The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1865-12-01
MORAL ASPECTS OF THE REED CASE.

MORAL ASPECTS OF THE REED CASE.
From the day on which Jacob Grouse
met his fate until the present hour, we
have not published single line in re-
gard to the unfortunate affair which
resulted III the death of that miserable
man, saving only statement of the
facts connected with the killing and a
report of the proceedings in the trial of
John P. Reed, Jr. We studiously re-
Trained from defending the course of
Mr.. Reed and carefully avoided the
expression ofany opinion as to his guilt
or innocence of the crime with which
he was indicted. Our silence in this
regard was owing solely to our desire
that the law should have its course un-
obstructed by any possible impediment
which our discussion of the case might
throw in its way. For this reason our
columns did not respond to the foul
ISLANDERS repeatedly uttered in regard to
the Reeds, and for this reason alone,
we permitted the base libel upon our
own character, 1.-THE BEDFORD GA
zETTE murdered Jacob CrOuSe," to 90
uncontradicted and unrebuked But,
the law has had its course and we can
now speak without fear of defeating the
ends of justice. Our slanderers have
had their say; let them not complain
now that we shall have ours.
The most conspicuous part borne in
the trial of young Reed, was that taken
by John Cessna, ESD, one of the coun-
sci for the prosecution. From the time
of the killing until the moment Of ac-
quittal, like a bloodhound in pursuit
of his quarry, he was upon the track of
the Reeds. When the fatal shot was
fired, the crack of the pistol brought
him in sat the DEATH" and after young
Reed had surrendered himself to the
sheriff, he marched to the Jail at the
head of a mob, and with the froth of
his malignant heart boiling over at his
mouth, yelled like an incarnate devil,
Hang him! hang him ~ When the
COrOner's inquest was held upon the
body of Grouse, he a0e,at before the jury
as counsel and hdrdRglted them an fdr0l'
Of the .tffad6lg he desired, d proceeding
without parallel in all the annals Of ju-
risprudence. When the case came up
at September sessions, he resorted
to all the expedients Of the pettifOg-
gers trickery, to obtain a continuance {;
moving to quash the array of jurors,
though thejury had been drawn in the
same manner in a hundred previous
capital cases; and finally swearing the
case off by making an affidavit to the
absence of important witnesses. And
just here, let us look at this affidavit OF
Mr.. Cessna. We find him swearing
that John Williams, ""-HoWsare y
Mrs. NJ. S. HOke," ''Wm. J. Camp
bell, "Lizzie Long and Lizzie Gordon
were material to trial of the case. .
Upon this oath of Mr.. Cessna, the Court
continued the trial to November ses
siOns. Now, not oneof thesewitnesses
except John Williams, did Mr.. Cessna
produce at the trial, last week, though
he had three months time in which t
have them brought here. We are in
formed that when Cessna made hi.
oath, John Williams was not far away
and that he appeagsd and testified be
fore the Grand JUN ht September ses
sions. VIM. j. Campbell was in atten
dance at the trial, last week, but thi
important witness was not even called
to the stand by Mr.. Cessna. Why Mrs
Hoke, - HOwsare and the two Liz
Zies were not forthcoming, is, doubtless
best known to the "affiant" who swor
hat their testimony was ''materia
GA trial of the case" But, the black
It page in all the dark history of thi
an Cessna's connection with this Reet
Sc, is yet to be written. Contemp
the meannesS of the fellows malig
" and pity for those who must shar
shame, almost cOnstrain Us to fOI
ar. Yet, why should we hesitate t
II the truth concerning creature
no fain would blacken and blast tn
eputation of others with falsehood
lad all the evidence offered by the de
.ence, been admitted by the Court, tn
dfiminality of poor Grouse would hav
Ibeen considerably relieved by the reve
Hation of the fact that he believed, tina