New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-01-18

n optaiasiA.
7 Thc Robbers Grave.
III Tie year 1919, there was III the neighborhood
/ If Montgomery Id North Wales an ancient manor
1 house, called OakfeId which, Ike many Of those
DID structures, losing It's original ortance from
n HE Increased size and convenience Of modern
III buiffinRs had been converted into farm house.
The Iate occupant one james Morris, had been an
inauleat and soneW bat dissipated man ne farm
81 consequently fe into neglect aad heeame unpront-
able. and he died lii debt, leaving his wife and an
only daughter III possession Of the place. Shortly
II after Ills DEATH The widow took into her employ
II naemt young man from Staffordshire. Of the name
III John Newton, the here Ct this little story, VINO
Il Had been strongly recommended 10 her BY her
4 brother; and well and faithfully did he discharge
his duties as baili fully iustFing the praise and
recommendations she received with him. He was
III utter stranger IN tint part Ct the country s!
i seemed stifIiously to shun all acquaintance with
his neighbors and 70 devote himself exc nsively to
i the interests Of hs employer. He never left home
but Id visit the neighburing fairs and markets and
u attend fhe parish church, where bis presence
| was regular and his conduct deyont. In short,
though highly circnnspect ia his behavior on all
occasions, he Was melancholy reserved man and
4 even The clergyman of the parish, n whom be was
ALWAYS most respectful in his demeanor, entirely
failed In his endeayors to cultivate an acquaintance
with him. The farm, under bis mana ement, had
improved, and become profitable; and the circnm.
stances III Mrs, Morris were, by his assiduity and
skill both prosperous and iourishing, In this man
began To regard him more Us q friend and benefac
4 tor than servant and was not sorry TO observe
her daughters growing affection for him, which
appeared ID bic reciprocal One evening, in Nov
business, at iFeishpuol, Newton set out, about six
Il O'Clock, to- walk home to 0akfed 1t was an ex-
4 ceedingly dark night. and he never reached home
II again. The family became very anxious, and upon
Il nauiring early the following morning at Welsh
pool, they ascertained that he had been brought
back 10 that tot long after his departure from
4 Ii, BY two men, named Parker and Pearce, who
Il charged him with highway robbery, accompanied
by Violence ail offence then punishable with death.
All the trial at the next assizes he pronounced
gnity. on the testimony Of these two persons,
which was clear, positive, and consistent through.
ont was sentenced to be hanged, and left for exc
q enton. He employed no counsel, and called no
. witness in biz defense but upon being asked by
the Judge. IN the usual form, It he had any thing
to shy why sentence of death should not be passed
Il upon him ~ he made, in substance, the following
IeAtraordinary speech:
u NV lord. it III evident all could say In oppose
ton 10 such testimony would be vainand hopeless.
The Witnesses men Of responsibility, and their
evidence has appeared plain and conclusive, and
II my most solemn protestations of innocence could
i avail me nothing. / have called no witnesses to
character, and upon such evidence the jury could
pronounce no other verdict. 4 blame them not
II From my soul, too, forgive those men, upon
whose false testimony have been convicted. But,
mr. lord protest most solels,ny before this court
i before your Iordship, and, above all, before that
4 God in whose presence must shortly appear, am
entirely gultiess Of the crime for which am about
to suffer. have produced no one 10 speak In mp
4 behalf. Two years have scarcely passed since i
came into this country, an utter stranger have
made no acquaintance here, beyond the household
i In which hare been employed, and where have
endeaYored to discharge my duties, faithfully hon
! estly, and WE'LL Although dare not hope, and do
not wish that my life should BIO spared, Jet it my
deYont and earnest desire that the stain Of this
crime may not rest upon my name. deVoutly
hope that my good mistress. and her kind and ex-
cellent daughter may yet be convinced that they
have not nourished and befriended a highway rob
her. have, therefore, In humble devotion, Of.
fered prayer to heaven, and believe ii has been
heard and accepted venture to assert that. IL L
am innocent OF the crime for which suffer, the
grass for one generation at least, will not cover
my grave. N.Y. lord, await your sentence without
9 mur muir. without q sorrow; and deyoutly pray
that all who hear me now may repent of tkeir sins,
and meet me again In heaven.
The unfortunate man was condemned and exc
cuteds and Was buried In Montgomery chnrchyard.
Thirty years had passed away when saw It, and
the grass had not then covered his grave. 1t Is sit
uated In remote corner of the churchyard far re-
moved from All other graves 1t is not raised
mound OF earth, but "a even with the surrounding
ground. which lis, for some distance, especially
luxuriant the heritage being rich and abundant
Numerous attempts have. from time to time been
made biz some who are still alive, and others who
hare passed away, 70 bring grass upon thai bare
apot. Fresh soil has been frequently spread upon
II. and seeds Of various kinds have been soWn but
/ not d blade had there ever been known TO spring
Mom them, and the soil soon became a smooth,
cold, and stnbborn clay With respect 10 the IN.
happy witnesses, # appears that parkers ancestors
had once owned 0akiield and that he had hoped
by getting rid Qf Newfons 10 remove the main oh.
atace there WAS 20 his re-pnssessing it, and til I
4 Pearee Ind, at The time Of Mr. Morris 4 death al
pred 70 the hand Of his daughter In whose affec.
mons he fet ne had been sHpplanted by poor New
lont 1he former saon left the neighhorhood be.
came drunken and dssolnse man, and WAS ult;.a
matei9 Killed n some aiewofks while in the act az
piaatlng rock pearce grew suilen and disnirtea
lls very existence seemed burden ID him ana u
I the pid sexton Of Montgomery expressed IL Q IL
b wasted away FROM The face Of the earth
nave not seen the grave since 1850. Init hava
near0 that some person has covered ii Win thief
turf which has united itself with the s,,rronnS;a
grass, except at the head which Ii sin witha~as
T and bare, as i scorched By lightning The pray.
j; en-, however, Of poor Newton, that his grave mip6t
remain uncovered for at least one generation hss
been heard, and his memory indicated III q mn mai
d remarkable manner. The name given I'd the GRAVE
was singnlarly inappropriate II should have been
tt called : the grave OF the iaaocentn The widow
III with her daughter, left 0akfed and went ID resa
II with her brother. For some weeks after nanr
I NeWtonss burial, it Ii said ha grave was from
q time to time, found strswea with wild flowers III
81 whom done was unknown; but 1t was observed
TINT after Jane Morris had left the neighhorhoni
I'll not flower was found upon the grave
I.