Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1865-02-11

i" WHO MURDERED DOwEIE -
About the eod of the eighteenth cenI

~, WneueveF any STUDENT Ot tue MaFlScnaI
College, Aberdeen, incurred the displeas>
ure Of the humber citizens, be was as.
sailed with the question" Who mardered
Dowuie?' Reply and rejoinder generally
brought on collision between I" town and
gown;' although the young gentlemen
were accused Of what was chronologicslly
impossible. People have a right TO be
angry q, being stigmatized as murderers,
when their accusers have probability on
their side; but tho taking off, of Downie
occurred when the gownsmen, so ma,
ligned, were in swaddling clothes.
Bu: there was time, when to be brand.
ed as an accomplice in the slaughter of
Richard Downie made the blood run to
the cheek of many a youth, and sent him
home to his books thoroughly subdued.
Downie was sactist or jauitor at Marschal
College. One Of his duties consisted in
securing the gate by certain hour; pre-.
yions TO which all the students had to as
semblc in the common hall. where Latin
prayer was delivered by the principal -
Whether III diseharsing this function,
Downie was nore rigid than his predeees.
sor in office, or whether be became stric,er
ia the performance of it a, one time than
another, cannot be ascertaincd, bat there
can be no doubt that be closed the gate
with austere punctoality, aud that those
who were not in the comm on hall within
minute of the prescribed time were shut
OFT, and were afterwards repriman1ed and
fined by the principal and professors. The
students became irritated a this etrictness,
and took every petty means OF annoying
the sacrist; he, in his turn, applied the
screw at other points of the academic
routine, and fierce war soon began TO
rage between the co!!ogians aud the hum,
Die functionary. Dowuie took care that
in all his proceedings he kept within the
stric. letter OF the law; but his opponents
were not SO careiul, aud the decisions Of
the rulers were uniiormer!y against them.
aud in favor of Downie. Reprimands aud
fines having failed in producing due sub.
ordination, rustication, suspension, and
/ even the extreme sentence Of expu sion
had to be put in force; and, in the end
law and order prevailed. But a secret
and deadly grudge continued to be enter
tanned against Richard Downie Various
scheuses Of revenge were thought vi.
Downie was, in common with teachers
and tbaught, enjoying the leisure Of the
short New Year ,aea:ion-the pleasure
boing no doubt greatly enhanced by the
annoyance to which be had been subj ected
during the recen, pickering ngs-when, as be
was one evening seated with his family in
his official residence at the gate a messen-
ger informed him that "a gentleman at a
nei eighborine hotel wished to speak with
him. Downie obeyed the summons, and
was ushered from one room into another,
ill at length be found himself in large
apartmeu. hung with black, and lighted
by u solitary candle. After waiting for
some time in this strange place about
fifty figures, also dressed in black, and
with black masks on their faces, presented
themselves. They arranged them selves in
the torm Of court, and Downie, pale with
terror, was given to understand that be
was about to be pu, on trial.
A Judge took his seat on the bench, a
clerk aud public prosecutor sat below; a
jury was empaneled 10 front; and wit.
nesses and spectators stood around
Downie at first set down the whole affair
as q joke; but the proceedings were con-
Quoted with such persistent gravity. that
in spite Of himself, he began to believe in
the genuine mission Of the awful tribunal
| The clerk read al indictment, charging
him with conspiring agains, the liberties
OF the students, witnesses we're examined
IN due form the public prosecutor al
dressed the jury; and the judge sun
med up.
Gentleman said Downie, 1.-the joke
has been carried far enough it is getting
late, and my wife and family will be get.
ting anxious about me. II | have been
TOO strict with sou in time past. | am sorry
for it, aud assure you | vii! take nore
care in future
Gentlemen Of the jury said the
judge, withou, paying the slightest at,en-
tion to this appeal, "consider your yer.
diet; and il you wish to retire do So
The jury retired. During their absence
the most profound silence was observed :;
and excep, renewing the solitary candle
that bnrut beside the judge, there was NO,
the slightest movement.
The jury returned, aud recorded YER
diet Of Guilty.
The Judge solemnly assumed large
black cap, and addressed the prisoner:
Richard Downie! The jury have
unanimously found you guilty OF consrir>
ing against the just liberty and immuni.
ties Of the students Of Marischal College.
You have wontonIy provoked and insalted
those inofensive lieges for some months,
and your punishment will surely be con
dign. You must prepare Tor death. In
fifteen minutes the sel.ence Of The court
will be carried into eject
The judge placed his watch on the
bench. A block, an *, and bag OF
sawdust we're brought into the center Of
the room. A figure more terrible than
any that had yet appeared came forward,
aud prepared to act the part Of doomster.
1t was now past midnight, there was no
sound audible, save tho ominous ticking
Of the judges watch. Downie became
more and moro alarmed.
For Heavens sake, gsutlensn," said
the terrified man, "lst me 70 home