The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-02-28
TExE PFHANgow WITNESS.
FROM A JUDGES NOTE BOOK.


sizes were crowded with cases. l had two Oh
three briefs Of no great importance, for was
young at the bar; and yet at these same North
hampton assizes l was daily getting shadowy
nervous, pale and weak--I could not sleep-at
times could not think. A case sat heavy
on my SOUL / felt weighed down as by a con
staEt nightmare l bad a criminal case on
hand 1t had been put off from day to day, Cd
account of The length of time it was supposed
it would occupy, but it was coming on.
/ A fearful sense of responsibility was con-
stahtly present to my Imagination l had not
yet grown calous to human suifering-I could
/ not then contemplate crime, suffering and ret
ribution, with the merely critical eye of an ar
list in law--and l suffered accordingly.
A young girl-alniost child-her age was
but fifteen-was to be put upon her trial for
murder. Anna DOrmer Heritage was commit
ted for trial by the Northamptonshire Magis-
trate, for the murder Of j Ohm Adophe Seatou,
an infant, and her own sisters son. / was re-
tanned for the defence.
Il Day and night-at meal times-in the hours
that should have been those of recreation-at
times when my other duties should have occu-
pied me- / pondered over this case and read
and re-Iead the dispositions, and toiled mental
ly till began to look like some wretch with
an undiscovered crime resting heavily upon
his heart, and who walked and lived in bodily
4 fear Of detection.
4 Could she be guilty? I had seen her more
than ohce-a mild, gentle, loveable, fair young
girl, who did not appear to have nerve enough
to have crushed an offensive fly. But the evil
! dence?
The evidence was awfuly, conclusively
; against her. Condense it for the reader. Be
fore we step into court on this occasion of this
most remarkable trial, we will glance over the
record exhibited against the youthful and en-
gaging prisoner:
There resided ON his own property, which
composed beautiful mansion and manor, in
the county of Nortbamptonshire, Sir Ralph
Heritage. This gentleman had only one son.
whose irregularities Of lite had enstraDged him
from friends, relations, and finally from his
father. But the father had long fought against
the facts OF his sons bad conduct he had been
the last and the most loath TO shut his heart
| against him; and 1t was not until a highway
robbery, in which Richard Heritage most UNI
qUestonably had 81 are, that Sir Ralph was
compt lied to Danish from his home the son to
wholn his heart chung.
Pity thls poor tather-pity the man who has
for YEARS garnered up his best affections iii
| thankless child!
And SO Richard Heritage disappeared, ana
Years passed away, and only and then
came vague rumors that he was wanderer
about these South American states which ,eeln
with aaventurers Of every cline and Of every
| hue.
And Sir Ralph felt that he was getting old
and teeb,; his vile had been long siuce IN the
family tomb Of the Heritage. He was lonely
man; aud ii was with a.gush of grateful tears
| that, one autumnal evening, he iend letter
| that had reached him ii ON Ceylon 10 say that
his youngest brother Alfred, who had many q
long year ago sought that Island as a home,
with sickly wife. was no more; and that the
two childten--oTphans, and one a young wild
ow--were left destitute or nearly SO, and were
only waiting i'll the hope that their uncle, Sir
Ralph, would give them encouragement to
come 'home. They called Eng iand "home"
although they had been very little children, ia
deed, wien hey had gone to Ceylon with their
/ sick mother and their anxious father
i Twelve years had elapsed, and father and
mother we've both dead. The eldest girl Bach
ell; had married for love- and he whom she low
ed died within eighteen months OF their union
Rachel then was young widow, with an in
FAINT clinging to hsr Tor help. Her sister Anne
il was who wrote to their uncle at his grand
estate in Northamptonshire, detailing all these
events; aud it was that letter which produced
the ncod of tears we have mentioned from the
old lone knight.
i Would these two sorTcwiug ones and the
little Child be welcome? Would he open his
hea1t 10 tht II? All, yes! The mere thought
of their coming was new life to him, and lie
was seen to smile, for the first time in the mem
DRY of some of his servants, on the day sue
ceedng the receipt of Annals letter from Cey-
lon.
/ That the answer to that letter was all that
could be wished by the sisters. may well
imagine. 1t sent them ample means TO come
10 England, and assure them of a iatherjy wei
come to Heritage hall.
The time sped on, and the sisters, with the
Iinfaut, reached England They travelled By post
from Liverpool to Northampton, and but for
The accident Of breakdown of the postchaise
abou: ten miles from Heritage hall, would, on
wild tempestuous day in February, have dined
with their uncle. But it was not TO be.
On cross road that the position was ad-
vsed to take, since it avoided cry billy dis
trict, the chaise encountered fallen trunk of
tree which in the dim twilight was net obsetv
ed until too late; and then it had SO dislocated
The machinery of the chaise, that it was I'M
possible to proceed further with it, and the
party we've fain to take shelter fer the night at
a roadside inn, named "The wheatsheaf."
The rain came down in torrents, and the
wind howled through some neighborng copses,
| as If presaging by its dismal tones unheard OF
evils to the unfortunate travellers then benight-
ed on their journey
The Inns best room--I took the trouble
Thoroughly to ca anime it, iii the interests OF
my young client-wa shabby in the extreme.
| 1t had two beds In it, and there down the
middle Of the room 81 sliding partition, which.
on an emergency, would convert the apartment
into two.
Il was into this room, then, at ten O'clock on
| this wild spring evening, that the two sisters,
with tho infant, were ushered The rain dash
ed and beat against the two latticed windows,
as though their destruction was the whole and
sole object Of tie storm; and the wind struck
the large soping roof CT the house such gusty
blows, that the sisters more than ouoe believed
that some one must be at work III some mad
fashion above their heads. The small candle
that the disappointed Inn afforded them fiared
an d hickered in the little candlestick, anu
threatened each moment to expire, so that they
/ FASTENED TO rest.
And there was the gentle sisterly caress, the
! kind good night" the "God bless you, ANIMAL
and God bless you RACHEL" and the little one
was kissed and commended to heaven, and the
i light was put OUT and then Rachel, from some
cause that she conid not define, burst into a
passion of tears, aud her sister Anna called out,
''Rachel, Rachel! what is it? Why do you cry,
when you are going to be so happy"
II cannot help it, Annai My heart IS heavy
so very heavy And yet how much have we
to be thankful for, in the kindness OF our uncle,
who promises TO make Ernest (the infant SOM
bis heir
! And then Anna laughed ana spoke III pae4
mage, to raise her sisters spirits.
3To be sure, Rachel; and 60 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, go TO sleep. Good night
r "Good night dear"
Good night
: This little dialogue was overheard by the
: landlady of the Inn 1t was nothing in itself,
5 but it appeared on the dispositions against An
: ma, IS though written in letters Of blood.
The sisters slept. The little Ernest slept
r his last sleep on the breast Of his mother
r. The rain still came down IN torrents ana inc
ell ,rird st;lI houled around the old inn. One
o'clock had just been proclaimed by the tall,
S ala fashioned clock in the bar, when landlord
+ landlady, chambermad and books were al
!, aroused by such succession Of piercing shrieks
y from the room occupied by the sisters that
r, they one and all made rush IN that direction
l. ,,oL cnatched-un sparDnentS as ter