Litchfield enquirer., 1862-04-24

FLU, CON N. LII ORo1A never forget the manner in which she looked at me as she gently shook her head, saying
 They will kill me, sir, but Heaven knows am innocent If my death would bring back to poor Rachel her boy, (here she burst into tears) should be willing to die; but as 1t IS, am very, very young to be murderedp | could say but little. pressed both her hands in mine, and only gasped out some com monplace expressions of hopeful consolation, and then left her.
 The case was fearfully strong against her, and there was but one supposition in her favor
 The shadow-the phantom like form seen by the mother-who was it Was it this MT. Brown? Who was he? hunted him up-em- ployed people to dog and watch him. It all came to nothing He was a commercial traveller for house in Marseilles and was engaged in trying to do business in Northampton. | Several old counsel, to whom I spoke of the case, were of the opinion that the shadow seen by Rachel was either no shadow at all, or was ths work of her imagination, or the veritable shadow of some of the people of the inn, who alarmed at her cries, were hasteniag to- her room.
 And so the morning of the trial at length came, and full of anxiety as was, it was posi- tive relief to me. The then lord chief baron of the exchecquer presided. He was calm, en- frightened judge, who never permitted his own prejudices, as some of his successors have done, to warp either law or justice: and come what might of the matter, know that the young prls- oner would have a fair trial.
 | The court room was crowded to excess. A positive disturbance at the door hindered the commencement of the days proceedings for a full half hour, and it was only quelled by force. | The attorney general had come down from London to prosecute on behalf of the crown ;and the counsels' seats were so closely packed that no one could stir except those engaged Tn the case.
 The jury looked grave and half frightened The judge was pale and more serious looking than usual and as for me, felt sick at heart, and when the uneasy kind of hush that pervaded the room let me know that Anna Heritage was placed at the bar, it was some moments before could muster up the courage to look at her. How pale, how wan, and yet how beautiful she looked
 Her fair hair was dressed in the most simple style possible and she wore dress of gray silk which fitted closely around the neck, ternnnat- ing in a narrow plaited fril. Her lips trembled, and her gentle eyes seemed to shrink behind their abundant lashes, as she met the gaze of | friend and foe in that crowded court room-that is, if one so young and so fair could have had a | foe.
 could see the judge taking long look at her 1 beneath his bent down brows and then he rest ed OH his head on his hands, and appeared in deep thought. The attorney general tossed a scrap of paper over the table to me. It contain ed these words:
 'The witness Brown has absconded make what use of the fact you can.'
 | nodded gratefully, and felt that he would ,l7, lo q Then there was Q strange half sigh, half hush. all through the auditory, and lady in deep mourning came into court If was the b,reaved mother. She went diFect ta the front of the dock, where her sisterswas ssyned on 50 dsead- full charge, and leaned over Ne front of it, with both arms extended, as she cried
 Dear, dear Anna, God bless you, and prove your innocence, as feel it 7
 Anna was overcome by this. and she burst in to shrieking passion of sobs and tears. The sisters could only just inlerace their arms to- gether, and there they remained for some mo- nents, until the judge said, in deep, melan- choly voice:
 This must not be. Proceed, proceed The clerk of arraigns, in a high cracked, in different voice. proceeded to read the indictment, and Rachel sat down in 8 chair that some one had placed for her just beneath the dock. Poor Anna's fortitude seemed wholly to have given away. Her fair face was hidden in her hands, and resting on the front of the bar. It was fashion to place row of aromatic herbs on the bar before the prisoner in those days and among them she leaned and some of them watered by her tears, fell upon her sisters lap she sat beneath.
 Then came the question, Prisoner at the bar, do you plead guilty or not guilty to the present indictment 2
 Anna did not stir. The poor girl had not heard the question !; but her sister rose, and in a mild, clear voice, said:
 She is not guilty, sirs. He was my little one. He IS in heaven now, and if you take her life, she will go to him sooner than l, ard be happy. She is not guilty, srs
 The governor of the jail had by this time jog ged Anna by the arm, and whispered to her, when she looked up hastily and said. o, no, no, no, thousand times, no:
 The plea is, not guilty, said the judge; so enter it.
 The attorney general rose. The court was hushed. never took my eyes off his for one moment while he spoke.
 My lerd and gentlemen of the jury the pri- soner at the bar, Anna Dormer Heritage, is on her trial for the murder of Earnest Seaton. If she be guilty, it is guilt which casts the shad- ow of it's terrible atrocity over every hearth in England if innocent she is a piece of suffering virtue which implore heaven to protect. I am here to perform duty, not to advocate cause. God forbid that by one word, one look, one tone, or gesture, should seek to color fact or in- flame your passions. I wish to be the mouth piece of narrative merely you are the judges. The present respected high sheriff of the county ] is Sir Ralph Heritage, of Heritage Hall. He had a brother who married and went to reside in l Ceylsn with his wife and two infant daughters. One of these daughters in the course of years, was there married to Mr. Seaton, a young mer- chant He died, leaving her Q widow with a ohild-the murdered Ernest Seaton mentioned lin the indictment against the prisoner now on trial. The brother of Sir Ralph Heritage died at Ceylon, soon after the death of his wfe, and the two daughters were alone, one widow, with her infant son-the other, the prisoner at the bar. They communicated with their uncle, Sir Ralph Heritage, who sent them kind invita- ton to come to him, ,intimating at the same time that he would make his grapdnephew. Ernest Seaton, his heir. They came-the lelild, the mother, and the young aunt. They reached Liy erpool in the ship Alceste, and took a post ehase to Northamptonshire. The chaise broke down l at a place named Dallington Flats, and the par ]. ty were compelled to take refuge from raggine ! storm. and to pass the night at an jun named the Wheatsheaf. The child, the mother ane the aunt retired early to a double bedded room The child slept with its mother. the prisoner a } the bar in the other bed. At five minutes pas 2 one o'clock on that night, the landlord and hi wife were awakened by loud screams and the hurried in the direction of the sound, which le +han, to tbo roorns in onestion Mrs Saaton yra