True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-11-24

Has he ANYTHING 10 say for himself i--
The audience listen eagerly, the ladies
bend forward breathlessly, Mrs. Evelyn
put up her jewelled eye.glass. and Miss
OliVia--now passee old msid--is sketch
ing the criminals face On her pocket tab
let's. 'sf7 -.3 'h'' 7
No, he has not much to say-he seems
stunned and bewildered by his awful sit
uation. His eyes wander frs, to the
Judge, then to the crowd Of gazers, as il
in search Of something that is not there,
and his nervous fingers are lwined togeth-
er with convulsive moVement-he 10
trying to collect his scattered senses.
Hush T! he is speaking, and a sort Of
thrill passes through the assemblage as
The low, yet steady voice il heard.
i am going to de- be says but tha.
| is past now. l do not think that I should
have been here if all the circumstances Of
my life had not conspired against me. /
had once good mother; she died when
| was twelve years old. Thank God.
he added, with quivering lips, that she
is in her grave to-day. The day after
her death, went out, starving. to beg
for bread. ] was repulsed everywhere.
lamished. ken.hearied boy. At
length, driven desperate by hunger,
stole loaf Of bread from rich mans
house, whose door ] had just been turned
from. I was arrested at once. Some
kind soul begged the proud lady to inter.
iere she refused. thought then-l
think now that it would have been the
part of mercy 10 release the struggling.
terrified boy, whose first crime it was.--
She thought otherwise, and was sent
into confinement. There ! got into bad
company, and grew worse and worse. I
have been going down hill ever since
and now stand before you a condemned
criminal. But | trace my fate back ia
that stormy Winters day, when moth
erless, friendless, child. | pleaded in vair
to that rich lady. One merciful Wort
would have saved me might have liyet
to--but it is useless TO think Of that now
You may talk as you please of justice ant
responsibility--I say that in the sight Of
Heaven, my blood rests on that woman's
! head .-e..r, ,.,t,. t...i..
Il do not speak these Words he addet
in softer tone, ito justify myself, bu'
because l would have mercy and kind
nees shown 10 those who are now wan
dering about, as l wandered then. II
the name Of charity, do not drive people
to crime, and then punish them for it.
have nothing more TO say, scarcely know
why / have said SO much.' a.
He ceased speaking. gc, ...,,
i Mrs. Evelyn was gazing wildly at him
No,o she knew why some old memor,
had stirred her heart whenever she look
ed at bis face; now the mystery wa
solved. And as his voice died away
there was hustle, and an outcry and ;
call for smelling salts and water-a lad!
had fainled! 80 g,, 20
They carried her out Of the courtroom
} and she soon revived in the open air, say
} ing with smile that it was nothing
Poor Mrs. Evelyn! She was overwhelm
ed with sympathy and solicitude i; the,
said her nature was too sensitive and de-
icate, and so, no doubt, i. was.
, But, Of course, nobody was to blame
Nobody ever is in such cases. It's a
: owing to a wrong state Of society /; an
, very lucky IL is that the shoulders Of &C
: cie.v are broad enough to bear amulitud
Of Gins! .-1a9 ... .r