Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1860-06-16
rCorrespondence Of the Cleveland Lelder.1
THRILLING EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF
ABE LINCOLN.''


Of Hon. Abraham Lincoln for President Of
the United States. Mr.. Lincoln, or "Oll
Abe" as his friends Familiarity call him, is
self-made man. A Kentuckian " birth
he emigrated to Illinois in his boyhood,
where he earned bis living at the anvil, de-
voting his leasure hours to study. Fl wing
chosen the law as his future calling, he de
voted himself assiduously to its mastery,
contendmg at every step with adverse for
tune. Daring this period of study, he
found home under the hospitable roof OF
one Armstrong, farmer who lived in a log
house some eight miles from the village Of
Petersburg, Menard county. Here, clad in
homespun, with elbows out, and linees coy
cred with patches, young Lincoln would
master bis lessons by the freight Of the
cabin, and then walk to town for the pur-
pose Of recitation This man Armstrong
was himself poor, but he saw the genius
struggling in the young student, and open
ed to him his rude home and bid him well
come to his coarse fare How Lincoln
graduated with prornise--how he has more
than fulfilled tha6 promise-how honora-
bly, he acquitted himself alike on the battle
field, in defending our border settlements
against the rayages Of savage foes, and in
the halls of our national legislature, are
matters of history, and need no repetit 81
here. But one little incident of a more
private nature, standing as it does as sort
Of sequel 0 some things already alluded to,
| deem worthy Of record. Some few years
since the Oldest son Of Mr.. Lincoln's old
friend Armstrong, the chief support of his
widowed mother--the good old man hay
ing some time previously passed from earth
was arrested on the charge ofmurder.-
A young man had been killed during a n
otous melee, in tie night time, at camp
meeting, and one of his associates stated
that the death wound was inflicted by young
Armstrong; A preliminary examination
was gone into, at which the accuser testi-
fed so positively that there seemed no.
doubt of the guilt of the prisonor and
therefore he was held for trial. AS is too
often the case, the bloody act caused an un-
due degree Of excitement in the public mind.
Every improper incident in the life OF the
prisoner-each act which bore the least
semblance of rowdyisn-eaoh schoolboy
quarrel-was suddenly remembered and
magnifed, until they pictured him as fend
Of the most horrible hue. AS these rumors
spread abroad, they were received as gos-
pei truth, and feyerish desire for Y engeance|
seized upon the infatuated populace, whilst
only prison bars prevented horrible death
at the hands OF mob. The events We're
heralded in the county papers, painted nj
highest colors, accompanied by rejoicing
over the certainty Of punishment being me-
ted out to the guilty party. The prisoner,
overwhelmed by the circumstances under
which he found himself placed, fell into al
melancholy condition, bordering upon des-
pair; and the widowed mother, looking
through her tears, saw no cause for hope
from earthly aid.
1t this juncture, the widow received a
letter from Mr.. Lincoln, 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 sagacity to prevail in such des-I
perate case; but the heart Of the attorney
was in his work, and he set about it with
a will that knew no such word as fail
Feeling that the poisoned condition Of the
public mind was such as to preclude the
possibility of impanneling an impartial jury
in the court having jurisdiction, he procur-
ed change OF venue and postponeliaent
Of the trial He then went studiously to
work unravelling the history Of the case,
and satisfied hin 7elf that his client was the
victim Of malice, and that the statements Of
the aeeuser were a tissue Of falsehoods.-
When.th trial was called on, the prisoner,
pale and emacated, with hopelessness writ
ten on every feature, and accompanied by
his half-hoping, half despairing mother
whose only hope was in a mothers belief Of
her sons innocence in the justice Of the God
she worshipped, and in the noble counsel,
who, without the hope of fee or reward up
on earth, had undertaken the cause-took
his seat in the prisoners box, and with a
',stony firmness' listened to the reading Of
the indictment. Lincoln sat quietly by,
whilst the large auditory looked on him as
though wondering what ne could say IN de-
fence of one whose guilt they regarded as
certain. The examination of the witness
Is for the State was begun, and q well ar
ranged mass Of evidence,, eircumstantial and
positive. was introduced, which seemed to
impale the prisoner beyond the possibility
of extraction. The counsel for the defense
propounded but few questions, and those
Of character which excited no uneasiness
on the part Of the prosecutor merely, in
most cases, requiring the main witnesses to
be definite as to the time and place. When
/ the evidence Of tie prosecution was ended,
Lincoln introduced a few Witnesses to re-
move some erroneous impressions in regard
/ to the previous character Of his client, who,
though somewhat rowdyish, had never been
known to commit vicious act; and to
show that a greater degree Of ill-feeling ex-
isted between the accuser and the accused
than the aceuser and the deceased. The
prosecutor felt that the case wasa clear one
ana ms opening speech was brief and form
AZ. Lincoln arose, while, a deathIy silence
peryaded the vast audience and IN a clear
"a ~