Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1860-06-01

Thrilling Episode in the Life of "Abe
Lincoln"

Asa Western man, I wish space to give
ven, TO my enthusiasm over the nomination
Of the Hon. Abraham Lincoln for President,
q the United States Mr.. Lincoln, or
odd Abe" a. hi, friends Familiarity call
him 4, elf made man. \ Ken,uekian
by birth. he smisraied to lllinoi, in hi.
boyhood. w.crc be earned h. living at the
anvil, deyo,ine his leisure hours to study.
Having chosen the law as III, future calling
be devoted himself a.slluou.ly to it, mas
terry, contsndins a, every step with adverse
fortunes. During this period OF study, no
for snme time found hons under the hos.
ri,ahls roof Of one Armstrong, = farmer
who lived in los.hou.c some eight miles
from the village Of Petersburg, Msuard
County. Here clad in home,pun. with cl.
bows out and knees covered with patches,
young Lincoln would master his lessons by
tho Grcli:h, vi the cabin. and then walk to
town f0r the purpose Of recitation. Thus
man Armstrong was himself poor, but he
saw the genus struggling in tho young
student, and opened to him hi, rude home,
and bid him welcome % his coarse fare.
How Lincoln graduated with promise. how
he has more than fulfilled that promise,
how honorahly no acquitted himself alike
on the battlefield, in delsnln; our border
settlements asain., the ranscs Of savage
foes. aud in the halls OF our national lssi'.
hiurc. are matter. Of history, aud need no
rcp,ttion bore. But one litIle incident Of a
more private mature. standing a, !, does ~
q slr, Of sequel TO some thing. already allu.
Del TO. dem worthy Of record. Some
lew years since the olIes, son Of Mr.. LIN.
e5ln', old friend Armstrong, the chief sup.
TT, Of his widowed molh,r-,ho good old
man having some time previously pas'cd
from ,ar,h-vI. arrested On the charge Of
murder. A young man had been killed du.
rins ri1,ous melee, Ia the nigh, time, a,
a c,mp.mcc,ing. and ono OF 81. associates
stated that tho dcath.wound va, indicted
BY young Armstrong. \ preliminary sI-
animation was had, at which the accuscr
testified 50 positively that there seemed no
doubt Of The prisoner, and there seemed no
doub, Of the gull, Of tie prisoner. and
therefor. he was held for TRIAL. A. j. too
Often Ihs case. the bloody act caused an I'M
due degree ol excitement in the public
mind. Every improper incl dent in the lie
% he Trisoner-caeh act which bore the
leas, semblancc OF rowiyism-saoh school
10y quarr,l-wa, suddenly remembered
and ma.uiast. until they pictured him as
a 6-ul VI the most horrii hue. - these
rancr, spread abroad, they were received
- gospel truth, and ievsr..h desire lJr
vengeance seized upon the infatuated Pop.
uIacc. while only pris1a bars prevented a
h1rr.llc daih a, the hand, Of mob. The
cyeuis we're hcralled in the county papers,
painted in tishc., color., accompanied by
rejoicing over the certainty o. punishment,
t.in: ns,eI on, to the guilty party. The
prisoner. overwhelmed BY the cireum',an.
cg, under which he found himself placed
tell into a melancholy condition, bordering
uron do.pair. AMI tho widowed mother,
looking through her tears, siw no cause
f.r Inn, ir,ni ,artIiy Aid
~ ihi, jlnc,lrc. the widow received n
letter from Mr. Lincoln, volunteering hi.
service. IA ah sa5r, u save the youth from
the impending stroke. Gladly wa, hi aid
accepted. although 1t .ccmed impossible fOr
even hi, 'a.aei,y to prevail in such a de''
r.rate case but the heart uf the attorney
va, in hi, work, and ho ,st about it with
will that knew no such word a. fail.
Feeling iha, tho poisoned condition OF the
public mind VAS srch as to preclude the
possibility Of empanyllins an impartial Ju'
~ ia the Court having jurisdiction, he pro-
cured change Of venue, and postpone
ment Of the trial. Ile then went imm.di.
a,ely 10 work unrayeling the history Of the
case, and satisfied himself that hi, client
was the victim Of malice, aud that the
statement. Vi the aeeuscr were a tissue OF
hl,ehood.. When the trial was called on.
the prisoner, pale aud cmaciaied. with
hopelessness written on every feature. and
accompanied by ht' balI.hopins, hall.de-
,pairing nothsr-whose only hope was IN
mothers belief Of her sons innocence, in
the justice of the God she worshipped, and
in the noble counsel. who, without hope Of
lee or reward upon sarlh, had undertaken
the cause-took his .eai in the prisoners
box; aud with stony trmne'' listen
ed to the reading Of tho indictment. Lin.
coin at quietly by, while the large auditory
looked on hin as though wondering what
he could say in deIsn.e OF one whose guilt
they regarded as certain. The examination
OF witnesses for the State was begun, and n
wcl,.arranged mass Of evidence, eircunsian'
tial and positive, was introduced, which
seemed to impale the prisoner byond the
possibility Of eI,Fieation. Tho counsel for
the defense prOpounded but few questions,
and those OF character which excited no
uneasines. on the par, Of the prOsceu,or-
merely in mos, cases, requiring the main
witness to be definite as to time and place.
When the evidence Of the prosecution was
ended, Lincoln intro dueei few witnesses
to remove some erroneous impressions in re-
gard to the previous character Of his client,
who. though somewhat rowdyish, bad new
er been known to commit, = vicious act !;
and to show that greater degree OF ILL
feeling existed between the aecuser and the