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

met his fate until the present hour, we
have not published a single line in re-
gard to the unfortunate affair which
resulted in 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 Grouse" 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, Esq, one of the colm-
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 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 iCe1at before tie jury
us counsel and sGtrG5lglted them b9 .fdU0r
Of the .t1ad6lg he desired, a 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 tTickery, to obtain continuance;
moving to quash the array of jurors,
though thejury had been drawn in the
same manner in 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," "
''Mrs. NJ. S. Hoke," "Wm. J. Camp
bell, "Lizzie Long and Lizzie Gordon"
were 'tmaterial to trial of the cast" +"
Upon this oath of Mr.. Cessna, the Court
continued the trial to November ses-
sions. Now, not One0f these witnesses,
except John Williams, did Mr.. Cessna
produce at the trial, last week, though
he had three months time in which to
have them brought here. We are in
formed that when Cessna made his
oath, John Williams was not far away,
and that he appeared and testified be-
fore the Grand Jury at September ses-
sions. VIM. J. Campbell was in atten-
dance at the trial, last week, but this
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 swore
that their testimony was material
to trial of the case" But, the black.
est page in all the dark history of thi:
man Cessna's connection with this Reed
case, is yet to be written. Contempt
for the meanness of the fellows malig
nifty and pity for those who must share
his shame, almost constrain us to for
bear Yet, why should we hesitate t.
tell the truth concerning a creature
who fain would blacken and blast the
reputation of Others with falsehoOd
Had all the evidence offered by the de
fence, been admitted by the Court, the
criminality of poor Grouse would have
been considerably relieved by the reve
Iation of the fact that he believed, tha
as an officer, he had the right to xii
John p. Reed, Jr. What gave Crous'
this false and bloody notion? Let u
see. We quote from the bill of eXcep