Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-03-26


to kill him once he insisted we had put his
brother-in-law in the well and drowned him,
and he got pole and hook and worked half a
day to fish him out at these turns he would
not sleep at nights, walking the house restlesslyj
we tried to beat him out of these fancies but
could not he was never well, but grew worse
latterly, often complaining of his head, irregu-
lar in eating, sleeping badly, screaming out in
the night, fastening himself into his room, and
keeping his gun close at hand.
CHARLES MARTIN "a brothcr,) confirmed this,
and further said, was often with him when he
had these turns Of being out. He once came
running to me in the sugar place, looking wild
and frightened, and said father had killed all
the folks at home, and guessed he had gone on
killing the neighbors as he had heard great
hollering. Once he came running in a fright
saying an awful animal, describing such as |
had never seen, had chased him. Once he had
seen band of robbers in the field, and the
next morning went over the field digging for
the money he thought they had buried. At
these times his face was flushed and his eyes
wild.
Mrs RHoDA GooDALE.-Iave lived in Mar
tins family, and then very near them. His
health atterly was pretty poor. Once he offer.
ed to build me house out of money he said
he was to have from man named Needs, who
belonged to an army that was up here. have
sat up with him nights when sick, and afraid
men were coming to kill him; was there the
day before the murder when he came home
with the rifle he went out and fred il in the
woods, and fearing he had shot himself, went
out after him, but didn't find him. The MORN
ing Of the murder he started out before break
fast with gun in his hands l heard his moth
or call him back, saying, "Ariel, if you are sick
l don't want you should work" heard her
then say, 81 have done all God requires me to
DO here"
MRs SUSAN McKNIGHT-I am sister Of
Ariel Martin, and have always lived at home,
OF near, but one year spent at Nashua he was
verse after fathers death; had strange numb
spells; was having often frights, full Of strange
farries about robbers, armies, &C., appearing at
sudl times wild and pale; he wanted his gun
by aim, and would call on me to look and listen
to The sight or sounds Of their coming; he said
he sould see them, dressed in green; once he
cane wildly upon me, accusing me Of having
stohn the money they had left for him, saying
if would give up half all well, else / should
be sorry he looked so frightiul had to pacify
him rs best could.
Ms SABINE CARR (another married sister, J
fully confirmed what her mother and sister had
said, aad added Sometimes he acted strange
and will, and seemed disturbed and restless,
sometimes fancying that one Of his brothers
had killed the other and put him in the well,
and spending hours with pole to fish him out ,
VIC often talked about these wild turns Of his in
the family, and felt it not safe for him to have
a gun.
MRS. ERECL4 mcknight Ia connection. y
Thursday before the murder he came to our
house, and warted Simeon's rife on my tell
ing him | ought not to let it CO. he said Sim
would let him have it il he was at home, and
took it, with ammunition and saying he want
ed to kill hawks with it, carried it off; had
heard of his having crazy spells, but never saw
one.
Five or six other family connections, and two
intimate with Ariel, who had been hunting
with him, all more or less confirmed the fore
going, andtome Of them giving other instances
of his frequent alterations of mind.
Twenty-Five witnesses TO rebut the foregoing
testimony for the defence were then called on
to the stand and successfully testified. First,
his keepers and jailors who invariably testified
that they had talked with him-that when he
answered at all, it was nationally, and that they
discovered nothing looking like insanity. Sec
ond, his schoolmates and neighbors, who gen.
orally testified that when he went to school,
which was irregnlarly and some years since,
that though he did not learn much vet he
played and appeared like other boys-tha, he
worked on his mothers land, on the highways
and last summer, with some help, carried on
his mothers little farm-in all which they had
not seen or known any Of the alterations de-
scribed. And lastly, three physicians who had
visited Martin recently in Jail, and examined
him with view Of testing his sanity These
physicians, who are oil Of good professional
standing, concurred in the statement that they
could not then detect any indications of insani-
ty. Two of them, however. in the course Of
defining insanity and its characteristics, rather
gave their opinion, that on the hypothesis OF
the truth Of the testimony for the defence, tina,
the respondent might, or must be acting, when
he committed the murder, under one Of those
illusions, which characterize general or tempo
rary insanity.
After an able charge from Judge Bennett the
case was given to the jury at 8 o'clock, Satur.
day afternoon, and at 10 o'clock that evening
they returned n verdict Of GUILTY.
We have not learned whether the prisoner
has yet been sentenced.
ID. X. Smith and c. H. Joyce conducted the
case for the State, and L. L. Durant and Pau
Dillingham; for the defence.
Jas. w. Marsh, son Of the late President
Marsh of Burlington, and a graduate of tbs