Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1865-11-16

there were many other inmates; |
and it was by no means improba-
BILE, that several of his fellow
dodgers should agree in connecting
the story which each of them told !,
in succession, so glibly from tie
witness box. They unfortunate
ly proved too much, in stating
that he had gone TO bed even ear
lier than usual, and that he could
not possibly have left the house
without their knowledge. Nei-
Their Of these statements was in
consistent with truth, yet they had
a strong appearance Of being
strained to suit a purpose. 1t
was also an unfortunate circum-
stance for the prisoner, that all the
witnesses called on his behalf
were of the same dwelling with
himself. They were all, i'll fact,
his own intimate associates. No
stranger or disinterested person
was called to confirm this doubt
full testimony; and it was felt that
the prisoner had not improved his
chances of aquittal by the defence
he had offered to the jury. They
did not, in fact, believe his witness
es, but returned a verdict of guilty;
after brief consultation.
The prisoner seemed surprised
and excited at the result, and pro-
tested in the most vehement man.
ner that he was innocent. The
Judge, in passing sentence, said
that he entirely agreed with the
Jury, in the conclusion to which
they had come. The prisoner was
condemned to be transported for
life.
~ would rather you would hang
me at once!" exclaimed the man,
with an earnestness of tone and
gesture which produced a marked
sensation in the court; but he was
Immediately removed. One of
the most experienced detective
officers in the kingdom, and who
had been employedin getting up ev'
idence in the case, happened to be
standing by me at this moment, and
he seemed struck with the ear
nestness Of the prisoners manner
''It would be a SID thing" he said
eff the man were innocent, after
ALL" The reflection coming iron
such a quarter naturally deepenoe
, in my mind the impression created
, by this painful scene. But suct
, impressions ale rarely lasting in
, criminal court of justice. In the
course of few minutes, there wal
| another prisoner in the dock, anc
. the court, and jury, and spectators
: including myself, were soon cccu
pied with the details of a fresl
, trial.
! Several months passed, and tn
, man | had seen tried and cen
D delnned at D was undergo
' ing the usual Imprisonment t
which convicts are subjected pre-
vious to transportation, when
remarkable incident occurred. l
: convict, who was confined III tn
: same jail, and who was also unde
sentence of Punishment for anoth
! er offence, confessed to chaplain
that he had been party to a rof
: bery described in the beginning Of
:. this paper. He further stated tina
: his fellow prisoner, who had bee
convicted at D had neithe
/ been one Of the party, nor in an,
; way connected with the affair
He declared that lie had neve
= known nor even seen the man, III
= til they met beneath the prisol
Roof; and that the two witnesse
|. upon whose testimony he ha
been convicted, must have bee
mistaken as to his identity. Thi
> startling confession was at first re
: garded as a fabrication, by tn
J prison authorities, but further re
= Election showed that it might b
consistent with the truth. Th
: person who made it had no cor
ceivable motive for inventing til
story. He was already condemn
ed to transportation, and it wa
II not probable that the confession o.
{ another serious crime would lea
: to a mitigation Of his punishment
: The affair came to the knowledg
of influential persons in the neigh
!. borhood, and through their exel
= tons searching investigation wa
: made into the whole case, an
} particularly into the evidence at