Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-08-17

YOUR own WlckedneSS. III speaking Oh InlS e1-
pected separation, you said that you had either
contemplated or attempted some proceedings
for divorce, but had been thwarted in this, by
the interposition of your own family, and added
the significant expression-"Dnt dead people tell
no tales"
For many reasons growing out of your con-
duct. both before and after the disappearance OF
your wife, suspicion at once fixed itself upon
you as the guilty agent of her removal.
A general and active searchIwas Immediately
instituted and conducted unremittinglv, by a
large number of persons, some OF whom yplored
the forests, while others examined the +. .er.
In these efforts you took no part, nor mani
tested interest until the search commenced on
that part of the river aboce your house. You
were then seen in laurel thicket, on the cliff
overhanging that part of the river in which the
body was subsequently discovered, watching
with intense interest the examinations which
were in progress below. 1t was proved on your
trial, that after the discovery was made and you
had been arrested, on being asked why you had
been secreting yourself in the laurel grove on
the hill, you admitted that your purpose was to
see if the body was found and in that event, you
avowed your determination had been to cut your
own throat with an instrument which you had
about your person.
On the night of the fourth days search, by the
light of the moon, the bruised and wounded
body of your murdered wife, was drawn up from
the deep pool at the foot of the lock, q short
distance above yoar house, with ponderous
stone, evidently prepared for the purpose before
hand, securely and tightly fastened with rope,
around the middle.
1t was near the hour of midnight, when the
mystery which had excited 80 much and such
increasing interest in the heghborhood. was
thus unraveled. You were at that time asleep at
your fathers house, some mile or more from
the soene doubtless confdiDg still in the safety
of your dreadful secret But the avengers of
blood were soon upon you. forbear descrip.
ton of the occurrences which Immediately fol
lowed. No one has heard this trial without
sincere sympathy in the deep but manly grief
of the father as manifested that night over his
guilty and PROSTATE son. When he reminded
you how long and lovingly he had counseled
and watched over you, how fervently he had
prayed for you, and how in view of your way
ward and wicked course of late years, he had
feared and prophecied this very end, you could
only reply, lit is too late now"
And who that has listened to this evidence
can shut out from his hearing and memory the
mothers wailings, as they were borue along up
on the midnight air, when you, who had been
the pride and joy of her heart when you were
carried away by strong men, captive bound
with cords, and in her wolnan's instincts, des-
tined to felon's death
The testimony adduced upon your trial clear
ly proves that your wife was first killed, and af-
forwards deposited in the river, for concealInent.
That testimony, including your own voluntary
admissions, leaves no room for reasonable
doubt that ycu perpetrated the atroclous act
You have confessed that you yourself attached
the weight to her body and then projected it
into the water, but you coupled with this con-
fession the declaration that she had first com.
mitted suicide. Your statement was, that hav-
ing occasion to go to her room during the night
Gou slept yourself in the grocery aud had occu-
pied a separate bed for iso,ne .time,5 you found
her hanging by the neck with q hank of thread
attached to rafter or beam. That she was ap-
psreDtly dead, but the body being still warm,
you had at first hopes of resuscitating her; that
failing in this, you concealed the remains in the
river, believing that from the manner in which
you had previously treated your wife you would
be suspected of having murdered her. During
the search made tor the body, you had thrown
out several intimstions that she might have des
troyed herself. You stated the evening before
that she seemed well as usual, but sad. That she
had boil or rising OF some sort, in the nose,
and this might have produced irritation sutii-
cient to disturb her intellect, under the influence
of which che might have wandered oh into the
woods and hung herself, or she might have fall
en- from O precipice. You also suggested the
probability of her having fallen into the river,
or having drowned herself, while in state of
mental alienation. but always directed attention
to parts of the river bsl0so your house; and in
confirmation of your belief that she had gone that
way, you said your dogs gave evidence of some.
thing wrong in that direction, by going frequent
ly down the river and bowling. To Others you
expressed the belief, that she was disturbed in
her mind, because you iDteded to sell out and
move to the west. The hypothesis that your
wife murdered herself in her room, was never
mentioned to any one until since You have been
in Jail.
do not think there was any evidence be-
fore the jury which lends the slightest proba-
bility to the idea of self-murder on the part of
your wife. She had evidently retired to bed
on the night of her death. The impression OF
her form on the bed was distinctly seen by one
of the witnesses, the next morning. When
found in the river she was dressed in her night
clothes, with her outer garment thrown over
her shoulders merely, and this was retained in
place by the rope which passed over one of the
arms Her shoes were on but united. Her
stockings ungartered and fallen about the an
kles. The injuries upon the body, whether such
as to produce death or not must have been in
fiicted while she was in lite and could not have
been caused, as was argued, by the instruments
with which they dragged tor it. They were
not injuries which she could have inflicted upon
herself, by any possibility, in the commission OF
suicide by hanging.
There is no ground whatever to suppose that
she was visited by mental arrangement, in any
form.
Nor is there, in my opinion, any better foun.
dation tor the theory adopted in your defence,
of responsibility for crime, because of partial
insanity on your part. Not one of the witness
as who have been examined IN your behalf, has
said more than that within the last few years,
since YOU have been indulging in intenperance,
they have observed occasional excentricites of
behavior. None of them speak of you or con
slider Won man of unsound mind. So apparent
indeed was your guilt, and SO little did it occur
even TO those who knew you best, that you
ought not to be- held responsible for your act,
than upon YOUR being arrested, immediately at.
ter the discovery of the body, your aged and
pous father, with sternness OF Justice not un-
worthy Roman Senator, himself proposed that
tho assembled crowd should at once proceed to
do execution upon yourself and the lewd woman
with whom you have been co-habtlng, without
waiting for legal trial. -,
But better oounsels prevailed. Human life,
though forfeited for crime, can only be taken a.
way by the judgment of the constituted tribu-
mails, and | iee it my duty to say, that had the
suggestion then made been carried out, the ac
tors and those participating with them would
themselves, in the eye of the law, have become
murderers.