St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1868-01-03

case, however The accused ildu larIt
circle of relatives and those who haC
been friends. His faithful counsel also
in this desperate extremity, clung to the
fortunes of his client in q manner whicl
reflects the highest credit upon his pro
tessional character and ability He
could not gain admission to the province
to the court as counsel in the case, bu
all that could properly be done by q law.
for for his client was done by him.
AS | am informed, the effort put fortl
to save captain Weatherwax from the
gallows were simply desperate, so far a:
anything can be called desperate in Grim
inal proceedings. | need not inform
those who are at all familiar with crimi-
nal trials, that there are methods, known
to the initiated, by which evidence
changes its character, black becomes
white, and two and two, when added to-
gether, by some strange process, are
made exactly equal to five. 1t is only
necessary for me here to aliude to this
fact. Recollections. and traditions OF
the criminal Courts of Albany, or o. any
city, will suggest abundant illustrations.
In the case OF which am writing there
are names which have, by request, sup
pressed, and 10 persons to whom | have
made no alluslon, because they We're I'M
derstood 10 have been So tar compromis-
ed i'll cheating Justice i'll the effort TO save
captain w, that after this long interval
OF time they do not wish to be mentioned
or alluded to in connection with the man
whose innocence has been demonstrated
since the commencement of the present
calendar month.
| The accused remained in confinement
in Montreal tOr the space of one year. |
will not attempt TO describe any of the
/ manipulationS TO which it is understood
he WAS indebted for his life. 1t is sutii-
cient to state that the accused Is said to
have been once tried by jury who faile'l
to agree, and tind it on the record that
he was tried by a jury and acquitted, ON
the charge OF the Judge, that the evi-
dcnce was not sufficient 10 convict.
80 ten years ago the captain was
again released and returned to his home
in Plattsburg. Thus legal proceeding
ended. But the life saved 10 the accused
seemed hardly worth the having. NJ
one believed him innocent. The marx
of Cain was placed upon him, and he
WAS stunned and dreaded even by his
own relatives. \ thousand times he
had been accused by them OF the murder
OF their kin>man.
It would seem that tie dread of dis
@race. rather than doubts OF guilt. had
caused the efforts to save him from pun
i<iImcnt. The eleven years that have
passed since the accusation WAS made
have been sad and weary indeed To this
man. He las stood alone III the belief
and knowledge OF his innocence.
And here we reach the last. and above
all Others, strange event of this history
Eariv in the present month of October
Andrew Weatherwax appeared among
his friend. and relatives in the southern
part OF the town of Plattshurg When
Intelligence of his return was brought &c
those who participate in the scenes OF
1876, which have narrated, they re-
fused 10 credit it, said Mr.. Macmaster
will believe 1t when see him. not be
fore. And so some ten DAYS since. the
vcritabc Andrew came 10 the village. tc
the a>ton>hment of those who were init
mate with him. and had taken a deep in
tcrcst III the case.
The account which Andrew gives q
himself Is, that on that July night, il
1886, he left the boat living ut the wharf
at Pike River, and wandered off to {
rum shop somewhere in the ncighborins
settlements. Already partially intoxica
ted and irritated bv the events of tn,
, dav. II did not take long for him to be
come cmhroilcl with certain tipsy tel
; lows lac found there. lie says he wa
arrested brought before a magistrate an
; fined Not having the money 10 pay tht
. fine, he was about to be placed i'll close
confinement, when a man stepped iorwar,
and offered to take him as y seaman, CIV
ing AN advance of WAGES to pay the fine
, An Ircw accepted, and was speedily ship
) ped on an English vessel. lie went as
common sailor to China, 10 Australl
and to various parts of the world in dlt
terent vessels. He returns now and learn
for the first time Of his supposed death b,
violence.
Since the return of his cousin, captai
Wcatherwax is another man. The con
fidence, vigor and light-heartedness q
his younger days have returned to him
Friends cannot do enough TO recempens
> him for tie suffering he has endure
: through their unjust condemnation.
There is still mystery hanging owe
this case. No rational account can l
: civen of the body that was found an
u identified as that Of Andrew Weatherwa>
u No other man was missing, no othe
stranger or settler, far or near was know
, here or at Pike river to have suddenl
: disappeared. Too great an interval c
9 time has now elapsed to solve this mys
terry, and the truth in regard to it mui
y be left to conjecture.
- have thus given the facts of this r'
markabe case rs they have been brcugl
r to nv knowledge If subsequent inquil
/ les shall reveal matters yet obscure,
le render more complete the history whic
n have hastily sketched, the local pre-
le of PIatt>burg will complete or correct tt
er details of the narrative, whose materi
le points have given as L have receive
them.
lie Patrick COnpor.
T.
Up In his shabby frieze jacket and mu
ID laden brogans, Patrick Connor w
ne scarcely an attractive object as he walk