Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1858-01-29

ed. Many other things we're also missing.
A young man Of the name Of Pearce, appar-
emily a sailor, had been seen in the village
once or twice in the company of Mary Strug
nell but he did not notice what sort Of a
hat he generally wore; he had not seen
Poarco since the night the crime was commit
ted had not sought for him.
Mary Strugncl was the next witness. She
repeated her previous evidence with precis-
ion and apparent sincerity, and then aban-
donod her with a mixed feeling Of anxiety
and curiosity. TO the counsel for the defence.
A subtitle and able cross-oxamination of more
than two hours duration followed and at its
conclusion / felt that the case for the prose-
cution was so damaged that a verdict Of con-
demnation was, or ought to be out of the
question. The salient points. dwclt upon and
varied in every possible way in this long sift-
ing, were these:
What was the reason that she did not re-
turn in the evening in q'ssstion to her aunts
TO supper as usual r.
She did not know except that she wish
ed to get home.
Did she keep company with a man by the
name of Pcorce e.
" She had walked out with him once or
twice"
When was the last time r.
She did not remember"
Did Pcarcc walk home with her on the
night Of the murder; r.
No"
=" Not part of the way
Yes part of the way.'
Did Pearcc sometimes wear a black, shiny
hat:
"No--yes she did not remember"
"Whcro was Pcarce now,'
'Shc didn't know"
Had she seen him since :"
"No."
Had Wilson ever threatened to discharge
her for insolence to Mrs Arn-ronE;'
Yes but she knew he was not in earn
est"
Was not the clasp-knifc that had been
found always left in the kitchen for culinary
purposes
'No--not always generally, but not THIS
time that Armstrong went away, she was
surc.'
Mary Srugncn. you be flso sworn wo-
man. before God and man interrupted the
malo prisoner with great violence of manner.
The outbreak of the prisoner was checked
and rebnked by the judge, and the cross exc
animation soon afterwards closed Had the
counsel been allowed to follow up bis advant-
age by an address to the jury he would, /
doubt not, spite of their preiudices against
the prisoners. have obtained an acquitta (:
but it was, after a neutral sort of charge
from the Judge by no means the abIest that
then adorned the bench, the jurors. having
deliberated for something more than half AN
hour, returned into court with a verdict OF
guilty against both prisoners, accompany
ing it, however, with strong recommcnda-
tion to mercy.
Mercy said tho judge. What for ,
On what GROUND
The jurors stared at csch other and at the
Judge they had 10 reason to give The fact
was, their conviction Of tae prisoners guilt
had been very much shaken by the cross-ex-
animation of the chief witness for the pros
ccution and this recommendation was a COM
promise which conscience made with doubt.
have known many such instances.
The usual ridiculous formality of asking
the wretched conycts what they had to urge
why sentence should not be passed upon
them was gone through the Judge, with un-
moved feelings, put on the fatal cap and
then a new and startling light burst upon the
mysterious, bowildering affair.
"Stop, my lord" exclaimed Armstrong,
with rough vehemence. Hear me speak I'll
tell yc all about il; will indeed, my lord.
Quiet Martha, | tell ye It's |, my lord,
that's guilty, not the woman. God bless ye,
my lord; not the wife Doant hurt the wife,
and Use tell ye all about it. IALoNE am
guilty; not, the Lord be praised, Of murder
but of robbery" !"
John john :" sobbed the wife, clinging
passionately to her husband, "let us die to-
gether :"
"Quiet, Martha, tell ye Yes my lord.
Use tell ye all about it, ! was gone away.
wife and l, for more nor week, to receive
money for Mr.. Wilson, on account of SNUG
gled goods-that money. my lord, as was
found in the chest. When we came home on
that dreadful Sunday night, my lord, we went
in the back way; and hearing a noise, | went
up stairs, and found poor Wilson stone-dead
on the floor. l were dreadful skcared, and
let drop the candle. called to wife, and
told her of it. She screamed out and amaist
tainted away. And thon my lord, all at once
the devil shotnto my head to keep the money
| had brought; and knowing as the keys of
the desk whore the mortgage writing was
kept was in the bedroom, | crcpt back, as the
false-hearted woman said, got the keys, and
took the deed; and then persuaded wife,
who had been trembling in the kitchen all the
while, that we had better go out quite again,
as there was nobody in the house but us
had tried that woman's door-and we might
perhaps be taken for the mUtderers. And so
we did and that's the downright honest
truth, my lord. I'm rightly served but
God bless you, doant hurt the woman--my
wife, my lord these thirty years. Fve-and-
twenty years ago come May, which | shall
never see, we buried our two children Had
they lived, might have been better man
but the place they lett empty was soon filled
up by love of cursed lucre, and that has
brought me here. l deserve it but oh,
mercy my lord mercy good gentlemen -
turning from the stony features Of the jury,
as if they could help him-"not for me, but
for the wife. She be as innocent as new
born babe It's l l scoundrel that be.
that has brought thee to this shameful pass e.
The rugged man snatched his ifo-companion
to his breast with passionate emotion, and
tears of remorse and agony streamed down
his rough checks.
l was deeply affected, and felt that the man
had uttered the whole truth. 1t was evident
ly one Of those cases in which person liable
to suspicion damages his own cause by re-
sorting to a trick No doubt, by his act Of
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