Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-10-04


purpose Of looking at some land he h;i
just purchased. He stated, also, that ~,
| allusion was made TO the subject they hs
differed upon his uncle's manner bein
unusually friendly, so much so as to Great
a strong impression onhls mind thathe ~
gretted aud was desirous,of atOning for hi,
intemperate language the day before. a Il,
The defense called up a number of wit
ncsses, who bore testimony as TO the char
acter for steadinessGahd integrity that th'
accused had borne from his youth up. anG
the Kindness and tenderness of his heart,
His closing plea was masterpiece of ora
tory; he placed every favorable -circum-
stance before the Jury in its most f4vora-
them in behalf of=his unhappy client, the
eloquence and pathosof which touched the
sternest heart among them.
The Judge, IN, spmi9g o. Up the case,
destroyed the. effect. of this. in a measure.
He warned the jury that While they were
to allow the prisoner the benefit or every
doubt, they were not to forget that mercy
to the criminal is often cruelty to the com.
munity that biased by neither pity or pref
udice, they were to decide the case accord
ing to the evidence placed before them,
leaving to the executive the prerogatlve of
mercy. risgsG
The jury returned from their brief delib-
Grafton. There was q breathless hush as
the clerk put the usual question: 'r
"What say you, Mr. Foreman? DO you
find the prisoner at the bar guilty or not
guilty ?" ...... ... ..... .;...-...
"GHuy!"
There was Slight hustle at the other end
of the room, and then the insensible form
of a.woman was borne ont This did not
escape the notice of the prisoner his eyt
followed it to the door, and, as it disap.
peared, for the first time his feelings found
audible expression in low moan of smoth-
cred agony. Dr.. .,r ..f ..g.- ..
The prisoner was then ,remanded, and the
people dispersed with saddened hearts to
their homes. ii'. '''' '.''T
The night before the day on which ht
was to be sentenced, Richard Blake escaped,
it was suspected, through the cQnnivance,
at least of one of the officers OF the jail,
though nothing could be proved against
him. a large reward was offered for his
apprehension, and every effort made to that
end.
Susan Huxton sat in the solitude of her
chamber, her deep mourning attire render
ing still more conspicuous the change that
had been wrought in the once joyous and
blooming girl. a day and q half had
elapsed since Richards escape, and she be-
gan to breathe more easily; he had had
time to reach the sea coast, and mist now
be beyond the reach of danger. Oil. a.
Suddenly she hears murmuring sound,
as of many voices. Stepping out upon the
veranda, che looked down the street. She
SAW quite a crowd of people following a
wagon, in which were three men. e.. ..
A bare-legged boy, running on before,
paused in front of the house.
''Hurrah pho shouted, swinging in the
air his crownless hat, they've caught
him" ... -.. .... ...-
Caught who?" she inquired.
''Richdrd Blake, the murderer ~ '...n.--
Slowly the dust-ladeHed wagon ap-
preached the spot where she stood. Yes,
there he was, heavy manaeled, his disor-
dered dress showing that.he had not yield
ed without q powerful struggle. His hat
was pushed down over his eyes so that she
could not see his features. r....l, .,-
AS she gazed the sickness of despair set
tied down upon the heart OF the wretched
girl. 1t was not given her to zee that by
this apparent Illustration OF her last hope,
God was about to bring tight out Of dark
ness" ...f....- q. ......... ..
The next morning the prisoner was
brought before tlfeconrt tn receive The sem
tenee of the law. Ever since his capture.
he had rot only maintained a sullen 81
lence, but persisted in keeping his face
concealed from view. Now, for the first
time, he raised his head and looked around
witlna glance of defianGe. W li lirr'
go The Judge started, while murmur of
surprise arose from those who were nearest
TO him. The height, the figure, the COM
pleXiOn, the shape of the head were almost
identical, but those blOodshot eyes and dis
Ian m
Richard Blake's! a.
He drew himself up and glared about
him like wild animal at bay. 1-
"Hell-bouudsp " he lisset between his
shut teeth $50 YOU have found me! But
you shall not gloat upon me on the scaf-
fold, as yOuare gloatng on me now! Thus
thus defy you'll '7.'r'- .i.9-''a .o2'
As he said this lie plunged adagger he
had managed to conceal, to the hilJ in his
side. r.. e. -..-.... .,r .r .- ... 10,
In an instant all was terror and cpnfu-
sion. Medical aid was procured for the
wounde man, but it was unavailing; he
fingered until night, and then died, but not
until he had confessed that he had commit
ted the crime OF which an Innocent man
had been convicted. '.tfHIE
Subsequent developments revealed the
startling fact that he was, a natural sou of
the murdered man. Years ago DR.. Huxton
had won and betrayed the love and trust of
an innocent, contiding girl. But he soon
wearied of her, and on the eve of his mar
riage sent the mother and her child into a.
distant State; quieting his conscience by
settling upon them sufficient, at least to
keep them from actual want. 81 Nt
Deprived of the restraining influence of
father, and ipheribing, no doubt, the law
less passlons-ofWhich he was the offspring,
the boy grew into waYward, headstrong
youth. Sensitive and htgh-spiriteH,1 he
felt keenly his unfortunate position ( the
tauntsiand sights to which it. often sub
iected him sinking, as he grew older, deep
er and deeper into his heart. He formed
strong attachment for the daughter of a
man who prided himself upon his family
standing, and WAS rejected on account of
the stain upon his birth. This had a most
unhappy effect upon him. He shut him
self up from society, brooding over it until
his naturally morbid condition of mind
took the form of actual disease, and which
finally eliminated in the fatal deed by
which, to use his own words, he "avenged
bis own and his mothers wrongs" l7' d
In the mean tlmey Richard Blake had
sought the asYlumn0f foreign Shore and
it was some months before he received the
intelligence Of his complete cxoneration
from the crime laid to his charge. After a
wears absence, he returned to reward with
the devotion OF hislife, thenoble girl who
had been faithful to him through evil and
good report, His old friends gathered
around him, anxious to do all in theft powLl
er to make him forget the past; buthede-
termined, for hisowife's sake, no less than,
his own, to leave for awhile the scenes that