Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1866-07-05


reverie, he emphatically slapped
his hand on my shoulder, ex-
claiming: GIVE got it; I'll convict
the Whites without difficulty, and
touch the ten thousand dollars. "
"You've got it, Colonel! Got
what?"
+. 'I know where to 90 and get a
witness, who, l think, will do the
thing [ want"
"And that is what?"
"To swear that the Whites were
in the city when the alarm of fire
was given, and in immediate prox-
unity to the Treasury Building"
"And you think that you can do
this?"
"Oh, yes; I'm sure l can, if the
person | mean is in town. New
er fear, sir. I'm quite sure Of my
prize now, and the Whites must be
convicted"
"And do you think that they
are guilty?"
"Why, as to that, l don't eN-
actly know; Hicks says they are,
and he ought to know"
"And can you confide in Hicks?
Do you think that Hicks is enti-
tied to credit? Would you be-
lieve him on oath?"
"Now you are asking too much.
You talk too fast, and ask too ma
ny questions. My lawyer says
that Hicks is my main dependence,
and | know he is, He is a bad
fellow, 1 suppose, and would COM
nit any crime for trife, but no.
body has thus far impeached his
integrity; and do you think that |
am a-going to destroy the main
prop by which | stand. After
these trials are over, I'll tell you
all about Hicks, and then you'll
know what you do know. But
stop; I'm wasting time; | must be
off, and get my witness, or | shall
be too late. Adieu! and mark
me, before l sit down to this ta-
BILE, Henry White will be con-
victed man.
And away went Colonel Kelley
in pursuit of this new witness
And was he successful? Ay! in
deed, was he, and, ere an hour had
elapsed, he went into court with
this new witness, who swore that
Henry White slept in her house
the night the fire occurred; that he
got up in the course of the night
and was absent an hour or two,
and then came back. That, when
the cry of fire was given, he was
seen to leap out of one of the win
dows of her dwelling and make
all possible speed for the Balti-
more and Bladensburg road.
Such was the substance of the
testimony procured from this "me,o
witnsss," according to my recol-
lection. AS 1 depend upon
memory alone for my second, |
may err in some immaterial par
ticulars.
At any rate, the evidence elicit
ed from the new witness did the
Job for Henry White, and he was
sentenced to seven years imprison-
ment in the Washington Peniten-
tiary. He went there, and l saw
him year Or two afterwards,
working very diligently at the
business of a shoemaker. / think
he had entered on the third year
of his Imprisonment, when the
then President, Mr.. Van Buren,
received satisfactory evidence that
he had been convicted through
perjury and the subornation of
perjury; that he was innocent;
and, accordingly, he ordered him
to be discharged. Poor White
might have escaped conviction, if
he had availed himself of the
| statute of limitations, which re
quired that all criminal prosecu
tons in the District of Columbia
should commence within sever
years. The Indictment against
him fell within the limits of thai
statute; but, as he had said thai
he would pass through the ordea
/ with a clean verdict, or none, ht
would not avail himself of its ben
efits, and to prison he went.
In the meantime, the trial OF
Richard White came on. and tn.