The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1867-03-06

/ to visit the magistrate charged with the
. criminal processes Of the colony.
In the course Of tnat day, while John
Moon was regsling himself with tea un
der the palm trees in his garden, in com
pany with d Circassian female whom he
had bought some time previously, he
was arrested and taken to prison by the
officers of justice. On the following day
he WAS brought before the criminal court,
accused Of robling the late Clodom,r
FrenoiS, the crime being conjoned with
breach OF trust and violence. Moon smi.
ed at the. charge with all the confidence
Of n man who had hothing to fear. The
Judge having demanded Of him il he
confessed the Crime, the accused replied,
that the charge nas altogether absurd,
that clear testimony was necessary 10 fix
such crime upon him and that so far
from there being anv such evidence pro
d3c,h'A, neither the widow al the deceas
ed, r"r anyone person in his service, had
ever heard the pretended robbery even
once mentioned by Frenos during hi.
/ lfe.
"no Won then sflirrn youf innocence ="
repeated the judge, graveIv, after hearing
ali tina, the other had to sav.
| will wouth my innocence" replied
Moon, "even before the body Of my late
master, II that be necessary" Such a
thing often took place under the old col
onjal law
'J"hn Moon," said the judge, in voice
broken hy some peculiar emotion cit
IL before vour late master that Won viii,
haN" now to assert your innocence and
may God make the truth srpear -
\ sigma rom the judge accompanied
these words, and Immediately door
opened and Clodomir Frenois, the sup
posed suicide, entered :he court. He ad.
vancrd-to the bar with SLOW and DELHI.
cra'e step. having his eve calmly but
s'"rnlv iixed on the prisoner, lis servant.
great sensation was caused in the court
by his appearance Uuering shrieks Of
alarm and horror, the females prssen, fed
from the spot. The accused fell on his
knees in shject terror, and shhdderingIv
| contested his guilt. For time no voice
was heard but his. However, as it be
came apparent that living man stood
before the court, the advocate for the pris
"nor gained courage to speak IIsde
manded that the identity Of the merchant
be- established, and the mystery Of his
existence be explained. lie said that the
cour, should not be Jiasetby what might
/ prove to lie mere saccientai likeness
! between man living and one deceased,
and that such an avOwal AS that Of the
I prisoner extracted in moment Of pxtfa
obituary terror was not TO be held oi
much weight. "Before heinas admitted
here as An accuser or witness" continued
q g advocate, addressing the rcsuscitated
/ merchant, prove who and what you are
and disclose by what chance the tomb
~hich. so la,"I y received your body, man.
, g'"d hr bullets, has given up its tenant,
and restored you to the World in life and
health"
This firm appeal OF the advocate, who
continued stesdfast to his duty under cir
cnm>tsnces that would have closed the
lips Of most men. called forth the follow
ing narrative from CIodomir Frenois:
NY story may be soon told, and will
suffice to establish my identity. When
discovered the robbery committed bv the
accused, he bad fled from The island, and
speedily saw that all attempts to retake
him would prove frui,les.. saw ruin
and disgrace before me, and came 10 The
restitution OF terminating my lif: befor,
The evil day came. On the night or
which this determination vas formed,
was seated alone in my private chamber
| had written a letter which was found
on my table. aud had loaded my pistol
This done, PRAYED for forgiveness from
my Maker for the act OF despair I va,
about 10 commit. The end of the pisto
was at my head and my finger on tn,
lock, when knock at the outer door O
the house started me. concealed tb,
weapon, and went TO the door. A maj
entered whom ! recognized TO be the sex
ton OF the parish in which I lived. II,
bore a sack on lis shoulders, and in il ,h,
body Of man nswly buried, which wa,
destined for my nephew, the physician
then lying with me. The scarcity o
bodies for dissection, as the court is awar,
compels those who are anxious TO acquire
skill in the medical profession to procur.