Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-05-18
The Trial of Cosgrove.

, closed on Saturday, and the jury returned verdict of guilty after being out about 20 minutes. The principal facts in the case are adverted to in the address of the Judge to the prisoner upon sentencing him, which we give below. This case has excited much interest, because of the motive that prompt ed the commission of the murder being so unusual in the south and the cruel circum- stances attending it. Lester was killed that Cosgrove might obtain possession of a small sum of money, and the first blow having partially missed it's aim, was fol- lowed up by stabbing and cutting the throat of the victim.
 Murder, most foul as at the best it is,
 But this most foul. strange and unnatural.'
 While we believe that '' the worst use you can put a man to is to hang him. yet there are crimes so atrocious and revolting, they call for the severest punishment that justice has in store for offenders.
 Cosgrove was ably defended by Messrs. Williams and Jordan, who fought every inch of the ground and did all that men could do for their client But the evidence was so direct, full and overwhelming, that they could not break its force or turn its point
 After the rendition of the verdict the prisoner, being asked if he had anything to say why sentence of death should not be passed upon him, made some remarks to the effect that some of the witnesses had done him in iustice, and, asserted that he was innocent. In response to the remarks of the prisoner, his Honor, Judge Glen denin, thus proceeded to pronounce SEN FENCE OF DEATH:
 have listened with deep attention to the remarks you have made, and I am sor- ry to say to you, that those remarks have not, in the slightest degree, weakened my convictions of the justness of the verdict ren dered against you. The testimony as it was detailed was overwhelming against you, and l must say that in an experience of almost twenty-five years in the practice of the law and the administration of justice in this State, 1 have never read or beard a more perfect chain of circumstances.
 It was proven that on the evening of the 18th of February, last, you left your boarding house in company with deceased about dusk; you were traced, step by step, Tn company with your victim to within a short distance of lonely and secluded spot on the bank of the river-and there the darkness of night hid you from the eyes of man, though the All-seeing Eye was upon you. Your first blow failed in part of its purpose, and the cry of agony from your victim was heard. The next morning the ground was examined; the marks of a deadly struggle-the pools of blood-the trace of body dragged to the river, show ed that violence had been done portion of torn clothing, with letters stained with blood, told who was the victim. You were arrested-your garments perfectly dentif- ed, were found where you had left them stained all over with blood; the body of the deceased was found in the river barba- rously manged. You have failed to ae- count for your presence elsewhere that night. These, with numerous other circumstances too painful for me now to refer to, could leave no shadow of doubt on the minds of the jury that you were guilty.
 Your victim was youthful stranger from neighboring State, who came to this, on an errand of mercy and kindness to one of his kindred, and who had selected you as his friend.
 These facts and this verdict place you beyond the pale of human mercy and for giveness; you cannot hope or expect that man would pardon so terrible crime; but while your fellow man cannot pardon you, there IS a source from whence you may re- ceive it. and l charge and pray you to waste not the few days which may yet be allotted to you on earth, in vain hopes or expectations, but look to your God-ask mercy from Him, and you may receive pardon for this great sin as well as others.
 You have had fair and impartial trial by jury selected by yourself from distant parts of the county. You have been de- fended by counsel of great zeal and ac- knowledged ability, who have done their whole duty to you-but with the evidence of this case the cloquenco and ingenuity of man could have availed you nothing. You sealed your own doom by the commission of this crime, and it must be expiated by the penalty of the law.
 And all that now remains in your case, Charles Cosgrove, is to pronounce the sen tence of the court, which is: That you be ramanded to the jail of this county, there to remain until Friday, the 10th day of June next, to be taken from thence between the hours of eleven o'clock in the morning and one o'clock in the afternoon, to the place of execution, and Mere hung by Me neck until you are dead, and may God haoe mercy on your soul"
 
 Ey- If the landlady, when her boarder handed her the plate of butter at the table, and rnnnestad her to hare the hairs there-