St. Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1845-1863, 1862-06-05
AFFECTING SCENE.
LORD CHIEF JUSTICE 1ISDALE PRESIDING.

i AFFECTING SCENE. fsS
LORD CHIEF JUSTICE 1TyDALE PRESIDING.
George Hammond, portrait painter,
was placed at the bar. to he tried ON an
4 indictment found against himself by fine
Grand Jury. for the uillful murder, with
malice aforcthought, of George Baldwin.
ia rope-dancer and mountehank The
-!srisasaer Was znlan of lncsint, heiehfs
but slender firm His eyes were blue and
mild. His whole bearing gave evidence
Of subdued sadness and melancholy re>ig-
nation. lie was II years of age, had
soft Voice and his apprarencc and manner
bore evidence Of his being man of dis
tinguish"d education, in spite Of the pow
cr.y of his dress
On being called out 20 plead, the prison
er admitted that he did kill Baldwin,
and he deplorcd ia" act-adding. howcv-
r. that, on his soul and conscience. he
did not believe himself guilty. There
upon jury was cmpanneled to try the
prisoner. The Indictment was then read
10 the jury and the act of killing being
admitted, the Govern mcnt rested their
case, and TIE prisoner was called upon for
his defence:
/, The prisoner then addressed himself 10
the Court and Jury:
My Lord" said he, ''my Justification
is to be found in recital of the facts
Three years ago lost a daughter, then
four years Of age the sole memorial of
beloved wife, whom It had pleased God to
recall to himself lost her, but | did
not see her die. She disappearcd-shc
was :tolcu from nc. She was charm:
ing child, and but her had nobody ir>
rae world to love me. Cent mrn. wl:,
| Lave suffered cannot be described: rou
cannot comprehend it. | had expcn1rd
i'll advertising aud lruiilssS searches every
thing | po>scssed-furui'ure, pictures.
even to my Clothes All have been sold
For three years on foot hayc been seek
ing for my child in all the cities and all
the villages in the tLr,e Kingdoms As
soon as by printing portraits had sue
ccc'!cd in gaining a little money, I re-
turned to Lsndon TO commence my alvcr
tIsements in the newspapers At length,
on Friday. the 14th of April last, crossed
the Smithticll cattle market. In The cen
tire of the market q troupe Of mount,l.nks
were performing their fcats. Among
them a child was turning on It's hea,i,
supported on halbcrd. \ ray from the
scul Of its mother must have penetrated
my own, for me to have recognized my
cLiid lii that condition. Ii was my poor
child. Her mother would perhaps have
prccipitated herself toward her. and locked
herself in her aruIs. AS for me. veil
passed over my eyes. | knew not how it
w"s-l, habitnally gentle. even to weak
ness, seiz d him by the clothes-I raiscd
him in the air, then dashed bin to the
ground-thcn again; he was dead. AZ
terxard | repcnted what had done. At
the moment regretted that was able to
kill but One"
Lord Chief Justice Tindale-"These
are not Christian sentiments. How can
yoa expect the Court and jury to look with
favor on your defence, or God to pardon
y"u. it you cannot forgive 2"
! Prisoner-''1 know, my Lord, what will
be your Judgment, and that Of the jury
bui God has par!oned me feel it in my
heart. You know not. knew not then,
the whole extent Of the evil that man had
done. When some compassionate people
brought me my daughter in prison, she
was no l":gcr my child /: she was no Ion
ger pure and angelic as formerly she was
corrupt, body and soul-!er manner, her
language, iufamous-like those with whom
she had been living. did not recognize
her my self. Do you comprehend now .
That man had robbed Tue of the love and
/ soul of my child. Aud II have killed
! him but once"
Forcman-''My Lord, ". have agreed
Oh our verdict"
Chief Justice-'.I understand you. gen
tlemen, but the law must take its course
| must sum up the ease, and then you will
retire to deliberate"
The Chief J .stice having summed up
the case, the jury retired, and in an in
staut after returned uto Court with ver-
dict of Not guilty
Gin the discharge Of hammond, The
sheriff was obliged to surround him with
an escort. The women were determined
to carry him off in triumph. The crowd
followed him all the way to his lodgings
with defeating shouts aud huzzas.