Maryland free press., 1866-07-05
CIRCUMsTANTIAL EvIDENCE.
BRADFORD, THErSN KEEPER.

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Johnathan Bradford kept an inn in Oxfordshire,
on the London road to Oxford. lie bore n re.
spectacle character. Mr.. Hayes gentleman ol
fortune, being on his way to Oxford on visit to
relation, put UP at Bradford's. lie there ioined
company with two gentlemen, with whom he sup
ped and in conversation unguardcdly mentioned
that he had then about him considerable sum
OF money. In due time they retired to their re-
| spectiye chambers; the gentlemen to o two-bed-
ded room, leaving as is customary with many, O
candle burning in the chimney corner Some
hours after they were n bcd one of them thought
| he heard deep grOau in an adjoining chamber ;
and this being 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 proceeded silently to the door of the
next chamber The door being ajar, they saw q
light in the room. They entered, but it is impos-
| sble to paint their CONSERVATION on perceiving q
person weltering in his blood in the bed, man
standing over him with dark lantern in one
hand and knife in the other The man seemed
MS much petrihed as they themselves, but his ter
ror 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 Bradford
directly, disarmed him of his knife, and charged
him of being the murderer. lie assumed by this
time the air of innocence, positively denied the
crime, and asserted that he came there with the
same human intentions lis they themselves; for
that hearing noise, which was succeeded by
groaning, he got out ofbed, struck light, armed
himself with 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 until the next morning, and then
taken before a neighboring justice of the peace.
Bradford still denied the murder, but with such
apparent indications of guilt that the justice hes
itated not to make use Of this extraordinary ex-
preston ON writing his mittimus, ''lr. Bradford,
either you or myself committed this MURDER
This remarkable affair became a topic of con-
versation to the whole country. Bradford was
condemned by the general voice ofryery company
In the midst of all this predetcrmnatiun, came on
the assizes of Oxford, Bradford was brought to
trial he plead not guilty. Nothing could be
stronger than the evidence of the two gentlemen
Ihey testified to finding MIR. lays murdered in
his bed, bradford at the side Of the body with a
knife, and that knife in the hand which held it,
bloody. They stated that but few minutes pre-
ceding, they had heard tile groans of the dcceas-
cd.
Bradford's defence on his trial was the same rs
before; he had heard noise he suspected that
some vimny was trdnsacting he struck light,
snatched q knife, the only weapon OH hand TO
defend himself, and entered the room ofthe de-
ceased. lie urerred that the tcrrors he betrayed
were merely the feelings natural to innoccncc, as
wen us guilt, on seeing SO horrid scene. The
defense, however, could be but considered It's weak
contrasted with the several powerful crcumst tan
ces against him. Never was circumstantial evil
delce SO conclusive no room appeared for exten-
uation and the prisoner was declared guilty by
the jury without their even leaving the box.
Bradford was executed shortly after, still de-
clarlng that lie was not the murderer, nor prvy
to the murder of Mr.. Hays; but died disbelieved
by all.
Yet were these assertions not untrue? The mur-
der was actually committed by the footman of
Mr.. lays; and the assassin, Immediately ON stab
Iing his master, rflcd his pockets of his money,
gold watch and snuff box, and then escaped back
TO his own room. This could scarcely have been
ailectcc, SO after circumstances showed more than
two seconds before BradforG's entering the untor-
tunate gentenian's chamber. The world owes
this Information to remorse Of conscience on the
part OF the footman eighteen months after the
execution OF Bradsord) when laid on bed OF
sickness. 1t was dcalh repentance, and by that
death the law lost its victim
II were to lie wished that this account could
close here but there is more to he told. Bradford
though innocent of the murder, and not even
prvy ut, was nevertheless murderer in de-
sign. lie had heard, as well as the footman what
Mr.. Hayes had declared at supper, as to having
large sum Of money abont him and lie went to
the chamber OF the deceased with the same dread
iul intentions us the servant. lie struck with
amazcment ON beholding himselfanticipated with
the crime. He could not believe his senses and
in turning back the bed clothes to assure himself
OF the fact, he in his agitation dropped his knife
In the bleeding body, by which means both his
hands and the weapon became bloody. These
circumstances Bradford acknowledged to the clcr-
gyman who attended him after sentence. but who,
1t Is extremely probable, would not Lelievc them
at the time. ....
Besides the gravcr lessons TO bc drawn from