Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1859-10-20

placing something In nlS pocket, WHICH apPeaieu
to be bank bills, Immediately left the tavern and
walked over to the eating house where was seat
ed. As be entered the room, he gave q quick,
cautious, and nervous glance around the apart
ment; but, my person being screened from his
view, he turned with disappointed air to the
proprietor, and asked if q gentleman had not just
left the room. did not hear the reply, but no.
ticed that the newcomer took the proprietor
aside, and, after few moments conversation.
handed him card, and then hastily left the room
tVery strange = said Dulson. '-
AS soon as this man left the house, I stepped
from my hiding place and approached the landlord
or proprietor, and politely desired him to inform
me who the inquisitive stranger was, and what
was the nature of his business there. To be brlef
gentleman, he informed me that the man was On
Enplishman-wished to know my name-psace
where boarded, and where he might have an OPP
portunity of seeing me, as he had something of
vital Importance to communicate, IL Edward D.
Wilton was my name. According to my usual
rashness, + handed the proprietor my card :; and,
writing the name of my hotel and the time could
be f,een upon the reverse side, left the eating
house. .....,
THAT was exceedingly indiscreet, to say the
least of it, said Dulson.
.It NAV strike you so now said D'Vilton 'but
I must not forget to tell you that the card which
the stranger left with the proprietor contained one
word only, .and that that word was Charlotte
The very fact that he knew her name was enough
II could not help acting as did
very true, sir; please proceed SAID Johnston;
.About two nights after this said D'Vilton, I
was sitting alone in my room, when boy belong
inc to the hotel, informed me that q gentleman
wished to speak to me few moments. sent
word to the gentleman to walk up !; but the boy
returned, and informed me that the visitor could
not do so then, but would call in an hours time.
Feeling somewhat lonely, sent word to q young
gentleman connected with the hotel, to bring up
his chess board, and join me in social game
We PLAYED about two hours; when he threw HIM
self upon the bed to take short nap (ss he sald)
before the arrival of the stage. Having been
much confined all day, blew out the candle,
closed the blinds, and walked out upon the street,
with the intention Of taking short stroll before
retiring to bed. 1t was such lovely night that l
walked much further than had at first intended !;
so that two hours elapsed from the time left un-
til returned to the hotel. When within two or
three squares of the hotel, accidentally tripped,
and struck my nose and chin very heavily against
box upon the sidewalk. When I arose to my
feet found my shirt bosom literally soaked with
the blood which flowed from my nose.'
''Wei, never mlnQ aoOut your uoeo, eo'~ 1AAA
ton. go on with your story
.It is necessary to allude to that little lnciden'
said D'Vlton, or you would fail to comprehend
what follows :,
Proceed, SIR said Johnston, looking angrily
upon Milton.
We'll. gentlemen continued D'Vilton, upon
nv return to the hotel, found q crowd assembled
about the doors and windows; while such excla-
nations as terrible murder! 'base-hearted En-.
gishman! p hang the assassin and number OF
kindred expressions fairly rent the air. Hearing
nv name mentioned in connection with that OF
murder; rushed breathlessly into the hotel TO
ascertain what really were the facts of the case.
I was Immediately seized by the sheriff, who was
present; and, to make the story short, was f1rcl-
bly, dragged to Jail
But, why?' asked Dulson.
1T appears' said D'Vilton, that during my alb
sence the young man whom had left asleep in
nv room, had been fatally stabbed by an unknown
hand. As had been playing chess with him a
few hours before, Of course suspicion rested upon
me. This, together with the blood upon my clio
thing and handkerchief, went strongly against
me-
.But who did murder him p asked Milton.
Jude Simpster,' said D'Vilton. 1T was so
proved eleven years after that terrible night:
Jude Simpster = repeated Milton, in much sur.
prise: what possible motive could he have had
to influence him to such cold-blooded assassina-
tiou?'
sTbe william no doubt intended to murder me,
said D'Vilton sand, as the room was dark, he
merely made mistake in his victim, sir
But WHY should he murder you, Mr.. D'Vilton
Are you quite sure such were his intentions !!
asked Milton. - ..
did he not intend to destroy my life, when ne
fired the powder magazine on board OF the queen
of the Wave? Was he not the same man that was
80 anxious to find out my name, and the hotel at
which I boarded? Was he not (as was proven)
the identical william who had called upon me a
few hours before the murder took place! Did he
not tell the boy that he would be back in two
hours time, and request him to keep light IN
the hotel until midnight? What better proof do
you need of his guilt than all this?
.All mere circumstautial evidence, said Milton.
well, SIR said D'Vilton, Ito continue my story,
I remained in Jail one year before the case was
brought into Court was tried, convicted and con-
demned to be hung
.Shocking!' said Dulson so that is thSway
they treat au innocent man in America"
AS far as twelve honest, sober minded mems
Judgment could determine, was not innocent,
said D'Viltou. They judged, of course, by the
evidence; and as that impressed their minds with
q sense of my guilt, they were necessarily i'm
pelled by the force of facts to give in verdict in
with calm and dispassionate consid-
Grafton of the whole evidence. Now, the evidence,
certainly went to show this much. / threatened
to shoot the deceased Jokingly, of course) the
yery night before the murder; l was heard to
send boy down to call the deceased to my room ;
he was seen playing game OF chess with me
short time before his dead body was discovered; !;
his body was found in my room soon after was
seen to leave the hote tracks of bloody feet pre-
cisely the same as mine were seen upon the stair
case: blood was discovered upon my hands, race
and clothes; my face bruised and cut as though
the deceased had struggled with me before yield
ing. Such evidence as this-party presumptn-
Gus, and partly Observation-Disclosures WIN a
great deal of forensic ingenuity on the part of the
solicitor. and a lack of interest and tact on the
part of my counsel, naturally ended in verdict
of guilty
And how did you manage to escape the c1ecu-
ton of the sentence of the low p asked Milton.
"A petition was gotten up replied DVilton,
and sent to the Governor of New York. To be
brief, instead of being hung, the sentence was
changed to Imprisonment for ten years and hard
work at that
and have you really been imprisoned all that
time? asked Dulson.
AN save the last month";, replied D'Vilton;
when, by what means know not, the real muir
derer was discovered
so YOU have spent eleven years Jail for moth
ing .-.shameful cruel = said Johnston, with
much warmth.
Not for nothing, said D'Vlton. MY impris-
onment has impressed upon the public great
moral lesson. 1t has served to expose the utter