St. Mary's beacon., 1862-01-30

Collins. arrived together st N inn IN
Deal Gsinett borrowed Collins's clasp-
knife dusing suPper-sirss. "a the presence
at the waiter. On the following morn
ing Collins vss misiag, and Gxjpett
had been met On The stairs. ia the middle
ol the might. corning up from the garden.
3lood wss found in the garden, and in the
midst of she blopd WAS the elasiSknife.
i opsa. 1kr ztraaset - sb1o0d were eD1yyfn-
ued 'down 20 the scasiae, ard there thew
ceased. Gwincit w.s moreover foucd TO
have Collins's parse. which the waiter had
seen over night in Collins's posscssion. in
his pocket. Gwinctt's defence vas, that
he had resolved the purse. after the waiter
!eft the room on the preceding evening.
~ consequence Of an arrangement that
he (Gwinest) should be psymsstcr for
them both; that he had gone down stairs
in the night, for q certain purpose, to the
garden; that his nose had blcd dreadfully:
that he had used the clasp-knife to raise
the latch Of the door, and had dr.pped
it IN the dark; and that he had walked
down to the seaside close by to wash his
face and hands. and stop the bleeding a.
the nose With the cold saltwater. This
tale was not believed; Gwinctt was found
guilty Of murder. and hanged. But a
shepherd. passing by the gibbet a few
hours after the execution, aud while the
victim was hanging in chaius, perceived
signs Of life in him, and cut him down.
Gwinctt was recovered. and the kind
hearted shepherd sent him abroad. In
distant colony Gsinett met Mr.. Collins,
the very man for whose murder hs had
been hanged. An explanation immedi-
ately ensued. On the night in question
Collins had also gone down stairs to the
garden. and had been carried of
by press.gang who passed along the
sea-shore st the time. He was convey
cd to boat. and in that transported to
the teoder-vcssel lying in the Downs;
the vessel sailed next morning. and Col
Inns had heard nothing of the dilemma
Of bis friend until they met as Just de-
scribed.
This apecdote. moro powerfully than
any other, bears strong testimony q the
truth OF our assertions. that circumst.n.
tial esidencss can very selda,. ie sssliea
upon. u ~. however. argued that no
one cvcI does see anYther commit a mur.
der. and therefore mo- conviction ever can
take place. This is y foolish argument. !
because there are many cases in which the |
guilt is made clear by evidence which can-
not be termed cirrumstantidl in che sense
IN which we arc now using the word !
There arc many cases IN which dozel,
circumstances. all insignificant when eon-
sidcred separately. form Il damning nass
of evidence when taken collectively, aud !
compose = ciaiL which enables Us to re-.
eognizc and trace. step by step. the pro-
gress Of tho culprit from his starting !
point Of premeditation up to the exccu-
tion Of the crime itself.
Human knowledge is not complete
enough to enable Us to put faith in cir
cuGstantial evidence. A man might be
seen coming away from Lay-ssack near
which he had been loitering all day.
Shortly afterwards this hay-ssack may
blaze forth Some years zgo. and prob
ably at the present day. this man would
be taken. and hanged for arson. Aud
yet the h.y-stack may have been burnt
without the intervention of any human
agency, but in consequence Of . physical
phenomenon nOw we'll NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
tanesus combustion! A Frcnchman was
once tried upon charge Of murdenng l.is
wife BY burning her, aud the charge
seemed to be supported by the fact that
the accused was known to be in lore with
. beautiful girl. who was his servant.
Medical examination. however. after q
considerable amount Of patience. succeeded
10 proving that the woman had fallen q
victim to spontaneous combustion.
Many-many individuals have been
executed. protesting their innocence with
he apparent fsrvor which alone belongs :
o Innocence. until the drop Was ready to
Ride away froln beneath their feet, and .
hey were trembling on the confines Of ,
mother world. II Is to be feared that ,
hcse asseverations Of Innocence have too Z
been based upon truth; and &
rhst mental pangs can equal those which I
',ust be expcrirncea by jury whose ver- q
ies has deprived an innocent man Of his I
xisteaees ..s ... .........- i
Tnk "l.AHRs" o. sASsA Rosa. The q
lev York Commercial copies the faliow. 8
ag from Q private leitss FROM su officer Df q
be Gak s.iuadran: :
! paid ,ny rcspects to the redoabtabie G
Billy Wilsou." One sf his officers was d
slpg tried BIZ reuyt.snsrfisl. I .olI him 3
vas surprised % heas " sny insubordi- d
alton saaoSg his people. as I had .lsays ,
assa them spoken of .. ..ls,sbs !. lie 4
epaked and said he knew sllrv vere ofte. n