The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-02

After while, however, some preacher left
her hymn book, and she said it was a great
comfort to her, because she had so much time
to re ad, and it was, and is, such a relief from
the monotony and heartlessness of her sur
rOundings to repeat over its sweet words.
More than all she said to Mrs. Kirke and Mrs.
Lozier that she liked the hymn
"Jesus. lover of my soul,
Let me to thy bosom fly"
She repeats it as prayer, rather than as a
hymn, fervently to herself when she alone
"Hide me, oh, my Saviour, hide
TIL the storm of life is past"
1t seemed to her as il some OF the lines were
written peculiarly for her
"Otber refuge have 1 none,
Hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, oh, leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me!'
And when the darkness gathered around her,
she would repeat it all down to its closing
lines:-
"Cover my defenseless head
With the shadow OF Thy wing"
THE TRIAL.
After February, March, April, May, and
June had passed, with snow and wind and
showers and blossoms, she was brought to the
Court of Oyer and Terminer, before judges
Ludlow and Brewster, for trial.
The report is as follows in the next days
papers,
In the case of Hester Vaughan, charged with
the murder of her infant child, the defense
offered testimony as to good character, and then
argued that the prisoner should not be con-
victed of murder in the first degree, because.in
the agony and pain che must have suffered,
she may nave been bereft of all reason, and,
moreover, there was probability that the death
may have beenscaused by accident, for the
prisoner was the only human being who saw
the death, and her lips were closed by the law
ION the other hand the District Attorney
urged that every circumstance indicated the
woman IS reason. her failure to notify any one
n hn har ind 6iQnn fsNc
to any one, her endeavor TO have the body
spirited away, and to have her crime kept
skull-all proved it to have been a deliberate
premedilated murder by mother OF her first
born He said the Jury should not be moral
towards, but should support the law Intended
for the presel walton of human life, and stamp
the foul deed OF this false woman with the name
the law had made for it-murder in the first
degree.
jury retired, and, after several hours delibera-
tion, rendered verclct of guilty of murder in
the first degree. The prisoner was very calm,
and seemed not to appreciate her situation at
ALL"
She was convicted in this way on the most
precarious kind of circumstantial evidence;
and it was said by many that if she had had
mo ney to procure an able defense, or had
even relied on lawyer appointed by the
court, she would very probably have been
acquitted.
The sentence was pronounced, but no day
was set, and Hester was sent back to her cell.
Poor Eflie Deans had her sister Jennie to in
tercede for her, but Hester had nobody. Yet
there did finally rise one woman in Philadel-
phia who heard of her case, and has taken a
great interest in her behalf, though she has
been unable to obtain any response from the
people of Philadelphia to her appeals for
efforts in behalf Of the girl. This is DR.. Smith,
a lady physician much respected and with
very vide practice, a lady with large heart
and a strong body, who has often visited
Hester and brought her reading material
and other things to occupy and amuse her.
DR.. Smith has also interested Governor Geary
in the case of the girl, so that he will be ready
to listen to any appeal in her behalf. 1t is
through her also that the girls case is heard
of now.
But no petition has been sent to Governor
Geary in her behalf.
NO DISTINCTION OF COLOR.
On the next day after Hester was convicted,
in the same court and before the same Judges,
colored man was convicted of stabbing
married woman with whom he cohabited with
a dirk, so that she died.
While Hester Vaughan has lain unnotced in
her cell, the names OF twenty thousand res pee
table citizens of Philadelphia have been OBJ
tanned TO petition to Governor Gsary to re-
| prieve or commute the sentence OF this colored
| man (Alfred Alexander).
AN EXAMPLE.
The committee of ladies' called on Judge
! Ludlow before whom Hester was convicted
! He remembered the case and believed that the
! girl was guilty. He thought she was other
wise good girl; had no doubt of her excellent
! character; on account of pity for her he had
ON her trial adjourned the case another day
to allow her to procure witnesses who testi-
fed to her good character he was not afraid
that the girl If liberated, would ever commit
another crime; would not be afraid to have
her live in the family of his best friend.
But he said that infanticde was becoming a
common crime, and that this girl ought to be
| made an example OF.
1t was this which made the blood of the
Ladies' Committee boil in their veins.
Generally" said one of them, "when a
girl kills child who is born out of wedlock,
a man has had something to do with it.
Would it not be we'll to make an example of a
man sometimes ~
CHANCE FOR MORE EXAMPLES.
Probably the committee thought more
thought that the crimes of foetioide and abor-
tion were very prevalent, and that the germ
of many a life was destroyed, not alone by
poor girls, and not alone out OF wedlock, but
that better examples might be found perhaps
among ladies who sit costly wrapped up in
elegant boudoirs, with abundant means and
good husbands, and who destroyed life not
through shame, or poverty, or despair, but
because they did not like the trouble of fulfil
ing the office for which nature fitted them.
Besides, infanticide is only discovered on the
part OF poor girls who have not the means Of
secrecy.