Worcester daily spy., 1861-12-12
Q.5Nortester Daily Spp.
THE PHANTOM WITNESS.

NorlhaiIploh asslzeS was dalIy getllug snad
owy, nervous, pale, and weak | could not
sleep-at times / could not think A case
set heavy upon my soul, i felt weighed down
as by constant nightmare had a criminal
case on hand 1t had been put off from day to
day, on account of the length OF time it was
supposed it would occupy, but it was coming
on.
A fearful sense of responsibility was con
stantly present to my Imagination. | had not
yet grown callous to human suffering. l could
not then contemplate crime, suffering, and
retribution, with the merely critical eye OF an
artist in law, and suffered accordingly.
young girl, almost child-ler age was
but tiiteen-was to be put upon her trial for
murder. Anna Dermer Heritage was com
mitted for trial by the NorthamptouShire
magistrate, for the murder OF John Adophe
Seaton, an infant, aud her own sisters son.
l was retained for the defense.
Day and night, at meal times, in the hours
that should have been those OF recreation, at
times when my other duties should have Uc-
cuped me, pondered over this case and read
and re-read the depasilOns, and toiled mentally
till | began to look IKE some wretch with an
undiscovered crime resting heavily upon his
heart and who walked and lived in bodily
fear OF detection.
Could she be gnilty +? I had seen her more
than once--a mild, gentle, ovable fair young
girl, who did not appear to have nerve enough
to have crushed an offensive fly. But the
evidence.
The evidence was awfully conclusive against
her lcondense it for the reader. Before we
step into court on the occasion of this most
remarkable trIal, we will glance over the rec
ord exhibited by the youthful and engaging
prisoner.
There resided on his property, which com
prised beautiful mansion and manor in the
county Of Nor,hamptonshme, Sir Ralph
Heritage. This gentleman had only one son,
whose irregularities had estranged him from
trlends relations, and finally from his father.
But the father had long fought against the
iact OF lls sons bad conduct; he had been the
last and most 10th to shut his heart against
him and it was not until highway robbery.
i'll which Richard Heritage most unquestiona-
bly, had share, that Sir Ralph was compelled
to Danish from his home the son to whom his
heart clung.
Pity this poor father-pity the man who has
garnered up his best affections in Il thankless
child
And SO Richard Heritage disappeared. and
only now and then came vague runners that he
was wandering about those South American
streets which TEEN with adyenturers OF every
cline and OF every hue
And Sir Ralph felt that he was getting old
and feeble his wife had been long since in the
lonely man, and it was with gqsh Of CRATE.
fu tears that one autumnal evening, he read
letter that had reached him from Ceylon, to
say that his youngest brother Alfred, who had
many long years ago sought that island as a
home. with Il scky wife, was no more and
the children orphans, and one a young widow
were lett destitute or nearly so, and were
only waiting in the hope thai their uncle Sir
Raiph would give them encouragement to
- frLax f,otln
although they had been very iittie children in-
deed when they Had gone to Ceylon with their
sick mother and anxious father.
Twelve years had elapsed and father and
mother were both dead The tdest girl, Ra-
che had married Tor love, and he whom she
loved died within eighteen months of their
union. Rachel then was young wI'ow, with
an infant cIinging to her tCr help Her sister,
Anna it was who wrote to their uncle at lis
grand estate in Northamp mptonshire, detailing
all these events; and it was that letter which
produced the flood Of tears we have mentioned
from the old lone knight.
Would these two sorrowug ones and the lit
tie child be welcome Would he open his
heart to them All, yes! The mere thought
OF their coming was new life 10 him. and be
was seen t. smile, for the first time in the
memory OF some OF his servants, on the day
succeeding the receipt OF Auna's letter from
CeyioH.
That the answer to that letter was all that
could be wished by The sisters we may well
imagine. IL sent them ample means to come
to England, and assured them of fatherly
welcome at Heritage Hall.
The time sped on, and the sisters, with the
infant, reached England They Travelled by
post from Liverpool 10 Northampton, and but
Tor the accident OF a breakdown of the post
chaise about ten miles from Heritage Hail,
Would m a wild iptnDpStupus dnv in Eabr,,-
ary, have dincd with their uncle. But this
was not to be.
On the cross-road that the postillion was ad-
vised to take, since il avoided very billy dis
trict, the chaise encountered fallen trunk of
tree, which, in the dim twilight, was not OBJ
served until too late; and then it had so dis
located the machinery OF the chaise that it was
impossible TO proceed further with 1t, and the
party were tain to take shelter for the night at
a roadside inn, named "The Wheatsheaf"
The rain came down in torrents, and the
wind howIed through some neighborng
copses, as if presaging by its dismal tones un-
heard.of evils to the unfortunate travellers then
benighted on their journey.
The inns best room-l took the trouble to
examine it, in tie interest Of my client-was
shabby in the extreme. 1t had two beds in it,
and there was down the middle of the room a
sliding partition, which, on an emergency,
would convert the apartment into two.
1t was into this room, then, at ten O'Clock
on this wild spring evening, that the two
sisters, with the infant, were ushered The
rain dashed against the two latticed windows,
as il their destruction was the sole object of
the storm and the wind struck the large
sloping roof of the house with such gusty
Flows that the sisters more than once believed
that some one must be at work in some mad
fashion above their heads.
The small candle that the disappointed inn
afforded them tiared and fiickered in the little
candlestick, and threatened each moment to
expire, so they fastened to rest.
And there were the gentle sisterly caresses.
the kind Good night" the God bless YOU,
Annar and "God bless you, Rachell" and The
little one was kissed and commended to
heaven, and the light was put out; and then
Rachel, from some cause that she could not
define, burst into passion Of tears, and sister
Anna called OUT
"Rachel Raclel what is ii Why do you
cry when you are going to be SO happy 2"
Il cannot help it, Anna! My heart is heavy
so very heavy And yet how much have
we 10 be thankful for, in the kindness of our
uncle, who promises to make Ernest 1.-THE in
iaut SOM his heir
Aud then Anna laughed and spoke in ban.
dinage, to raise her sisters spirits
$ 70 be sure, Rachel and | go TO the wall
and shall not get husband all on account
OF your little Ernest, when / fully intended
to make Uncle Ralph leave me everything.
Come, now, so to sleep. Good night"
Good night, dearp'
Good night"
This little dialogue was overheard by the