The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1868-06-24
IMPORTANT EVIDENCE.
A Lawyers Story.

| One DrlgnC morning In the n0nin OF Ola
our usually quiet village was thrown into
state of wild excitement by the intellgenc
that Laura Downing had been murdered
| Her lifeless body had been found upon tn
sandy shore Of the large pond, with bulle
hole through the head. The ball had en-
tered between the eyes. and had passe
through the brain; and the empty pistc
vas found by her side.
1t may be asked. "Who was Laura Dow
ning2' c-t
She was an orphan, and had been gener
ally beloved by all who knew her He
father, who had been poor, hard workin.
man, had been dead for a number of years
and during the past five or six years, Laur;
had worked as she could find opportunity
to support an invalid mother; but only
few months before the time of which
write, that mother had died, and Llura
lived all alone in the little Get where had
been her home since she was b0ru--a perioG
according to the parish register, OF nineteen
years.
The coroner came, and summend a Jury
and called such witnesses as he could find;
and after due examination and deliberatiou
a verdict was rendered, to the effect that
Laura Downing had come to her death by
means of bullet discharged from pistol;
and they believed that said pistol had been
in the hands of Oliver Cartwright at the
time it was thus fatally discharged.
Oliver Cartright was arrested, and when
the case came before the grand jury, they
found bill against him-a bill accusing
him of the murder Of Laura Downing-and
he was committed for tria
A nd who was Glivar Eartwrirbt2p l."
He was young man OF four>and-twenty
years Of age, who has been born and
brought up in the town, and who has sus-
tancd a fair reputation for honesty and So
briefly; though he had never been regarded
as very bright and promising youth. =
His parents had both been ntemberate but
hal been at work at the blacksmith trade,
and lived with the man for whom he worked
Between young Cartwright and Laura there
had notrnly been warm intimacy, but
there had evidently been at one time an
engagement of marriage between them -
This engagement, as appeared in evidence
before the coroner, had been broken by the
girl during the previous winter, and since
that time Oliver had been morose and re-
j cted. A young man named Daniel Sever
aDce, who hae come into tie village to assist
in erecting new woocn mill had been
very attentive to Laura, and the general
impression was that she lett the old lover
for the new one.
Oliver Cartwright had the privilege of
selecting his own COUNSEL and he sent for
me. was sorry that he did SO, for | had
heard SO much of the evidence against him
that not only believed him guilty Of the
crime, but could conceive of no possible
line of defense. Sill could n,,t refuse to
go to him in bis season Of trouble.
found him as weak and waiIing as
suffering child. He seemed entirely broken
down, and the jailor told me that he wept
more than half the time. AS at down
by his side, he scanned to read every thought
hat was passing within NE; for, after hay-
ng looked into my face Tor few II oments,
ne caught one of my hands in his own, and
,red out in eager tones
"Oh, sir, have not suffered this in
memory Of any crime; tor, as true as there
$ God in Heaven, | never cid harm to
Laura! | would die for her now; and
have have lost hel! Oh, |
ave me, if you can! from death--no,
10! for | would rather die than line--but
ave me from this horrible suspicion!-I
lid not harm her! | never so much as
ouched hair OF her head with cruel
"Who could have killed fer?' asked |
You do not think she killed hcrsell?'
NO" he replied, quickly, his eyes fash
ng, and his fin gers tearing into the bosom,
# his shirt. II think Darrell Severance
killed her. I left her by the pond-lett her
live and well-and presently afterwards
Jaw that bad man come out of the bushes,
md she took his arm, andthey walked away
3y the edge Of the water
Cartwright's words and manner had a
powerful effect upon me. Under ordinary
should have said that he
was speaking the truth; but there was such
strong evidence to be disposed OF before |
could see my way clear to believe him now.
could not help symrathiaipg with him;
md | was wiling to believe it he had done
he homicide, ho had done it under state
Of mind which would give good grounds for
setting up defense OF insanity. But when
spoke to him of this, lie was panied be-
yond measu G, aud refused to listen to the
Tor momol
! then proceeded to detail to him the cir
which would be brought up In
evidence.
First" said l. ''it will be sworn to by
several reliable witnesses, that you have, at
various times, been heard to threaten Laura
Downing with dire personal injury, il you
saw her again III the company OF Daniel
Severance.
'arhat is true, replied the prisoner; Il
only did it to Tighten he. And meant to
fnghten her for her good, for | did not be-
lieve that Daniel Severance was an honest
man.,
1T will also be sworn that you once ex-
hibited to Miss Downing pistol, at the
same time telling her that you had borght
in on purpose to shoot her with. "
Cartwright did not deny it; he sail that
she never meant her harm---he only meant
to frighten her away from bad man.
"lt will furthermore be given in evil
dence," | continued, that on the evening
of Miss Downing's murder you followed her
out to the point, where you again threaten
ed her"
Yes" ho replied. 81 knew she was
going to meet with Daniel Severance"
"You were seen to have pistol in your
hand on that occasion, and you were heard
to take an oath that you would shoot her if
she would not return with you. A Mr..
Nichols boy, who was driving home Lis
cows, heard you make that fearful threat"
And even this the prisoner did not deny.
He only said that he was still trying TO
frighten Laura into obedience to his wishes.
But" said /, ''the pistol which was
found by the dead girls side has been re-
cognzed as your own. -
"That may be, replied Cartwright, "tor
When l found that Laura spurned me, and
would not listen, J. sank upon my knees and
prayed to her. dropped my pistol upon
the sand at that time, aud | know | did
not pick it up again. She turned and left
me upon my knecs, and there ! remained
until I saw Severance join her. They dis
annenred together and then torlorn, and