The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1862-06-26
THE NEW YORK SUN.
THURSDAY MORNING, JUNE 20, 1854.
The Phantom Witness.


Anna was overcome by this, and she bur.,
into sxiehfng passion Of sofa and team. The
sisters could only just interlacs their arms
maneno, until the judge said In Q deep, sad
voice
This must not bs. Procsed, prooeed."
The clerk Of arraigps, In high, cracked. In
different voice, proceeded 70 read the indict.
menf, and Rachel sat down In . chair that
some one had placed for her just beneath the
dock.
Poor Annas fortituds seemed wholly TO have
given away. Her fair face was hidden in her
hands, and resting on the front Of the bar. II
was fashion to phce row Of aromatic herbs
on the bar before the prisoner in those day., and
among them shs leaned and some Of thein, wa
tered " her tears, fell upon beg sisters lap -
she sat beneath.
Then came the question, "rrisoner 4 the
bar, DO you plead guilty or not guilty 70 the
Anna did not stir. The poor gih had not
heard the question, but her sister rose, and In .
"shs !. no, guilty, .lr.. H. ", my ual.
one, lie 10 In heaven now, and II you take
her life, she will go to him sooner than 1, and
beharpy. She 10 not guilty, sirs."
The governor Of the Jail had by this time jog
Jed Anna by the arm and whispered 10 her
when she looked up hastily and said, 10, no, no.
no . thousand times, no J"
The pie. b' no. guilty, said the judge; 80
The attorney general rose. The cour. WAS
hushed. never took my eyes of his for one
moment while he spoke.
my lord and gentlemen OF the Jury, tbs
prisoner at the bar, Anna Domer Heritage, Is
on her trial for the murder Of Ernest Seaton
II she be guilty, 1t IL . guilt which casts tho
SHADOW d Ito terrible atrocity over every hearth
~ M tNNA -. l.
ing virtue which implore Heaven to protect
] AIN here to perform duty, not to advocate a
cause. God forbid that by one word, one look,
| one tone or gesture, I should seek to color q
Tact or infiame your passions. l wish to DO
the mouthpiece Of a narrative merely you are
the judges. The present respected high sheriff
OF the county Ia Sir Ralph Heritage Of Heritage
Hall. lie had a brother who married and
went to reside In Ceylon with his wife and
two infant daughters. One Of these daughters.
In the course Of years, was there married to
Mr. Seaton, young merchant. lie died,
leaving her widow with cllild-the murdered
Ernest Scs,on mentioned in the indictment
against tue Prisoner now on trial. The brother
Of Sir Ralph Heritage died at Ceylon, soon
after the death Of his wife, and the two daugh-
| ters were alone, one a widow, with her infant
| son--the other, the prisoner ut the bar. They
communicated with their uncle, Sir Ralph licri-
| iage, who cont them Kind invitation 10 come
to him, in,imatins, at tho zane time, that he
would make his grandnephew, Ernest Scaton,
| bic heir. They came-the child, tho mother,
and tho young aunt. They reached Liverpool
| IN the ship Alcoste, and took q post chaso to
Northamptonshre. The ohaise broke down at a
place nsmol Darlington FLATS, and tho party
were compelled to take refuge from a raging
storm, and to pass the night at an inn named
the Wheatsheaf. Tho child the mother and
the amt retired early TO double belied room.
| The child slept with its mother, the prisoner at
the bar in the other bed. At five minutes past
one o'clock on that night, the landl ri and his
wife were awakened by loud screams, and they
hurried in the direction Of the sound,
which led them to the room In ques.
ton. Mrs. Seaton was found lying inssnsi-
Die In the doorway. The prisoner at the
bar was sitting up in bod, and much disiigure.l
on hcr hands with blood. The body Of the
child Ernest, was found between that bed and
the wall, with knife IN Ito heart. Now, gen.
tlemen Of the jury, these are prominent facts I;
but there are some collateral ones which Il 10
my duty to mention. The lAndlady Of the
Whcaisheaf will depose that, a. she was passing
tho door of the room occupied BY the two sis
tiers. she heard them conversing, and, with an
incidental curiosity, she paused to listen, when
she heard the prisoner say, ~ shall 20 to tho
wall, and not get husband, all on account Of
your little Ernest, whom l intended to make
Uncle Ralph take to me, or make me his favor
ite, and leave me all his money" These, the
landlady will tell you, may not 10 the exact
words used but she will swear to you, as she
has already sworn to the justice, that they are
very near, and contain the sentiment that was
uttered. Collateral fact tho second, then, my
lord and gentlemen Of the jury, Is, that the
Knife which did the deed belonged to the prison.
err, aud wa. bought by her at Columbo, In Cey-
lon. Gentlemen, God help and aid US all to get
at the truth OF this matter. l have nothing
more to say.'
! The Attorney General sat down, not aitlln,,
one word to his bare statement of these facts, on
"'..h the case rested.
a Cd persf cation sat on my brow. How
! ieariui strong was the case, and what had
ASxrslnm 81 Nothing-nothng What 4
"Fnl''ha q ani h}ndei' What if Brown had
inS ,,o ou Il by an earthquake His alb
'''S ' .,,,, AID make but little account
t,,.',,'i.sf al only seen what others
oa,. toned. a. 'pthing 10 the evidence OF
o the lniNNoru ana iaNialy Of the inn
irit as II mNcry hear, paled, H. saw the
< lank, h'utefror stricken cuuntenances If the
lur'i Az ianced that in every whisper they in
d. IN to each other tie worI guilty
might fonGi.
The l;lor counsel for ,ho prosecution now
, rose and cal "Jacuh Milt..-
, lh.re va ,l!'htb hustle, and the lsnilor! goi
INTO the illness box. lie merely dcposcd to Ia,
coming Of the sisters and child to the Wheat.
| shcai, and the alarm in the night, and the find
ing Of the dead body Of the chld, as stated.
The attorney general then glanced at me, ant
I rose to cros.-eysmine.
1 "llsd you any Other guests in tho Wheatshea
on tho night in question -
"Yes sir n Mr.. Brown"
"When did he come y
"About an hour after the ladies'"
"Was he stranger to you =
"Quitc. cir
where did he slcep?"
"At the end Of the gallery, about fifty pace
off the ladies room"
"You can 10 down now, but shall want yol
again."
| "lcs sir"
Martha Willis, the lady WAS the next wines
examined, and she confirmed what the attorney
general had stated. Her account Of what Ann,
had said made u strong impression on the jury
and when rose to crv-s-cxamine her, felt tina
that was the point 70 attend to-
Snow, Mrs. Wills" said, "you have sal
many thing in Jest to your husband, and he T.
YOU, no doubt"
- ord bless you, Yes sk"
"And meant no harm -
A" Not the least, sir.
"Of course not. Now, can you recollect any
thing YOU may have said TO him, or Of him, Il
thai harmless way, lately p
"Oh, dear, yes, sir When he takes q dro
too much am very apt to say that hope til
next thing will choke him, but no more mea
1t than you do, sir"
"And of course, by the tone In which you ga
| 10 ba Lpowa II Il only n Toxic fh