was known to
have in his possession jewels and gold to large
amount.
With these in his possession, he left Hull ON his
return to London. 1t was not known that be stop
ped until be reached Smiths and the NEXT morn.
ing was discovered dead In his bed. He died then,
in Smiths house, and if it could be shown that he
came to his death in an unnatural way, it would
increase the suspicion that the prisoner was in
some way connected with the murder
Now, then, continued the counsel ii will be
proved beyond the possibility of doubt that the
deceased died by poison. What was that poison j?
1t was recent discovery of some German chem
lists, said to be produced from dstiling the seed of
erful than any other known, and deprived of life
SO Immediately as to leave no marks of suffering
aud no contortion of the features.
But then. the question. when and by whom was
Cd mi. karnl n4a
indeed, and yet upon 1t might hang horrid tale,
was, that the stopper OF a small bottle of a very
singular description had been found in the prison
ers house. The stopper had been examined and
VIAL containing the kind of poison he had describ.
ed. But, then, was that poison administered bv
Smith, or at hisinstigatonl Who were the pris>
oner's family9 1t, consisted only of himself, a
mousse keeper and one man servant The man
servant sleptin an out house adjoining the stable
and did so on the night of Thompson's death The
prisoner slept in one end of the house, the house
keeper at the other, and the deceased had been
pat in q room adjoining helhousekeepel's
1t could be proved, tbet about three hours after
midnight, on the night of Thompsou's death, a
l light had been seen moving about the house. and
that figure holding the light was seen to 70 from
the room in which the prisoner slept to the hous
keepers room; the light now disappeared for a
minute when two persons were seen, but whether
they went into Thompson's room, the with cas-
could not swear; but shortly after they were OBJ
served 10 pass ute through the entry to Smiths
room, into which they entered and In about f Va
minutes the light was extingushed
The witness would further state that after tho
person had returned with the light into Smitb,s
room, and before it was extinguished be had twice
perceived some dark object to intervene between
the light and the window, almost as large "a the
surface OF the window itself, and which he de-
serioed by saying it appeared as if a door had
peen placed before the light Now. 10 Smith
room There was nothing that could account for this
appearances, and there was neither cupboard nor
press In the room, which but for the bed. was en-.
Ileiy empty; the room In which he dressed heinp
distance beyondit. N'''N Ao1ns
me counsel for the prosecution here concluded
whaI he mad to say During his address. Smith in
Nv wise appeared to be agitated or distressed-apd
squsly unmoved while the witness testified in snh
sauce wnaf the opening speech of the counsel lad
me court and jury to expect. 0'1n'ei leu
no.u "a ahsnetd now addressed the inv -p.,.;s
@s ~ us opinion the evidence was NOT sn,,;.;ar.
- W. condemn the prisoner, and if the ;nrv aareaS
W,hon. I In ~ opinion he would discharge him,
leaving their seats the jury apresd that
aesiaence was not sufficient. eN0'1 'A"'
usrS;n. moment when they were about ~ rana.-
d,sssaS - OF acquital, the prisoner ross "a ss
som, sne court He said he had been anu so
srs;o se' and the jury had said ,har aeeaseo Oh
60 evidence against him W.as 80 was no
0, court Win suspicious resting nna We 70 80 out
aiii Tbs he was unwilling 10 do ARJu MN, after
N ~. q IN.