Litchfield enquirer., 1862-04-17
YittbfsIS Enqairtr.. THURSDAY, APRIL I7, Isss.
Ths Woodrora Trinl.

The Woodford Trial.
 This important and highly interesting trial, Co the full report of which we surrender % much og our space in this weeks issue Of the Exqu..s has created more excitement and inssre,t in tAis community and perhaps in this county, than asy trial for murder which has bssn bsoughs b,fo,, our Courts since the Bradley trial, or psrh.,. since the trial Of Ravello. The circnm.s..... of the case, the relations of the deceased s. n, defendant to one another. the long and dssv. seated enmity and hatred of the brolkerslp.Isv the many and painful facts in the history of bo.h parties brought out on the trial, tho character .f the theories both of the prosecution and the de. fense, the circumstances of time, place, we.,hs,. and previous transactions of both the psrs;,s themselves and many of those testilyine also .. the case, and the large number of witues.es vho have been summoned upon both sidesto te,,ifyto the facts end suppositions brought forward, have all united to render each days proceedurs in tAs trial sufficiently interesting to crowd the court room with hosts of interested spectatOra. Whatever may be the result of the ys,dls, land we write these lines before that veri,cs A,s been declared) it will readily be admitted hv those who peruse the evidence presented i. f.ll. from the first days proceedings. in our soluuu,. and who are not otherwise interested ia tAs ,,. suit, that this has been, and is, ono of the no., exciting and impressive capital trials ever brOuRAs into the courts of our state.
 While it would be obviously improper for u,. at this juncture, to state any opinion for ourselves upon the merits of the case, we may give thsso,. lowing brief record ofths parties involved ip shs trial, the prisoner and the deceased part of which we derive from the evidence presented and pss. from outside history of the parties.
 Lucius J. WOodford, the prisoner, was the soa of Erastus Woodford, a worthy citizen of Win. chester, and was born in that town, near winstsd borough, in 1874. consequently he is now 4s ysars of age. At the age of 20 he married Miss CssA- erine Futile, sister of Jas. H. Futile, and thus became the brother-iulaw of the deceased. Tho early life of Woodford was of course not broughA forward upon the trial, but from what we learn oA loiHCS "uO huNO AuVW1 HtIIg ai1u uuNO uNAA dealings with him from his youth upward. his character has not been above reproaeh, though 1t is testified to upon this trial that he has not latterly been considered by his neighbOrs Ofs quarrelsome disposition. In 1861, WoodfordS first wife was divorced from him upon grOunds se a " scriptural" character and without much do- fense by Woodfori, and soon after be married his present wife, young lady of preposssssing appearance, ot perhaps twenty.one or two yssss of age whose maiden name we hayo not leaned.
 James H. Futile, the deceased, was the soa of Daniel Futile oc Torrington, and was born Ia the house near where he met his death, in 1873, consequently was about A years of age at ihe time of his death. In lS4l, he was married to Miss Cordelia Woodford, sister of Lueius ]. Woodford the Prisoner, and tEus became doab- ly related to him in the eye of the law. Tus,le was considered by his companions and the large circle that knew him more or less intimately, e a man of fine disposition, generous traits, and though possessed perhaps of somewhat hassy and impetuous temper, yet of the kindess and
 
 soulcd, iovial, generous fellow.
 On the death of General uriel Futile, an su. cle of James, and by whom he had been adopted as son early in the laiters life, the Gencralls lsl. his entire property without reservation to Jsmss. Here began the series of family troubles, well known in the neighborhood of the parties eoa. cerned, and which it is unnecessary, and mieka be unwise to detail here, which at last culmiaa- ted in the homicide, the news of which eamo with shocking violence upon tha. whole comuu- nity, on the 23d of September last. It is enough simply to say that they arose in the first plaes from the Generals will, which was s,renuously contested by the brothers and sisters of James. among whom was the then Mrs. wOodf6sd, and which was followed up by aggravasiIg eircum. stances on all sides, which this horrible, final tragedy should shroud in forgctfulnsss f6reveF.
 The theory of the prosecution as to tbs kiIIiss, has been, in brief, that upon the fatal day, e Futile was driving home from winssed in sksl. eton wagon, and was passing woodiords houss, the latter shot him with one barrel Of double. SASH 6~ut ohS OtsAAo VI WUlcu V1uISLt00 his right side, causing instant dcath; tho nc tive assigned for the terrible act being desD- seated hatred and desire for revenge on the psst of the prisoner. The theory of the defence, oa the other hand, is, that the deceased drove inso. Woodfords yard, that he there met Woodford as side door of the house, threatened his He, and was shot down by Woodford in selEdeienee. The. many circumstances brought forward to favor. and substantiate either of these theories, as VI. have said above, may be found in the testimony of the many witnesses called upon either sids Which of these may be the true one, each win form his own opinion from the testimony pss- sented: !" the twelve" have yet to pas thsir candid and impartial judgment upon t all, and He, whose eye alone looked down upon ths dark deed that fatal evening, shall judge shc fhIh measure of the guilt of this unhappy man, vho, sent the soul of his brother hsyond ths xosld
 D0r We don't know how many ycars t Ia since Liteh6eld County has had | Speaker os, The Housa Tt ;u ,su,&-y ,t >r, "A. a-s--