Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-01-14

dqt Moss A dozen times it threatened to
break down, and dozen and one times It
got on its weary legs again. 1t was dull
affair. and. for want of something better to
do-as dared not leave the Castle-I stroll
led into the Crown Court, where, as you
must know, Miss Mary, the prisoners we're
tried. There sat the judge in his scarlet
robes, with the high sheriff of the county by
his side, and before him three prisoners stand
ing in the dock upon trial for burglary.
began to chat with some young barristers
knew, and was paying no attention to the
proceedings, when all of a sudden Iheard the
name of Lord Thornbury mentioned by the
counsel who was conducting the prosecution.
/ pricked up my ears and began to listen to
the case.
1t appeared that day or two before the
burglary. Lord Thornbury had returned with
his bride from their continental tour, and
had taken up his abode at his country-seat;
that. i'm anticipation of the festivities which
were TO follow, the whole of his grand fam
ily plate and ladyships jewels had been
brought down from his London bankers; that
one of the prisoners was a discarded servant,
who knew where those valuables were kept
the house had been broken into, and the
whole of the silver swept away and that an
other of the accused was caught in the act
of climbing down from the roof an clubhouse
close to the place where an entrance had
been affected.
The case against the fellow (who was in
dicted by the name of Richard Thompson)
seemed TO be clear enough; that against his
companions rested on circumstantial evil
dence. One of them, named Arnold, had
been seen in company with Thompson the
day before the burglary, prowling about the
park, close to the house, in a suspicious man
ner; and the landlord of the inn at which
Thompson had been staying swore that aman
whom he afterwards recognized as Arnold
called for the prisoner Thompson the fol-
lowing night, and that they walked out to-
gether in the direction of Lord Thornbury's
park. The name of the discarded servant
was O'Hara, and he had been taken into Gus
tody in the house of noted receiver of
stolen goods at Sheffield, where, concealed
under some ashes in the back-kitchen, was
found a mass of silver plate, broken up and
partially melted, but not sufficiently so to OBJ
literate the marks whereby it was identified
as Lord Thornbury's property.
The wretched old "fence" was indicted
also; but he pleaded guilty, and was called
as a witness against his client. Arnold and
O'Hara were defended by counsel, and every
dodge that experience and ingenuity could
devise was made use of to get them off, and
to throw all the blame on Thompson. There
was public path through the park, where the
former had been seen talking with Thompson;
perhaps he had merely asked him his way. If
he had accompanied him to the Hall and as
sisted in the burglary, how came it that he
1.-THE prisoner ArnOld) had not also been
taken? As for 0'Hara, he, poor innocent,
was the victim eft the old jew " fence" No
one had seen him bring the stolen plate to
Sheffield. Some one else might have taken
il to the jews house, and there was nothing
TO show that 0'Hara knew the bad character
of that mansion into which-so suggested his
defender-he might have been invGigled, and
so forth, and so on; but the jury were not to
be hUmbugged, and after a short discussion
found Arnold and 0Hara guilty.
They had no doubt about Thompson: had
he not actually been caught in the act This
prisoner had no counsel had asked no ques-
ton of any of the witnesses against him !;
and upon being asked if he wished to say
anything in his defence, merely sIoOk his
head. "What viii he get?" asked young
baIrister in front of me. go, ten years at
least" said the friend he addressed; "it's a
bad case; but what a good looking fellow
the scoundrel is ~
The dock at York Castle is panelled in at
sides, and raised a good height from the
ground. ! was standing in a sort of gangway
there is to the right of it, and could only see
the back of the prisoners heads; so when l
heard the above remark, | began to press
| forward, out of curiosity to see what sort of a
man this Richard Thomson was; but my at
tention was diverted by rushing of silks,
and the next moment Laura, Countess of
Thornbury, escorted by her noble spouse, APP
peared on the bench, and was handed into a
| sb taff ~ RI ind Nv ha sob
| sheriff Now, think that handsome, we'll
| dressed women are ornaments in every scene
/ but cannot bear to see them in a criminal
court, and have no patience with the morbid
/ curiosity which brings them there. 1t was
therefore with no pleasant feelings that be-
held nv fine lady simpering in her bridal
bonnet, and composing her silk skirts in pres
ence of the poor devils who were to find
| their way to the hulks thought of Charley
and contrasted his fine manly form and open
brow with the decrepit limbs and satyr-like
features of The old reprobate to whom she
had sold herself.
There she sat, proud and cold hearted as
ever, while the judge proceeded to pass SEN
tence on Richard Thompson, who was now
alone in the dock, leaning over the front
rail with his face buried In his hands He
had stood up sternly enough during the trial,
and while his companions were receiving SEN
tence but now he seemed to have broken
down. His lordship briefly recapitulated the
evidence, and observed that it was impossible
for any man of sense to doubt that he 1.-THE
prisoner) was guilty; and had been one of the
perpetrators, if not the leading one, in that
most serious crime. 1t had evidently been
carefully planned and only too successfully
carried out; but the hand of the law had
reached the guilty parties, II and should be
strangely wanting in my duty" said the judge,
eff did not pass upon you severe sen
tence; the sentence of the court is, that you
be transported beyond the seas for the term
of twenty years" Then the convict Thomp
son raised his head, and turned to quit the
dock; and as be turned his features were re.
vealed to me. They were those of Charley
Lawrence
| started back in amaze and horror and a
voice beside me exclaimed, 90, dear, dear
look That charming Lady Thornbury has
tainted What shame it is there is not a
better ventilation in these courts They are
really sitting" Sitting, indeedl They
seemed TO me as though they were being
whirled round in the crater of volcano in
active eruption.
Stopperty Us. Moss ended in a verdict for
our client the plaintiff; and received great
| cOmmendation on my return to town for the
manner in which / had managed it. | de-
served no praise at all. By some lucky
chance things went on smoothly but | was
all the time in poor Charley's cell, and knew
no more what was going on in the court than
| the man in the moon.
was coming from the Office of the gov
! SC .ba coal uhara I had haan 20 not