Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1867-12-13

"iSut Passou away. NeAt morning tnere |
was the hat of Andrew Weatherwax, and
near it blood, upon the forward deck of
the vessel. The captain was moody and
taciturn, and did not speak of his cousin.
Such was the statement Of this witness.
Was be the only listener to the sounds that
came from the fearful tragedy that was
enacted in that night watch, when human
life was taken in anger by kinsman's
hand 1t afterwards appeared that such
was not the case. The captain of another
boat subsequently testified that he too
heard the alteration and the fatal blow.
just at that time, however, nothing was
said or done, and the next day, and the
next, and still another prssed away, and
no accusation was made against Captain
Weatherwax. 1t was said and known that
a man-the man-was missing from the
boat nothing more. 80
The captain returned unmolested with
his vessel to Plattsburgh. When inquired
of here in regard to his cousin, he gave
what were deemed evasive answers. The
cousin, he said, had gone here or there, or
to some indefinite place of which the cap
tain seemed unable or unwilling to give
any account.
And now the second part of this re-
markable transaction took place. An event
occurred which attracted much attention
at Pike River. On the very spot where
the boat of Capt. w. had been moored,
the dead body of man, recently killed
was taken from the water. The man had
evidently come to his death by violence,
for his skull was crushed as if by fear
ful blow from murderous weapon in the
hand of a vigorous assailant The body
was identified beyond question or a
doubt, as the man who had been missing
from the boat, as Andrew, the cousin of
Captain Weatherwax.
Such state of things aroused suspic-
ion, the facts began TO come out, and in
the same month of July, some ten days
after the murder, John G. Weatherwax
was arrested on the charge of having muir
dered Andrew. / see by the record be-
fore me that he was arrested on the war
rant of S. D. Nj. Beckwi.h, then justice
of peace in this town. The warrant i;
dated July s, 1856. Mr.. Beckwith
(whose present residence is Canton, N
Y, is in attendance at this circuit as attor
L ney and counsellor, and / am fortunate i
having had an opportunity to convers
: with him in reference to this arrest. Th
preliminary examination of witnesses Il
ascertain whether or not captain w. ough
to be held for trial, occupied nine days
and Mr.. Beckwith tells me that the fact;
were pretty fully brought out, as was ther
understood. He says that if the evidence
produced upon this examination, had beer
given TO the jury upon the trial, it would
have been impossible but that the prisoner
must have been pronounced guilty of muir.
der in the first degree, and sentenced to be
hung by the neck till he was dead.
/, We come now to the third especially
important event in this history. After the
facts were all out as stated above, and
there was no doubt of the captains guilt
and no chance of his salvation from the
doom that hung over him, his ingeniou:
counsel bethought themselves of the re-
sources of international law and treatise
, They succeeded in establishing themselve:
in the position, that inasmuch as this af'
fair had taken place in Canada, neither
the authorities of Plattsburgh nor of Gin
ton County, nor yet of the State of New
A York had anything whatever to do with
). the matter. They ousted Justice Beck
: with from his assumed jurisdiction. Th'
:, criminal Gas he was now esteemeD was
released from custody.
An incident showing the deep convic-
. ton Of his guilt which rested upon the mind'
of all parties having any knowledge of the
case, i note the fact. that his counsel Mr.
McMaster, has upon the brief recort
which he has preserved of the points
- which he deemed of interest in the trans
;, action, an epitome of the professional ad
- vice he gave Capt. W. when he was re
!, leased from arrest. He recommends hi
:. client to flee from his native country, tc
81 change his name and appearance, to go t'
A. the end of some unfrequented road, an'
n there out of the world, his identity con
So eealed, to lead new and different life.
i But the fearless and determined Cap
;, tain by no means accepted his advice. Ii
the face of his accusers and of all th'
n world,he steadily and persistently declared
his entire innocence and refused to budg'
h a single inch from his accustomed round
e of business.
v But no community could rest under til
4 approach of permitting such criminal t
oyl ,t laroa opnonu them The matte