The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-07-20

/ confded to him by his client was this that
the young man was vagabond, who had de.
/ serted his parents, and run away from his in.
dentures, ard was so far deserving of little
pity that he had however, only been vicious,
and not criminal; as for the murder with which
he was now charged, the commission of such
hideous outrage had never entered his brain.
Did the lad look like murderer Or did
he not rather resemble the Prodigal Son. PEN
itent for bis misdeeds indeed, butnot weighed
down by the blood of felIow-creatare -
All this was powerfully enough expressed.
but it was not evidence; and the jury, without
retiring from their box. pronounced the young
man Guilty. amid silence which seemed to
corrobordte the verdict. Then the Judge put
on the the terrible black cap, and solemnly in
quired for the last time whether Robert M eles
had any reason to urge why sentence should
not he passed upon him. a--. 5se
my lord replied the lad.in singnlarly low,
soft voice, which recalled the utterer to my
recollection on the instant, am wholly limo.
cent of the dreadful crime of which 1 am ac-
cused althoug confess see in the doom that
is about to be passed upon me fit recon-.
pense for my wickeduess and disohedience.-
l was, however, until informed of it by the
officer who took me into custody, as ignorant
of this poor mans existence as of his death
my lord cried 7, speaking with an energy
and distinctness that astonished myself, this
young man has spoken the truth, as can tes.
tify' . Gz r.--..s T.. .-.r
There was q tremendous sensation in the
court at this announcement, and it was some
minutes before | was allowed to take my
place in the witness box. The counsel for
the crown objected to my becoming evidence
at that period of the proceedings at all, and
threw himself into the legal question with all
the indignation which he had previously ex-
hibited against the practice of midnight muir
der; but eventually the court over-ruled him,
and was sworn. .-. ..
stated that did not know the prisoner by
name. but that could swear TO his identity.
described how, oD the 9th of March last The
local builder, being in want of hands, had
hired the accused to assist in the construction
of bow.window in the drawing room of our
house in Dorset shire.
The counsel for the prosecution, affecting
to disbelieve my sudden recognition of the
prisoner, here requested TO know whether any
particular circumstance had recalled him to
nv mind, or whether had only vague rec.
ollection of him. ...rrF
Il had only that l confessed, until the
prisoner spoke; his voice is peculiar, and 1
remember very distinctly to have heard it up
on the occasion | speak of; he had the mis-
fortune to tread upon his foot-rule and break
it. while at work upon the window, and l
overheard him lamenling the occurrence
Here the counsel for the accused reminded
the court that broken foot-rule had been
found upon the prisoners person at the time
of his apprehension.
Within some five minutes. in short, the feel
ings of judge, jury and spectators entirely
changed; and the poor young fellow at the
bar, instead of having sentence of death
passed upon him. found himself, through my
means, set very soon at liberty. He came
over to me at the inn to express his sense Of
my prompt interference, and TO beg to know
how he might show bis gratitude.
sI am not so mean fellow as seem,' said
he; and hope, by Gods blessing, to be yet
I credit to the parents to whom have behaved
so ill., - ".'
What is your real namef' inquired Irstruck
by sudden impulse. s.ia#
MY real name, replied the young man,
blushing deeply,t is Oourtenay, and my home
where hope to be tonight, is at Cowlees
Farm. across the Exc i2
And SO had not been called SO mysteri-
oasIy at four o'clock in the morning, without
a good and sufficient reason. after all.