Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-07-13
From the Cleveland Leader.
THRILLING EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF "ABE
lfNeolk."

nomination of Hon. Abraham Lincoln
for President of the United States. Mr..
Lincoln, or +" Old Abe" as bis friends
famiharly style him, is self-made man.
A Kentuckian By birth, he emigrated to
Illinois in his boyhood, where he. earned
his living at the anvil, devoting his
leisure hours to study. Having chosen |
the law as his future calling, he devoted
himself assiduously to its mastery, con-
tending at every step with adverse for
tune. During this period of study, he
for some time found home under the
hospitable roof of one Armstrong, a
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 master his lesson by the freight
of the cabin, and then walk to town for
the purpose of recitation. This man
Armstrong was himself poor, but he saw
the genius struggling in the young stu
dent, and opened to him his rude home
and bid him welcome to his coarse fare.
How Lincoln graduated with promise
how he has more than fulfilled that
promise-how honorably he acquitted
himself alike on the battlefield, in de-
Tending our border settlements against
the ravases of savage foes, and in the
halls of our national Legislature, are
matters Of history, and need no repetl-
ton here. But one little incident of
more private nature, standing as it does
as q sort Of sequel to some things already
alluded to, I 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 having some time
previously passed from earth-was arrest
ed on charge of murder. A young
man had been killed during a riotous
melee, in the nighttime 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
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 excitement in the
public mind. Every improper incident
in the life of the prisoner-each acI
which bore the least semblance of rowdy'
ism-each school boy quarrel-was sud
denly remembered and magniied, unit
they pictured him as fend of the horrIc
hue. As these rumors spread abroad
they were received as gospel truth, and
feverish desire for vengeance seized upor
an infatuated populace, whilst only prison
bars prevented horrible death at the
hands of mob The events wer'
heralded in the county papers, painted
IN the highest colors, accompanied b.
rejoicing over the certainty of punish
ment being meted out to the guilty party
The prisoner, overwhelmed by the cir
cumstances under which he found him
self placed, fell into melancholy condi
tion bordering on despair; and tn
widowed mother, looking through he
tears, saw no cause for hope from earthl
aid.
At this juncture, the widow received
letter from Mr.. Lincoln, volunteerin
his services in an effort to save the yout
from the impending stroke. Gladly ws
his aid accepted, although it SCENE
impossible for even his sagacity to pr
vail in such case but the heart of b
attorney was in his work, and he s.
about it with will that knew no sue
word as fail Feeling that the poisont
condition of the public mind was such
to preclude the possibility of impanelir
an impartial jury in the jurisdiction,
procured change of venue, and pos
ponement of the trial. He then we
studiously to work unraveling the histo
of the case, and satisfied himself tn
his client was the victim of malice, al
that the statements of the accuser we
tissue Of falshoods. When the tr
was called on, the prisoner, pale a
emaciated, with hopelessness written
every feature, and accompanied by
half-hoping, half-despairing mother
whose only hope was in mothers
lief of her sons innocence, in the just
of the God she worshiped, and in
noble counsel who, without hope of
or reward upon earth, had undertak
the cause-took his seat in the prisone
box, and with " stony frmness" listen