The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1860-06-07
Thrilling Episode i'm tho Life of
Abe Lincoln"
[Norresrondenee otlhe Clcyoland leader.l

/ TO my enthusiasm over the nomination oi Hon.
abraham Lincoln for President OF the United
States.
But one little incident Of more private ma
turc, standing as it does MS n sort OF sequel to
some things already alluded to, | deem worthy
/ of record. Some few years since the oldest sou
Of Mr. Lincoln's old friend Armstrong, the chief
support OF his widowed mother-the good old
man having some time previously passed from
carth--was arrested on the charge OF murder. A
young man had been killed during n rotous
melee in the night time, at u camp meeting,
and one of his associates stated that the death
wound was inflicted by young Armstrong. \
preliminary examination was gone into at which
the uccuSer testified SO positively that there
seemed no doubt OF the guilt OF thr prlSoncEand
/ therefore he was held for hial. AS is too often
! the case, the bloody act caused an undue de
gree of excitement in the public mind. Every
improper incident in the life of the prisoner
. each act which bore the least semhauce of
rowdyiSm--eoch schoolboy quarrel-was sud
/ denly remembered and manifested, until they
pictured him as a Gtud of the most horrible hue
| As these rumors spred abroad, they were re-
Ceived as gospel truth, aud ieverish desire for
vengeance seized upon the infatuated ropulNCe
whilst only prison bars prevented II horrible
| death at the hands ot mob. The events Were
hemlled in the country papers, painted in high
est colors, accompanied by rejoicing over the
certainty OF punishment being meled out to the
| guilty party. Ihe prisoner, overwhelmed by
! the circumstances under which he Iounl him
self placed, fell iuto II melancholy condition,
! bordering upon despair, and the widowed
mother looking through her tedls, saw no cause
! for hope for eatthIy Md.
| At this nncturc, the widow received u letter
| from Mr.. Liucolr, volunteering his services in
an effort to save the youth from the impending
stroke Gladly was his aid accepted, although
! it seemed impossible for even his sugacity to
! prevail in such desperate case 4; but the heart
! of the attorney was in his work ,and he set about
| it with will that knew no such word as fail.
Feeling that the poisoned condition OF the public
mind was such us 10 prCludo the possibility OF
impannemg an impartial jury in the court hav- q
| ing jurisdiction, ho procured IA change oI venue
aud postpUnement OF the uiul lie then went
unraycug the history OF the case and sati sfed
| himself that his client was the victim of malice
aud that the statements of the uccuscr were Il
| tissue of Idlsehoods. When the trial was called
on the prisoner pale and cmdCiatcd, with hope
! Iessne,s written ON every lCatule, and aCCompa.
MED by his hnit-hopoing, ll-dcspairiuE mother
whose only hope was in n mothers belief ol
her sons inuoceucc,in the justice of the Good she
worshiped, and in the noble counsel, who wi H.
out the hope of fee or reward upon EARTH had
undertaken the cause- took his seat in the pris-
oners OoN aho WV" " S'o"y hIhhpSS listened
10 'ne 't""'uS o' q rnole'nnent' hI"c0'h sat
qa'e'N py' ",'''s' l'Io i''s' u"u',oy 'o1Neu on
| MN "9 N"""S" N"n"''"S N"'' "' V"u'u say III
/ defence ofUne whose guilt they rrgalded as Ger,
| tain. The eXamina ion of the witnesses for the
State was begun, md a well arranged mass OF cv-
jdeuce, Crcumslantlal and positive, was intro
ducrd. which seemed to impale the prisoner be-
yond the possibility Of exit ion. The counsel
Tor 'he "''en'o P'oPounocu ou' 'eW questions
ana lhose Oh ohaioc,ct Wn'ch eSc''eu no un'
eaSIneSS ON tue Part o' tne ePloscculor-merely,
IN moS' cases. req q"''.,S '"' ,'''h witnesses o
oe ueh"''e as 10 '"e ''",. "nu P'"Io' Nuen the
e'loeu'e VI t,e P'os''"''o" was cn"eu' 'ncoIh
uodueea le" witnesses 10 remove some erro-
h,ouS mP,,ss'"ns !" regard 20 tAe peNohs
chHiac'tr o' uis cle",' ""u' '"ouSh somewhat
roWdyIsh, nau never "ce" Known 10 commit Il
Vicious act; an" 10 suo" I"at greater d'Srre OF
lIl-''''0T 'Nl''e" De "een Tue a''u''f an" ,ho
accused 'neh '"t aCtu'el """ "o oeCe'Se" lhe
prosecutor 'c'l '"aC u'e c"'e was o''ar one, ana
his opening speech W"s uElel ana formal Lln-
coin arose, Wh'Ie o7o'a'y silence P'TVaded the
VaS' ouu'ehce' o"u III " I'oo' o"' n'ouefal9 tone
began MS argument Slowly ana cateIuily ne
reviewer Ihe .eSI'"'o"y' pouring o"t Tue miner
10 unohSrrVeu d!Sc'ePahclrS III ne statements dl
the pnnc'P2' "itneSS. ln"l whlch had seemed
PLAIN anu pla"s'olr' he lnoue TO appear ero ked
! as n serpent Path' 'he witness hhu stated
that the ahdlr look piace at ce,Voln hour IN the
evening, ana mat oy 'ne n'u OF tne onShtly
SHINING moon, nc saw 'no prisoner mhlct the
detth blow wlih s'"ngshot' MI Lincoln
showed mat al 'he houF referred TO- the moon
had not YET appeared ABOVE mo horZnh' ana
! consequ.nuy the Whoio tdia was lahticalIoh'
An almost instantaneous chanSe seemed TO nave
been wrought III inc MINDS OF ms AUDITORS and
the verdict OF nos gal'Iy was at the END Il
every tongue But Tue advocate was not con-
tent with inns lntelIec'uai GchieVemenl' HIS
| whole oelng had 'or nnohthS Oeeh Dound up IN
! lhlS WORK OF grAn,uae anu mercy ana as lhe
ava Of the overchaaged crater bursts from ! s
Imprisonment, 50 great thonghls ana burning
words leaped lorih iro"i lhe soul OF the eloquent
! LIncoin. lie drew picture OF the prrJurer so
hornd and ghaS'ly mat tha accnSer could sll I'M
der 1t no longer but reeied ana staggered rom
the court room whist TIE audience ioncied
! they could see inc hrdhd upon ms brow. ihcn
| IN words Oi thrilling pdlNOS Lincoln Appealed