Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-01-04
A SCENE IN A JURY ROOM.
Thrilling Story

business to serve upon ''fhe Jury" [ plead in
all manner Of ways for release, but to no effect
could not swear that was deaf. nor blind,
nor yet NON compOS, but did tell them that
had already formed an opinion. They asked
me If my opinion would prevent me from re-
eeiying the testimony in good faith, and render
ing verdict according to it, Ireplied that of
course should weigh the evidence carefully,
ana De governed by 1T. l was then informed
that would do
The case to be tried was one of arson-then a
capital ofence-and the prisoner at the bar as
ayoung man, named Charles Ambold whom l
had known from bOyhood, and who was natur-
ally one Of the finest youths of the town where
ne resided lie had n widowed mother who
depended upon him for support: End his circle
of friends was large and choice. Twas morally
certain that he did not commit the crime, and
hence, L am sure, those who were friendly to
MIN got me on the panel, and had me retained
Ihe trial commenced and we twelve men took
our seats In the jury box. had very respec-
table set with me-only there was one ma m
whom L didn't like to see there. This man was
Moulton Warren. lie was dark faced sinister
looking fellow-at least to me- know that
young Ambold had one fault. He had recent
~ been addicted to drink and had been known
10 visit disreputable houses. Itw one of those
houses that had been burned, for setting fire to
which he had been apprehended
Now had often tried to persuade Charles
Amooid from the course he was pursuing He
mad repeatedly promised me that he would re-
form, and as repeatedly had he broken away
mad often talked to him of his poor mother
until ne had wept like child but the effect
was not lasting. There was power of tempta-
ton more effective than any influence could
WELD He would fall away into this evil com
panionship, and for q while his manhood was
gone One or two abandoned women had
gained great power over him, and upon them he
wasted much of his substance
And / knew that this M, N ho no,r
upon the Jury-this MOulton Warren-was the
one who had done more than all others to lead
the poor youth away. 1t was Warren who had
drank with him, and who had led him away to
those more abominable haunts of sin and pollu-
ton. Why was he upon the iury2 could
only account for it upon the ground that Char
ley still supposed him to be his friend The
poor scorched insect still ignorant of the
flame that scorched him. He really believed
that MOultOn Warren was his friend
The trial commenced. The Indictment set
forth that Charles Ambold had s'with malice
aforethought," and with all sorts of wicked and
felonious intents, set FIRE to a certain dwelling
house, thereby endsngering human life. This
dwelling, As L have already intimated was a
low sink of iniquity. where the abandoned of
both sexes were wont to congregate; and where
the youthful prisoner had spent much of his
time.
The evidence for tho prosecution came on,
and was startled. One after another gave in
their testimony, some of them very reluctantly
and L was frightened when saw how plainly
1t all pointed to the prisoner as the guilty party
Several credible witnesses swore that thew had
heard him threaten to burn the house down
and others had heard him say repeatedly that
ne wished 1t was burned down, Then came
several witnesses-three of the prominent citi-
,ens-who saw him lurking about the premises
on the night of the FIRE
With regard to the provocation on the prison
n AaQ6 ua1
his own admission, that he had been ILL treated
there and that he had sworn to have revenge
And furthermore, 1t was proved that he had
been heard to say than his salvation of soul and
body depended upon the destruction of that
house. Nextcame more testimony stronger still
The fire had been set in back basement
room, where shavings and other stuff for kind
ling were kept. Entrance had been gained
through a back window. which had been partly
pried open with a stout knife. This basement
wall was OF brick, and beneath the sash was
found the blade of q knife which had been
broken of in trying to raise it (the SASH The
blade was recognised as belonging to the prison.
ers knife, A maker of cutlery had made a
knife to order for Ambold only a month pre-
vious, and he knew the blade at once and
svore to il
But this was not all The fire had been evil
IDENTIFY set first to the shavings which lay upon
the stone floor, but piled up sgainst a wooden
partition. This fioOr was damp, and some of the
cutter shavings, even, were not wholly burned
up But just At the edge, where the fire com
meheed, lay piece OF paper, rolled up, and
about half burned, and from the manner In
which 1t lay, It was very evident that the FIRE
had been set with it. This piece OF rolled pa
per had been ignited by match, q number of
which were scattered around, and as soon as il
was on fire il had been laid upon the fcor, with
the burning end just in the shayings Of
course, these shavings were in q blaze instantly;
but the paper torch being upon the damp stones
had not burned wholly up
And this paper was found to be a part of n
letter belonging to the prisoner, letter which
he had received from friend of his land friend
Of mine) only week before That friend had
70 come forward and swear that piece of charred
paper was part of a letter he had written to
the prisoner This friend name was Stephen
Grant. He was young merchant, and the let
ter had been written for the purpose of inducing
Ambold to reform. Stephen tried hard to avoid
testifying, for he knew as did others, that the
hre must have been set with that identical pa
per; but he was summoned and he could not
deny his own chirography.
The case looked dark. Many witnesses were
willing to testify to the prisoner good qualities,
but no one could swear that he was not dissi-
Pated and degraded. That house had been to
him indeed, a region Internal. Its destruction
cried out for his bodily life; and its existence
had long been eating away his soul. Poor
Charlie i had before been sure Of his inno-
cence; but now L could only shake my head and
pity him.
Finally he was allowed to speak for himself
lie said be was innocent Of the crime imputed
TO him. He said that he had threatened to burn
that house dOwn-that he had said about all
that had been sworn to. And. furthermore he
was around the house on the night Of the FIRE
He was not ten rods Of when the flames burst
forth, and he was one Of the first TO give the
alarm. lie had uttered one cry of fire when be
noticed where the flames must have originated
and the thought came TO him if he was found
there, he might De suspected of having set the
fire; 80 he run away. He also said that three
nights before the conaagration, he bad been
robbed In that house. His pockets had been
emptied OF every thing in them. and his pocket
book containing forty dollars in money, and
some valuable papers. had been taken lie had
b gone there on the night Of the FIRE to try and
persuade them To give him back his money and
at least to get back what he could