Litchfield enquirer., 1862-04-24
nlisfcIlal1p.
THE PHANTOM WITNESS.
AN ENGLISH STORY.

I was on my first circuit-both the cause list and the criminal paper of the Northampton as- sizes were crowded with cases. 1 had two or three briefs of no great importance, for l was young at the bar /; and yet at this same North ampton assizes 1 was daily getting shadowy, nervous, pale and weak; could not sleep-at times could not think: A case sat heavy upon my soul felt weighed down as by constant nightmare. l had criminal case on hand. had been put off from day to day on account of the length of the time it was supposed it would occupy. but it was coming on
 | A fearful sense of responsibility was constant | ly present to my imagination. l had not yet grown callous to human suffering. l could not then contemplate crime, suffering. and retribu- tion, with the merely critical eye of an artist in law, and suffered accordingly.
 A young girl almost a child-her age was but fifteen was to be put upon her trial for murder. Anna Dermer Heritage was committed for trial by the Northamptonshire magistrate for the murder of John Adolph Seaton, an infant. and her own sisters son. 1 was retained for the de- fense.
 Day and night, at meal times, ;n the hours that should have been those of recreation, at l times when my other duties should have occu. pied me, pondered over this case and read and re-read the dispositions. and toiled mentally till l began to look like some wretch with an undis- covered crime resting heavily upon his heart, and who walked and lived in bodily fear of de lection. ..-...e ... Could she be guilty? had seen her more than once-a mild, gentle, loveable, fair girl who did not appear to have nerve enough to have crushed even an offensive fly. But the ev' idence r.-...
 The evidence was awfully conclusive against her. condense it for the reader. Before we step into court on the occasion of this most re- markable trial, we will glance at the record ex hibited against the youthful and engaging pris oner. | There resided on his property, which com prised a beautiful mansion and manor in the county of Northamptonshire, Sir Ralph Her tage. This gentleman had only one son, whose irregularities had estranged him from friends, re lations, and finally from his father. But the father had long fought against the facts of his sons bad conduct he had been the last and most 10th to shut his heart against him {; and il was not until a highway robbery in which Rich ard Heritage most unquestionably had share that he was compelled to banish from his home the son to whom his heart clung.
 | Pity this poor father-pity the man who hal garnered up his best affections in thankles child
 And so Richard Heritage disappeared, ant only now and then came vague erumors that h' was wandering about those South American streets which teem with adventurers of ever, cline and every hue. -.
 And Sir Ralph felt that he was getting olt and feeble :; his wife had been long since in tn family tomb of the Heritages. He was lonel man l; and it was with gush of grateful tear that one autumnal evening he read letter tha had reached him from Ceylon, to say that hi It youngest brother Alfred, who had many Ion! ll years ago sought that island as a home, with
 sickiy wife was no more aud the children-ol
 pnans' and one young widow, were left desti
 ute, or nearly so, and were only waiting in tn
 hope that their uncle. Sir Ralph, would giv them encouragement to come home. The, , called England home, although they had bee,i very little children when they had gone to Cey lon with their sick mother and anxious father.
 Twelve years had elapsed, and father aa sEmother were both dead. The eldest girl, R, !. chel, had married for love, and he whom sf
 loved died within eighteen months of their uniol
 Rachael, then, was young widow, with an il D fant clinging to her for help. Her sister Ann 2 it was who wrote to their uncle at his grand e q tate in Northamptonshi detailing these event land it was that letter which caused the foe 2 of tears we have mentioned from the old, loI knight. . @ K
 Would these two sorrowing ones and Il 5 child be welcome? Al. yes! The mere thoug
 of their coming was new life to him, and he W :. seen to smile, for the first time in the memory ' Several of his servants, on the day succeedi 8. the receipt of Anna's letter from Ceylon. Fl That the answer to the letter was all tn
 could be wished by the sisters, we may well il
 laglne. It sent them ample means to come