The tri-weekly herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1865, 1865-04-29
Circumstantial Evidence.

CirCumstantial Evidence. ..@.
That circumstantial evidence cannot always
be strictly relied on is proved by the melan-
choly fact that innocent men and women
have been legally murdered in England; wit
ness Eliza Fenning, Ambrose GwyEett, and
many other cases. ....-< 4 ..... -. .
..sa.- THE BROTHERS. u.
Who has not heard of the story of the two
brothers p Twenty different versions exist,
/ many of them equally incorrect. They travelled
to q seaport town together ; an argument,
tvociferously conducted, ensued after dinner;
they slept in a double.bedded. room; one Of
the brothers rose at 8 o'clock, of a fine suin-
mer morning, and wandered to a cliff. He
! vas seized BY smugglers, whom he detected
| in buying puncheons of spirits. They were
too amiable to murder him, and merely put
i5bim on board vessel which was bound for
the West Indies. Meanwhile his brother,
who, after his port wine and aItercasion. had
slept the calm sleep of innocence awoke in
the morning to find his brothers pillow
covered with blood, and his brother missing.
It can be easily believed that when he rang
! the bell and summoned the landlord, his pro
tcstations, of innocence were fruitless, and he
vas soon in the hands Of the myrmidons OF
the law. Stains of blood were traced from
the bedroom to the edge Of a Cliff, where
marks of seuff3e were found. He was In
dicted for murder, and defended by counsel.
Every effurt was made to save his life, and MS
life was sayed-but not in the way our readers
may imagine. -
Tue interested this terrible drama is en-
hanced by the fact that the unfortunate man
was engaged to beautiful young girl, who
was present at mis- trial, believed to the last
in bis innocence, and left him, after . heart
irendinginterview, in the condemned CELL.
In those good old days, men were not
hanged in front OF country jails but on an
| adjacent comnion considered suitable for the
spectacle. The victim, in this instance, was
taken TO the place of execution and construe"
tively strangled. When the laws last
vengeance had been wreaked, a shepherd,
wandering near the spot heard low moan,
and cut down. the pendant half-choked man.
| He re-aninated, in his rude way, this
creature whom Providence would seem to
| have saved By means miraculous as ever such
| interposition could be. He assisted his escape,
and communicated with his now still more
| frantic betrothed, whose relations supplied
the necessary money for fight He was placed
on board a vessel in the channel bound for
BaTbadoes: and the first man he met IN
Bridgetown was the brother for whose murder
be had been wholly convicted and halfhanged.
Their interview may be imagined. Earnest
| had left Walter asleep; be had been seized
| with violent fit of Needing at the nose,
1 which would account for the blood upon the
I pillow. and for similar stains which, as have
[ stated. were traced to the cliff How be fell
| into the handsof smugglers has already been
narrated. This, Of course, well authenticated
but rather improbable story, proves tine
I tinfallibilitY of the. twelve intelligent men.
! It is human, to err, and tits human to err on
the side Of mercy. r. g.. -.
/ -r 1 TIE ELoPRNENT. 2. ..
About forty years ago, a gentleman was
! tried and convicted upon circumstantla
| evidence of the murder of his niece! She was
| heard to exclaim, don't kill me, uncle; don'i
! kill mel and that instanta pistol or fowling'
! piece was fired of. Upon these circumstances
! the gentleman was convicted and executed
| Near twelve months after, the niece, who had
eloped, arrived in England; and hearing of the
affair, elucidated the whole transaction. i
appeared that she had formed al attachment
for a person of whom her uncle disapproved
! When walking in the fields, he was earnestly
disreading her from the connection, when. she
replied, that she was resolved to have him
orit would be her death; and therefore said
don't kill me, uncle don't kill me. :, at th'
! moment she uttered these words, a fowl
ing-piece was discharged b.r a sportsman il
a neighboring field The same night sh'
eloped from her lncle's house; and the com
| bination of these suspicious circumstances oc
casioned his ignorninidus death.
/ The Sabbath is the green oasis, the littl
grassy meadow in the wilderness when afte
! the week days journey, the pilgrim halts 10