Worcester daily spy., 1861-12-14
dNortester 9aiIg Spy,
THE PHANTOM WITNESS.


and l rose to cross examine.
clad you any other guests in the Wheat
sheat on the night in question 2"
"Yes sir, Mr.. Brown"
"When did he come 2"
"About an hour alter the ladies"
"Was he stranger to you %
quite sir.
"Where did he sleep 2"
cat the end of the gallery, about fifty PAGES
of the ladies room"
''You can go down now, but shall want
you again"
"Yes sir"
Martha Willis, the landlady was the next
witness Examined, and she confirmed what
the attorney general had stated. Her account
of what Anna had said made strong impress
sion on The jury, and when rose TO cross
examine her, l felt that that was the point to
attend to.
"Now, Mrs. Willis" said, "you have said
many Il thing in jest to your husband, and he
to you, no doubt"
Lord bless you, yes sir.
"And meant no harm?
Not the least, Sir"
"Of course not. Now, can you recoect
nytling you may have said to him, or OF him
in that harmless way, lately z"
"Oh, dear, yes sir When he takes a drop
too much l am very apt to say that hope the
next lllHS Will CHOKE ululj Bul no more uSdll
it than you do, sir"
"And OF course by the tone in which you
say it, he knows it is only joke 2"
'Go he sure.
'You speak it in something OF the tone of
the prisoner at the bar when she said she
should never get husband 60
"Just Sc sir
''lhat will do. You can go down.
MIR. Brown was the next witness called, and
no one appeared.
| was resolved to make the most | could in
favor ol the prisoner out OF this disappearance
OF Brown, although | feared it would not be
much but it was not then time to take notice
OF it.
The name Of Brown reverbrated through
the court, and the passages and the adjacent
sueet-but now Brown appeared.
The attorney general then himself rose and
said
at is my most painful duty to call Mrs
Rachel Seaton. Ii is duty would have lain
avoided, if possible, for no man can feel more
sensible than / do how sad to her must be the
task OF being summoned tor the prosecution in
this case but it cannot be helped, and there
fore call Mrs. Seaton."
With slow and melancholy step the poor
mother got into the witness box, but she kept
her eyes upon Anna with longing, tender
glance, Till the judge sad mildly, Witness,
you must look this way
Then she gently turned from the observa-
ton OF Anna, and they could all see the tears
rolling down her cheeks.
"Sirs--srs % she cried, "ths should not be-
You will understand, sirs, that he was my boy
my only one. You cannot understand how
--I-i0v d him-because-that is hidden here
here, in my poor broken heart. But.when
/, vino, losing him. you see, srs, have lost all
all that had in this wOrld-when | declare
that Anna is innocent, you should listen to me
Last night, sirs--it was at the same hour last
night--he, my babe-my own dear-oh Heav
en-, hese tears scald me Ii could only die
nuw-nOw-nOw =!
Here she wept-what passion OF griet was
there !-and throughout ali the court you migh
hear sobs and faint cries, and the judge wrap
ped his mantle over his face and leaned back
in his chair ; and all was still but the voice of
grief in that court.
The attorney general said, family, 81 will
ask nothing of this woman
Then rose.
"Madam, madam! i
My voice sounded hollow and strange, in
the midst of so much grief and such sounds of
tears, and the poor woman started and looked
up at me.
"Ah, yes" she said. "To you-to you !"
She recognized me as acting or the defense
and she meant to say that she would speak to
me; and before l could ask her anything she
went on
"Sirs all listen to me. l did not see the
murderer OF my darling, but l saw his shadow.
1t is ever present to :.:e now like phantom,
it goes with me wherever | may SO Last
night, too-oh, you will say that was dream,
but dreams are of heavens making, as well as
waking thoughts-l saw him theu-my little
angel! Oh, what light was there tue light
of heaven in the dear eyes and on the little
tace-the shining cOlors o. heaven were about
him-my own dear little one. | heard his
voice--so soft, so low, so beautiful and he
said that she was Innocent and had ever loved
him"
''Sster dear sisterp' cried Anna. 81 did
ever love him-I am innocent"
There were sobs and cries now in the court,
and twice | tried to command my voice 10
speak before l could say to her, Madam
madam! That shadow you cav on the night
OF the murder Tell us OF it,"
81 will will | saw it on the wall. The
tall, broad shadow, or the phantom OF man" "
''What was it like 2" interposed the judge.
"Tel us, madam, what it was like, if you can. +"
81 will will What is this 2"
Mrs Seaton looked around her, and up at
the windows OF the court with shudder.
at is nothing" said |. "a thunder storm
is about to take place. That is all"
For the last few minutes the court had been
gradually getting SO dark, that it was scarcely
possible to see from one side Of il to the other,
and scarcely had the last words passed my
lips, when a flash OF blue lightning, that was
perfectly bewidering in its brightness, lit up
the place, and was followed by such peal OF
thunder, that the building in which was the
court house appeared to shake to its tounda-
tions,
A scene of confusion appeared in the court
by the efforts of some to leave, and by some
females fantiug. A loud voice then cried
out close to the door, make way there-make
way! Out of my way, l say l cannot-I
will not stay here. We shall have the place
down about our ears! Out OF my way J"
A man who had been hiding in an obscure
corner close to the jury box, tried TO fight his
way out of the court, Then voice cried out,
''That is BrownW
1t was never discovered who uttered those
words, but | called out loudly, "Detain that
man He is witness i'll this case. and duly
subpenaed, and being in court can be COM
PEELED to speak. Stop that man y
Brown was pounced upon by several officers
and brought forward.
"What is this for 2" he cried. "What have
done? Ha, hal A prime joke, this!
The attorney general sprang TO his feet.
"You are our Witness he said. "Aly lord
judge, may we have lights 90
Lights" said the judge; 81 cannot see my
notes"
The darkness of the court increased eacl
moment, and the thunder again, like the dis
charge of heavy ordnance, rolled over tn,
building.
81 have nothing TO say" cried Brown; "nt
evidence to give, tell you. was fast aseeI