The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1860-11-30

oil the law, could feel Tor fellow in bad fix
weeping and pretty wife nearly broken hear
ted, and quite distracted Knowing The use o
''effect," told her to dress n deep mourning,
and bring her little cherub Of a boy only three
! years old, into court, and to sill as near her hus-
/ band as the officer would let her. | tried that
! game once in murder case, and weeping
wife aud sister made jury render verdict a
gainst law, evidence, aud the judges charge, and
saved fellow that ought to have been hung as
high as Haman.
The prosecution opened very bitterly, IN
weighed against thieves and counterfeiters, who
had robbed every farmer in the region of their
finest horses. 1t introduced witnesses, and
proved all, more than feared it would.
The time came for me to rise foE the defence.
Witnesses ] had none. But | determined to
make an effort, only hoping 50 to interest the
Judge and jury as TO secure recommendation
to the gubernatoriaI clemency and Sigh; SEN
tence. So | painted this picture A young
man entered into life, welded an angel beau
titul in person, possessing every gentle and no.
bic attribute. Temptation was before and all
around him. He Kept a tavern. Guests there
were many 1t was not for hsm 10 inquire into
their business they were well dressed, made
large bills and paid promptly. At an unguar-
ded hour, when he was insane with the liquor
they urged u2o hum, he had deyiated from
the path of recttuGe. The demon of alcohol
had reigned IN his brain and it was his first
offence. Mercy plead for another chance to
save him from ruin. Justice did not require
that his young wife should 90 down sorrowing
to the grave, and that the shadow of disgrace
and the taunt Of teIon father should cross the
path OF that sweet child. Oh how earnestly
did plead for them. The woman wept the
husband did the same the jury looked melting,
II | could have had the closing speech, he would
have been cleared but the prosecutor had the
close, and threw ice on the FIRE had kind!ed.
But they did not quite put it out.
Ttsr- jtsJse- charged accOrdgugEo law aud es'i~
dence, but evidently teamed on the side OF mer-
cy. The jury found verd ict of guilty, but
unanimously recommended the prisoner 10 the
mercy Of the court. My client was sentenced
to the shortest Imprisonment the court was en-
powered TO give, and both jury and court signed
a petition to the governor for an unconditional
pardon, which has since been granted, but not
before the following incident occurred
Some three nonlos after this l received an
account for collecson from wholesale house
in New York. The parties to collect from
were hard ones, bat they had property, and be-
fore they had an idea of the trap laid, had the
property, which they were about TO assign ibe-
fore they broke under attachment. Finding
that was neck ahead and FOUND to win, they
scaved in" and "forked over" three thousand
seven hvndred and ninety Hour dollars and
eight cents (per memorandum book IN good
money. Theysslived in Shawneetown. about
! IS or 40 miles southwest of Moore's prairie.
received the funds just after bank opening, but
other business detained me till after dinner. I
then started for c., intending 10 go as far
as the village OF Mount Vernon that night.
1 had gone along ten or twelve miles, when
noticed splendid team Of double horses at
tached to light wagon in which were seated
four men, evidently of high strung ORDER
They swep: past as i 10 show how easy they
could DO it. They shortened in, and allowed
me to come up to them, and hailing me, asked
me to SWEET" or in other words, diminish the
contents of Jug of old rye they bad in the
wagon but excused myself with the plea That
had plenty on board. They asked me how
far / was going. I told them as far as Mount
Vernon, if my horse don't tire out. They
mentioned pleasant tavern ten OF twelve
miles ahead, as nice stopping place, and then
drove on.
T did not like the looks OF those fellows nor
their actions. l had brace of revovers and
nice knife; my money was not in my yailse or
my suky, but in belt around my body. l
drove Glow, in hopes that they would drive on,
and I should see them no more. II was nearly
dark when I saw a tavern sign ahead. At the
came time I saw their wagon standing at the
door l would have pressed on, but my horse
needed rest. Ihauled up, and woman came
r. the door. She turned as pale as death when
she saw me-she did not speak--but with a
meaning look she put her finger to her lips and
beckoned me in she was The wife Of my late
client.
When entered .the party recognized me,
and hailed me as an old travelling friend, and
asked me 10 drink. respectfully declined to
do 50.
SPY God, you shall drink OF fight % said the