Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-06-01
Thrilling Episode in the Life of Lincoln
CHICAGO, , ILL.

Thrilling Episode in the Life of Lincoln
| Correspondent Of the Cleveland Leader .
AS western man, wish space to give
vent to my enthusiasm over the nomination
of Hon. Abraham Lincoln for President o.
the United States. Mr.. Lincoln or "Olt
Abe" as his friends familiarly call him. is 8
self-made man. A Kentuckian by birth, h,
emigrated to Illinois in his boyhood, wher,
nc earned his living at the anvil, dcvoting his
leisure hours to study. Having chosen tn,
law as his future calling, he devoted himself
assiduously to its mastery, contending at cv
cry step with adverse fortune. During this
period of study, he for some time found q
home under the hoSpitable roof of one Arm
strong, farmer who lived in log house
some eight miles from the village of Peters
burg, Menard county. Here, clad in home.
spun, with elbows out, and knees covered
with patches, young Lincoln would maste,
his lesson by freight of the cabin, and then
walked to town for the purpose of recitation
This man Armstrong was himself poor, but
ne saw the genius struggling in the young
student, and opened TO him his rude home
and bid him welcome to his coarse fare
How Lincoln graduated with promise-how
honorably he acquitted himself alike on the
battle field, in defending our border settle
ments against the ravagcs of savage foes, and
in the hall of our national legislature, are
matters of history, and need no repetition
here. But one little incident ola more pri-
vate nature, standing as it does as a sort of
sequel to some things already alluded to, |
deem worthy of record. Some few years
since the old st son of Mr.. Lincoln's old
frp A Arf,c he, ,1,i e L.:
widowed mother--,he poor old man having
some time previously passed from earth
was arrested on the charge of murder. A
young man had been killed during a riotous
melee, in the night time, at camp-meeting,
and one OF his associates stated that the
death-wound was inflicted by young Arm
strong preliminary examination was
gone into, at which the accuser testified so
positively that there seemed no doubt of the
guilt of the prisoner, and therefore he was
held for trial. As is too often the case, the
bloody act caused an undue degree of excite
ment in the public mind. Every improper
incident in the life of the prisoner--each act
which bore the least semblancc Of rowdyism
each schoolboy quarfcl-was suddenly re-
membered and magnificd, until they pictured
him as fiend of the most horrid hue. As
these rumors spread abroad, they were receiv-
cd as gospel truth, and feverish desire for ven
geancc seized upon the infatuated popnlacc,
whilst only prisorl-bars prevented horrible.
death at the hands of mob. The events
were hcralded in the county papers, painted
in highest colors, accompanied by rejoicing
over the certainty ofpunishment being mcted
out to the guilty party. The prisoner, over
whelmed by the circumstances under which
he found himself placed, fell into melan-
choly condition, bordering upon despair; and
the widowed mother, looking through her
t>ars, saw no cause for hope from earthly
aid
At this jdncture, the widow received a
letter from Mr.. Lincoln, volunteering his SER
vices in an effort to save the youth from the
impending stroke. Gladly was his aid ac-
copied, although it semed impossible for even
his sagacity to prevail in such desperate
case; 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 as to preclude the possibility of impan-
nelling an impartial jury in the court having
jurisdiction, he procured q change of venue,
and postponcment of the trial. He then
went studiously to work unravelling the his
tory of the case, and satisfied himself that
his client was the victim Of malice, and that
the statements Of the accuscr were a tissue of
falsehoods. When the trial was called on,
the prisoner, pale and cmaciated, with hope
lessness written on every feature, and accom-
panied by his half hoping, half despairing
mother-whose only hope was in mothers
belief of her sons innocence, in the justice Of
the God she worshiped, and in the noble
counsel, who, without hope Of fee OF reward
upon 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 he could say in de-
fensc of one whose guilt they regarded as
certain. The examination of the witnesses
for the State was begun, and well arranged
mass Of evidence, circumstantial and positive,
was introduced, which seemed to impale the
prisoner beyond the possibility of extraction.
The counsel for the defence propounded but
few questions, and those of character which
excited no uneasiness on the part Of the pros
ecutor-merely, in most cases requiring the
main witness to be definite as to the time
and place. When the evidence of the pros
ecution was ended, Lincoln introduced few
witnesses to remove some erroneous impress
sions 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 greater degree of i'll
feeling existed between the accuser and the
accused than the accused and the deceased.
The prosecutor felt that the case was a clear