The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1866-06-21
CirclInStanfiaI Evidence. :
BRADFORD, THE INN-KEEpER.


Jonathan Bradford kept an inn in
Oxfordshire, en- the London road to
Oxford. He bore a respectable charac-
ter. Mr.. Hayes, a gentleman of for
tune, being on his way to Oxford on a
visit to a relation. put up at Bradford's.
He there joined company with two
gentlemen, with whom he supped and
in conversation unguardedly mentioned
that he had then about him considera-
BILE sum of money. In due time they
retired to their respective chambers;
the gentlemen to a two bedded room,
leaving as is customary with many, a
candle burning in the chimney corner.
Some hours after they were in bed, one
of them thought he heard deep groan
in an adjoining chamber; and this be-
ing repeated, he softly awoke his friend.
They listened together, and the groans
increasing as of one dying and in pain
they both instantly arose, and proceed
ed silently to the door ofthe next cham
Der. The door being ajar, they saw
light in the room. They entered, but
it is impossible to print their consterna-
ton on perceiving Il person weltering in
his blood in the bed, and a man stand
ing over him, with a dark lantern in
one hand and 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, supped, and
that the man who was standing over
him was their host. They seized Brad
ford directly, disarmed him of his knife,
and charged him with being the MUIR
derer. He assumed by this time the
air of innocence, positively denied the
crime, and asserted that he came there.
with the same humane intention as they
themselves; for that, hearing a noise,
which was succeeded by groaning, he
got out of bed, struck a light, armed
himselfwith knife for his defense, and
had but that minute entered the room
before them. These assertions were of
little avail; he was kept in close custody
till the next morning, and then taken
beforea .neighboring justice of the
peace. Bradford still denied the MUIR
der, but with such apparent indications
of guilt, that the justice hesitated not
to make use of this extraordinary ex-
preston on writing his mittimus, "Mr.
Bradford, either you or myself commit
ted this murder" sai7om
This remarkable affair became topic
of conversation to the whole country
Bradford was condemned by the gene
raj voice of every company Tn the
midst of all this predetermination, came
on the assizes at Oxford, Bradford was
brought to trial; he plead not guilty. -
Nothing could be stronger than the
evidence of the two gentleman. They
testified to the finding Mr. Hayes mur-
4 dered in his bed, Bradford at the side
of, the body with light and 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 transacting; he struck a light
snatched the knife, the only weapon on
hand to defend himself, and entered the
L room of the deceased. He ayerred that
! the terrors he Betrayed were merely
the feelings natural to innocence, as
I well as guilt, on seeing so horrid a
scene The defense, however, could
not but be considered as weak, contras-
ted with. the several powerful circum
stances against him. Never was cir.
cumstantial evidence so conclusive; nc
room appeared for extenuation and
the prisoner was declared guilty by the
ljury without their even leaving the
box. Hll5~l 54
II Bradford was executed shortly after
! still declaring that he was not the
murderer, nor privy to the murder, Of
Mr.. Hayes but died disbelieved by
fa ALL
+ Yet were these assertions not untrue
I The murder was actually committed By
the footman of Mr.. Hayes; and the as
sassin, Immediately on stabbing 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 thar
two seconds before Bradford's s entering
the unfortunate gentleman's chamber