The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-11-22
BURLINGTON WEEKLY HAWK-EYE.
Punch,s charge 20 the Jury.

Punch,s Charge 20 the Jury.
GExTIEAANo1 THE JuRy You are, sworn
in all cases to decide according to the evidence
are bound to give the prisoner the bene6t of it.
Suppose you have to pronounce on the guilt or
innocence Of q gentleman accused of felony
You will naturally doubt whether any gentle-
man would commit such an offense according
~, however strong was the testimony against
him, you will perhaps, acquit him. The ,evi.
dences of your own senses is, at least as cred
table as that of the witness if, therefore your
eyesight convince you that the prisoner is .
ell-dressed person, you have right to pre-.
sumo his responsibility and it is for you to say
whether respectable person would be likely to
be guilty of the crimes imputed to him. In
like manner, when you see shabby-looking
fellow in the dock, charged, for example, with
sheep, stealing, the decision rests with you
| first, whether or not that individual is raga-
muffin, and secondly how far is 1t probable
that . man of that description would steal
fsheep. .s;s9 81 t
/ OF course as has been before said, you will
always be guided by the evidence; but then,
| whether the evidence is trustworthy or not, is
| matter for your private consideration. You
may believe, il you choose, or you may disbe-
/ leve it !; and whether, gentlemen of the jury,
you believe it or disbelieve, viii depend upon
j the constitution of your minds. II your minds
are so constituted that you wish to find the pris.
oner guilty, perhaps you viii believe it.. if they
happen to be SO constituted that you desire to
find him not guilty, why then, very likely you
!, will disbelieve it. You are to free your minds
from all prejudice, if you can, and in that case
i your judgement will be unbiased but if you
! cannot you will return verdict accordingly.
It is not, strictly speaking, for you 10 consider
4 what will be the effect of your verdict; but if
such q consideration should occur to you, and
you cannot help attending to it, that verdict
will be influenced by it to certain extent. You
are probably aware that when you retire you
will be locked up until you contrive to agree.
You may arrive at unanimity by fair discussion
or by some of your starving out the others, or
by tossing up at your conclusion by whatever
of these processes arrived at, will be more or
less in accordance with your oaths. Your
verdict may be right it is to be hoped it will !;
lit may be wrong it is hoped it will not At
all events, gentlemen of the jury, you will come
to some conclusion or other, unless it should so
happen that you seperate without coming to
any.
r. The RECENT ALARM AT CHAMBERsBuRs.-A
letter from Chambersburg, Pa, to the Philadel-
u
rebel invasion in Franklin county as follows:
4 About o'clock P. N. man and horse came
dashing into town, la $40. with the report of
rebels advancing ON the road from Mercersburg
to this place. Vesuyius and Etna! what q
hullabaloo ensued. The town at the time was
we'll filled with country people and their teams,
and Immediately an evacuation was inaugura-
ted, such as has never been witnessed in the
annals of Chambersburg. The avenues leading
from the town were literally filled with horses,
; carriages, wagons, and mounted men, fleeing
to the mountains in order to save valuable
horses. Having had taste of rebel rule, q
short time since, our citizens were determined
not to be taken by surprise again, and all were
| on the qui viue. The engines at the depot were
fred up, the commissary stores lately shipped
e to this place from Hagerstown were loaded on
cars, and all were ready for an early departure,
, in order to cheat the beau chiyalry of their in
tended spoils. Mounted patrog and scouts were
, sent out in every direction, so as to give time
ly notice Of the near approach of the 'rebs'-
} Merchants were hastily secretng their most val
J liable goods, and, in fact almost every body had
something to hide.
"A party rode out on the Pittsburgh pike in
order, l suppose, to meet and negotiate, and
: s:ipulate for surrender of the town, as they
f did once before. After proceeding mile or
two they came to dead halt and held council
of war. One party was for 60 on and the
other 60 back. Go on carried the day, and
they proceeded, at cautious rate, for another
mile, stopping about fifty times in that distance
to stretch their necks, and strain their vision,
over the distant hills, in order to get glimpse,
if possible, Of the advance guard of the min.
ions of jeff Davis; but no rebels were in sight.
The tramp of the invader was not to be heard.
So-right about face, and off they set for town,
1 <bo< IT, 80
By this time it leaked out, and was whispered
round that it was all hoax" .....-1gy-
WORKS OF HUMAN LABoR.-Nineveh was IA
miles long, and 8 wide, and 46 miles round,
with wall 100 feet high and thick enough