The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-06-26
IMPORTANT EVIDENCE.
ALA WYERS STORY.
Concluded.

II LA w I.ElL - Ol lOnI.
CONCLUDED.
The jury had been out about ten
minutes, and the court had just
arisen for the purpose of retiring,
when q disturbance occurred in the
passage leading to the outer hall,
and in q moment more q female
rushed into the court room. She
stopped for an instant when she
reached the bar; and when her eye
rested upon him, she started toward
the prisoner. He was quickly upon
his feet, and as she leaned forward
over the iron rail, she threw her arms
about his neck.
"Oliverl Oliver! Thank God, I am
in seasonw
And as these words burst from her
lips, she would have sunk to the
floor, had not the officer caught her
in his arms.
Oliver Cartwright did not utter O
syllable. He stood for moment
gazing upon the fainting form that
rested within the arms of the Sheriff,
and then sank down mute and sense
less. @e.rfT
lit IS Laura DOwn1ng!
Some one said so; and as the name
was caught by the multitude, there
followed scene of excitement which
I will not attempt to describe. But
order was at length restored, and an
officer was sent to bring the jury
back to their seats.
By this time I had taken the girl
in charge, and with the assistance of
my medical friends, she was restored
to consciousness.
Laura Downing, in propria persona,
certainly stood before us-the same
Laura Downing, who, according to
the best belief of ali present save
herself, and according to the solemn
verdict of a coroner's jury, had been
dead several weeks. But she had not
come alone. Two men had come with
her, one of whom was Immediately
recognized by our physicians as DR..
Charles Crawford, the able supeYin-
tendent of the insane asylum at
Charlottesville.
AS soon as Laura discovered that
I was the prisoners friend and
counsel, she asked that she might be
suffered to go and speak with Oliver.
led her to the spot, and the officer
allowed her to pass in behind the
railing. She sat down by the pri-
soner's side, and whispered some
thing in his ear. He seemed to be
trying to contain himself; but the
effort was vain. He rested his head
upon her bosom, and cried like o
child.
Laura Downing's story, when she
finally obeyed the call OF the court,
was thus:
On the morning when Oliver Cart
wright had followed her down to the
shore of the pond, she had planned
to go away with Daniel Severance.
She said she knew that Oliver never
meant to harm her; and that when
he threw his pistol away, and sunk
upon his knees before her, she came
near giving up her wild and wicked
scheme; but the tempter prevailed
and she tore herself away from one
whom she had loved 80 long. She
went with Severance, and on their
way to the railway station, they met
ayoung woman who resembled her.
self SO remarkably, that her COM
panion declared that he should take
them for twin sisters. /
''Tbis female" continued Laura,
mot only rescmbled me in person,
but by curious coincidence, she had
on dress Of the same pattern as nv
own. Severance spoke to her; but
instead Of answering him, she threw
up her hands with wild scream.
and ran from us toward the pond"
Laura then went on to say that she
had gone on to New York with