Litchfield enquirer., 1862-04-24

| been swallowed up by an earthquake! Ills aD-
 sence or presence would make but little account
 in such a case. He had only seen what others
 saw-he could add nothing to the evidence of
 the landlord and landlady of the inn.
 felt as if my very heart paled, as I saw the
 blank, half terror stricken conferences of the jury, and fancied that in every whisper they in-
 dulged in to each other, the word guilty might l be found.
 The junior counsel for the prosecution now
 rose, and called Jacob Wits There was slight hustle, and the landlord got
 into the witness box. He merely deposed to
 the coming of the sisters and child to The
 Wheatsheaf,' and the alarm in the night and the
 finding of the dead body of the child, as stated The attorney general then glanced at me, and | l rose to cross examine:
 Had you any other guests in 'The Wheat
 sheaf,' on the night in question ?
 Yes, sir a Mir. Brown.' When did he come?' | About an hour after the ladies'. Was he a stranger to you? | Quite sir
 | sWhere did he sleep?' | At the end of the gallery, about fifty paces off the ladies room.' You Can go down now, but shall want you
 again..
 :Yes, sir
 Martha Wilts, the landlady, was tho next wit. | ness examined, and she confirmed what the at torney general had stated. Her account of what Anna had said made a strong impression on the jury, and when rose to cross-examine her, felt
 that that was the point to attend to. Now Mrs. Wilts,' said, you have said many
 thing in jest to your husband, and he to you,
 no doubt
 Lord bless you, yes sir! And meant no harms | Not the least, sir 'Of course not Now, can you recollect any
 thing you may have said to him, or of him, in that harmless way, lately?' 'Oh dear, yes sir When he takes drop too much am very apt to say that 1 hope the next will choke him, but no more meant it than you do, sir
 And of course by the tone in which you say
 it. he knows it is only joker 'To be sure.' ] You speak it in something of the tone of the prisoner at the bar, when she said she should never get husband ? ] Just so, sir
 ''That will do You can go down. 1 Mir. Brown was the next witness called, and
 no one appeared.
 | l was resolved to make the most 1 could in
 favor of the prisoner out of the disappearance of Brown, although 1 feared it would not be
 much but it was not then time to take notice
 of it.
 The name of Brown reverberated through the
 court, and the passages, and the adjacent street | but no Brown appeared. | The attorney general then himself arose and
 said ;.
 It is my most painful duty to call Mrs. Rachel Seaton. It was duty would fain have avoid | ed, if possible, for no man can feel more sensi | l.1 4orI, | of being summoned for the prosecution in this
 case, but it cannot be helped and l therefore call Mrs. Seaton.
 With slow and melancholy step the poor
 mother got into the witness box, but she kept her
 eyes upon, Anna with a longing, tender glance | till the judge said mildly, Witness, you must look this way.
 Then she gently turned from the observation
 of Anna, and they could all see the tears rolling
 down her cheeks.
 Sirs-. sirs!' she cried, this should not be. | You will understand, sirs, that he was my boy
 my only one. You cannot understand-how- | I-loved him-because-because that is hidden l here-hcre, in my poor, broken heart.. But
 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 habe-my own dear-oh, Heav'
 en, the tears scald me! If could only die now I-now-now How she wept-what passion of grief was | there land throughout all the court you might
 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. .. ... s..-
 The attorney general said faintly, will ask
 nothing of this woman.' ..a ... l Then 1 rose. .r. .-...- Madam! madam' .-,- My voice sounded hollow and strange, in the
 midst of so much grief and such sound of tears l and the poor woman started and looked up al
 mel' rl
 sAh, yes r she said. 'To you-to youP ! She had recognized me as acting for the de
 fense, and she meant to say that she would speak
 to me and before could ask her any thing 1 she went on; f
 sSirs all listen to me. did not see the mur
 derer of my darling, but saw his shadow. II
 is even present to me now-like phantom, il
 goes with me wherever may go! Last night too-oh you will say that was a dream, but
 dreams are of heavens making, as well as Wa
 king thoughts-I saw him then-my little an gel? Oh, what a light was there 1.-the shining
 colors of heaven were about him-my own dca' little one heard his voice-so soft, so low, SC AA~ASSS~
 and had ever loved him.
 sSister, dear sister r cried Anna did evel love him--I am innocent There were sobs and cries in the court, ane twice tried to command my voice to speak be fore could say to her, Madam, madam! Tha shadow you saw on the night of the murder Tell us of it. @S
 T will will I saw it on the wall. Th' tall broad shadow of the phantom of a man. :, What was it like P interposed the judge ] ' Tell us, madam, what it was like if you can 2 st sIwill! will What is this?' ' Mrs. Seaton looked around her and up at tn windows of the court with shudder. ...a7 } It is nothing, said l. < A. thunder storm : about to take place. That is all:' .. s.ss l For the last few minutes the court had bee 2 gradually getting so dark, that it was scarcel l possible to see from one side to the other, an :, scarcely had the last words passed my lips whe a flash of blue lightning, that was perfectly b, h wildering in it's brightness, lit up the place an 8 was followed by such peal of thunder, that th g building in which was the court house appeare to shake to it's foundations. gre. .fs< Fl A scene of confusion appeared in the cour e by the efforts ef some to leave, and by some |, males fainting. A loud voice then cried ou lrIclose to the door, Make way there make va,