Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-08-15


fhe fetsseutiohs ofDena A. webster-ttst
Personal Appearincc nnd Character
Tho History Of Her wronss as Related
by Herself.lf q i ~ M II
The an6ohncement that Della. A. Webster
would delivernn address last night at Smith
h Mons Hail. which would contain his
tory of her prosecutions, sufierings, trials,
and imprisonment In Kentucky, drew n very
SMALL but, n point Of quality, an excellent
audience. IN
IS Miss W. is quite tall, with 1.-THE, half
graceful figure, dark hair, small gray ayes,
high forehead, large check bones, an agree
able mouth when N. fepose, but which in
,yariably bears az, expression of firmness and
scorn when she opens II 10 speak, a face
strongly marked and full OF character, with
sufficient benevolepce beaming from It for
half dozen persona, and carriage, glance.
gesture, and depoftmBut that express ex.
traordinary wiil-power and selEreliance.
Notwithstanding the somewhat repeliant ex-
preston of her lips her smile is kindly and
attractive, the expression of her eyes ex-
tgemelt benign, .her brow broad aud placid,
5ller. voice genialaand sympathetic. and her
6ntire appearances that which would in
spire admiration and esteem rather than rro-
woke 10 love. rs shi - .'4-1f
To|udfe other character, physiognon,icaily,
we would be compelled 10 say that she was
invariably mild, yet always frIu ;..beneyolent
in the extreme without regard to the condi-
ton oradeserts of the person upon whom il
was bestowedj that she had an innate love Of
justice that could not be overcome; regard
for truth that would make heramartyr rather
than allow her 10 ect a falsehood; 1 mascu-
line self.dependenco and hatred of tyrrany
In all its forms that could not yield
She seems to combine, in an extraordinary
degree, tenderness and power, amiability and
determination, physical mildness and intel
lectual force, all Of which find expression in
the play of her features and the tones of her
voice, as well as the contour of her head and
the lines of her face. ae
She began her history last evening with
her advent into Kentucky, in a very low,
clear voice, which uttered her words some
times slowly, sometimes rapidly, as she
seemed to be affected by the memory of her
wrongsto bitterness, and 10 grow indignant
ut the injustice she had been compelled TO
suffer. = n itss Iiat-o ',ss
| She spoke of her trial at Lexington, and
| her sentence to d term Of two years in the
! Penitentiary, more in sorrow than in anger,
| and related the history of her pardon in
terms that were well calculated to arouse the
indignation of every lover Of apure judiciary,
and a inercihtl administration of the law.
She rehearsedthe evidence upon which she
was convicted and stated that she was
senteneedto the Penitentiary for assisting in
/ the escape Of slaves, who were proved IL
have been in the custody OF their masters two
| weeks after the date charged ia the indict
ment, the Judge stating that in criminal mat.
ters dates We're of no consequence. The
| jury could net agree upon verdict and
after a long absence compromised thus
They would return verdict Of guilty, seu-
| tence her to the shortest term allowed by the
| law, sign petition to the Governor for q
| pardon, send it to him, and get tho respite,
4 so that she would not be sent to Frankfort
She WIS spirited oil, howtv in the nigh
and confined in the Penitentiary before th,
petition reached the Governor All this wa
done under the pretext that her father hat
sent for her to Frankfort, that they nigh
| visit him in person. The Governor CAV,
orders that sho was not 70 be treated as al
ordinary prisoner, and during her stay owing
to his interference, she was well cared for.
In tbe course of time she wrote letter Il
the Governor, asking him to examine til,
evidence upon which she had been convicted
and then meto out to her simple justice. b,
did SO, and immediately granted her par
don. Three indictments were still pending
against her, and she courtcd trial, but |
notLe was entered in each case, and the entir,
number stricken from the docket.
| She accompanied her father to Vermont
letters inviting her to return and take charg,
| of her school, which she did after consider
able absence, having regained the consent o
her mother, without which she had neve
done any thing. She purchased o farm, ant
lived in comparative peace for some time, bu
in 1854, ten years after these indictments hat
been stricken from the Fayette County
docket, they were replaced, and she was ar
rested and taken from sick bed TO be triet
upon a charge which had previously beel
dismissed.
Here the first portion of her narrativ
ended. She had spoken nearly an hour anC
hall, and announced that she desired to con
tinue the relation Of her history during th
week and bring it down TO the present time
but she had been informed that the nall wa
engaged and hoped that some arrangement
might be made by which she would be enabled
10 resume it at another place, whereupon he
audience dispersed