The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-08-03
CIrcumstantial Evidence.
BRADFORD, THE 1Ny-KREPER.

Jonathan Bradford, kept an inn i'm
Oxfordshire, on the London road to
Oxford. He bore a respectable chara-
cter. Mr.. Hayes, gentleman Of for
tune, being on his way to Oxford on
visit to a relation, put up at Brad
fords. He there joined company with
two gentlemen, with whom he supped
aud in conversation unguardingly
mentioned that he had then about
him n considerable sum of money. In
due time they retired to their respec-
tive chambers; the gentlemen to two
bedded, room leaving as is customary,
q candle burning in tho chimney
corner Some hours after thoy were
in bed, one of them thought he heard
deep groan in an adjoining chamber;
and this being repeated he softly
awoke his friend. They listened to-
gether, and the groans increasing as
Of one dying aid in pain, they both
instantly arose and proceeded silently
TO the door of the next chamber. The
door being ajai they saw light in
tho room. They entered; but it is i'm
possible to paint their CONSERVATION
on perceiving a person weltering in
his blood in the bed, man standing
over him with q dark-lantern in one
hand and a knife in the other The
man seemed as much petrifed as they
themselves, but his terror carried with
it all the appearance of guilt. The
gentlemen soon discovered that the
murdered person was the stranger
with whom they had that night sup
ped and that the man who was stand
ing over him was their host They
seized Bradford directly, disarmed
him of his knife, and charged him with
being the murderer. He assumed by
this time the air OF innocence, positive
ly denied the crime, and asserted that
he came there with the same humane
intentions as they themselves; for that,
hearing noise, which was succeeded
by grooming, he got out of bed, struck
a light, armed himself with knife for
his defence, and had but that minute
entered the room before them These
assertions were of little avail; he was
kept in close custody until the next
morning, and then taken before neigh
boring justice of the peace. Bradford
still denied the murder, but with such
apparent indications of guilt, that the
justice hesitated not to make use of
this extraordinary expression on writ
ing out bis mittimus: "Mr Bradford,
either you or myself committed this
murder"
This remarkable affair became a
topic of conversation to the whole
country. Bradford was condemned by
the general voice of every company.
In the midst of AL this predetermina-
ton, came on the assizes at Oxford,
Bradford was brought to trial; he
pleaded not guilty. Nothing could
have been stronger than the evidence
of the two gentlemen They testified
to the finding of Mr.. Hayes murdered
in his bed, Bradford at the side of the
body with light and a knife, and that
knife in the hand which held it,
bloody They stated that, but few
minutes preceding, they had heard the
groans of the deceased.
Bradford's defence on his trial was
the same as before; he had heard a
noise; he suspected that some villainy
was trapsacting; he struck a light,
snatched the knife, the only weapon
on hand to defend himself, and en-
tered thereon of the deceased He
AYERS that the terrors he betrayed were
merely the feelings natural to inno-
cence, as well as guilt, on seeing so
horrid scene. The defence, however,
could not but be considered ms weak,
contrasted with the several powerful
circumstances against him. Never
was circumstantial evidence so conclu-
siye; no room appeared for extenua-
ton, and the prisoner was declared
guilty by the jury without their even
leaving the box.
Bradford was executed shortly after,
still declaring that he was not the
murderer, nor priyy to the murder of
Mr.. Hayes; but died disbelieved by
ALL
Yet were these assertions not I'M
true The murder was actually COM
mitted by the foot-man of Mr.. Hayes;
and the assassin Immediately on stab
biug his master, rifed his pockets of
his money, gold watch and snuff box,
and then escaped back to his own
room. This could scarcely have been
effected, as after circumstances showed,
more than two seconds before Brad
ford's entering the unfortunate gentle
mans chamber. The world owes this
information to remorse of conscience
on the part of the footman eighteen
months after the execution of Brad
ford when laid on bed of sickness.
1t was death-bed repentance, and by
that death the law lost its victim.
1t were to be wished that this &C
count could close here; tbut there is
more to be told. Bradford, though
innocent of the murder, and not even
privy to it, was nevertheless a murderer
in design. He had heard, as well as
the footman, what Mr.. Hayes had de-
clared at supper, as to having a sum
of money about him; and he went to
the chamber of the deceased with the
same dreadful intentions as the ser
want. He was struck with amazement
on beholding himself anticipated in the
crime. He could not believe his sen