Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1858-02-20
And this paper was found to be part Of q

| land friend OF mine) only week before
That friend had to come forward and swea
that that piece Of charred paper was q par
of a letter he had written TO the prisoner
This friends name was Steshen Grant. III
was q young merchant, and the letter hat
been written for the purpose Of inducing
Ambold to reform. Stephen tried hard Il
that the fire must have been set with tha
identical paper; he was summoned, and h'
could not deny bis own chirograpby..
The case looked dark. Many witnessed
we're willing to testify TO the prisoners goof
qualities but no one could swear that he
was not dissipated and degraded. That house
had been to him indeed, region Internal
| Its destruction cried out for bis bodily life
and its existence had long been eating away
his soul. Poor Charley l had before been
sure of his innocence but now | could only
shake my head and pity him.
| Finally he was allowed to speak for himself
| He said be was innocent Of the crime imputed
to him. He said that be had threateLed 10
burn that house down--tlat he had said
about ul that had been sworn TO. And
Furthermore, he was around the house on the
night of the fire. He was not ten rods of
the house when the flames burst forth, and
he was Que of the first to give the alarm.
noticed where the flames must have origina-
ted, and the thought came to him if he were
found there, be might be suspected Of having
set the fire, so lie ran away. He also said
that three nights before the confagration, he
had been robbed in that house. His pockets
had been robbed of everything in them, and
his pocket book, containing Gor.y dollars in
money, aud some valuable papers had been
taken. He had gone there on the night Of
the fire to try and persuade them TO give
him back his money aud papers--or at least
TO get what he could When ho got there
he saw man go in whom he did not wish to
see, SO he had hung around waiting for him to
depart. He was around by the back Of the
building ouce--and that was an hour before
the fire broke out lie knew nothing
nothing lie clasped his hands, aud with his
fearless eyes raised toward heaven, be called
on God to witness that lie was innocent
i have told you that knew him well. l
knew him so well, that from that moment
knew him to be innocent! | knew his very
soul knew how free and open it wus-ah,
how sinfully SO ] knew there was no false
hood in the story he had told US.
My boy is innocent! My boy is innocent r.
heard the cry-aGd saw IN old woman
sink back into the arms Of a male companion.
1t was his poor old mother Her heurt was
we'll nigh broken! Yet | saw that all this
had but little effect upon the mass Of specta-
tors. The prisoners course Of dissipation
his many threats against the house-aDd the
very fact of his having been robbed and
abused there, were heavy against him.
The counsel for the prisoner made his
speech which was laboro1 and hard. lie
was foolish enough TO ultimate that if his
client raS around at the back part Of the
house more than once, he must have been
Intoxicated. In short his plea had better
been left ont. The eviednce he could not
shake, and lie did all he could to suppose
evidence, some Of it most absurd aud rdicu-
lous. l afterwards learned that Mouliou
Warren engaged that lawyer for the youthful
prisoner The government attorney made
his plea. IL was plain, straightforward and
very conclusive.
The judge finally gave his charge. He
was fair and candid. He reviewed the evil
dence carefully, and pointed out such as bore
heavily upon the case. lie told US that II
there was lingering doubt in our minds We
must give the prisoner the beuehi OF it But
could plainly see there was no don0t IN his
mind.
We-the jury-were conducted to our
room by an officer, aud there locked up. A
| Warren was the first TO speak -
"Well. he said, Il s'pose there's no need oil
our bein here great while. OF course w
all know that the prisoner must have set fire
TO the house ~
There was something in the manner of that
| man as be said this that excited my curiosity
Il won't say it was suspicion then-ooly
curiosity. lie spoke with forced etiort al
| 4. 4 ...A Ia,
more | looked at him the more l became
strangely nervous and uneasy, wondered Why
he should be so anxious to be rid Of The case
and have Ambold convicted knew that
he had frequented that evil house, and that
he had done much toward tempting Charley
to dissipation. knew he was in that house
ON the light on which the prisoner was
| robbed--fOr Charley told me so when yis!-
ted him in his cell | had then asked the
unfortunate youth il be was sure Warren was
his friend. O,--he was sure of it. lie should
have hunted him up on the night Of his rob
berry, only they had told him Warren was
| gone.
BY and by the foreman proposed that we
should each take up piece Of paper aud
write down our opinion, aud then compare
notes. went to my hat, which ! bad placed
upon table with number Of Others and
took out sheet Of aper. | had got hal
way back TO the table when found that
| had made mistake. l had got part Of 4
letter from another mans hat. WAS about
to turn back when the name Of the writer
OF the letter arrested my attention. ! looked
more closely and read--"Stephen GraEt.
Next / caught this sentence
Aud now, dear Charles. if not for your
own yet for your mothers sake, let me hop,
you will do better"
| started as though shot had struck me
| held in my hand the other half OF the shee
which had been used TO fire The berneC
house ] went TO the table and found that
had taken it from MoutOn Warren's hat
looked TO sec if had been observed-and
had not. i put the paper back, and thei
took one from my own hat, which was Of In
same pattern as the other, aud placed by il
side.
returned to the table and sat down
Warren was by my side. lie had written hi
opinion, and took a knife from his pocket 4
Gu, il from the large sheet.
LET me take your knife moment, if yo
please," said to him.
! Without hesitation lie did so. took it.
, il was Charles AmJolds knife-the large.
blade iras gone With all the power pos
} sessed i restrained my deep emotions, an
t having cut my paper handed back th
knifa