Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-08-18

halfpast six 10 the evening before |
got to town. | went to bed, got up
next day, and while [ was sitting at
breakfast with my wife, our servant
told me that two gentlemen wished to
speak with me. | went down to see
them, and before | could open my
mouth to ask them what they wanted,
found myself with handouts on, ar
rested for the murder of Edward
Strange.
1t seems that finding that Strange
did not come down by half-past nine,
the porter went up to call him. He
found the door locked, but no key in
it. After knocking sometime on the
outside the door was broken open and
poor Strange was found with his
throat cut from ear to ear, and a razor
in his hand. The key of the room was
afterward found in the coffee-room,
under the very bench on which | had
sat to drink my cup Of coffee before
starting
81 was brought before the magis-
trate at BowStreet the next morning.
and was by him sent down to South
amptOn to await the result of the
Coroner's inquest upon my partner.
The verdict was wilful murder, and,
after commitment by the magistrate
to the Sessions, was put on trial for
my life at Winchester.
The trial lasted only a few hours.
1t was fully proved that Strange and
myself had quarreled, and had high
words the night before, and that had
said | did not care how soon he died
so that | could recover the money /
lent him. A great deal was made of
the iacC that by Strange's death
should De entitled to the insurance
upon his life to the amount of two
thousand pounds, 10y which | should
be clear gamer of one thousand two
hundred.
at was further shown that the ra
zOr found in poor otrange'8 hand was
mine, and three medical men declared
their conviction that, although tha
instrument was undoubtedly used tt
kill the dead man, 1t must have beel
placed III his hands after death
Moreover, there were not only evlden
marks ot u struggle about the bee
and clothes, but Strange's throat wa
cut from right to left, which no ont
could have done unless he had been ;
LETT handed man, which Strange wa
not. Then, again, the fact OF th,
UCui oolII uOOI OUI.o toOt-oL, ~---1 -
= key hid, close 10 where | breakfasted
told tearfully against me. 1t wa
. clear that Strange could not by an
possibility have cut his own throat
and then locked the door OF his roou
on the outside. 1t was attempte,
l by COUNSEL TO throw dIScredit upO
this part OF the evidence. The learn
2 ed gentlemen tried very hard to eIici
t something which might even lead til
jury TO imagine that The door ha
: been locked after the murder an
that some person unknown, had I'll
| knowingly let the key drop in tn
t coffee room. But it was Of no ava
: whatever. 1t was clearly prove
e that the key had been inside the doc
D when | went up to bed, and that
: had never been seen agal- until 1t wa
found III the coffee room. My d.
t fence tried hard to make out tha
= some person likely to commit til
: murder might have been in tn
=, house Oh that day, but all OF no US,
e As the trial went ou, even |, wh
n knew my innocence, could not hel
allowing myself chat the eyidenc
l. though purely clrcumstantial, Wa
5 very strong against me. The OnI
It points In my favor were, that on til
o day of the murder | was supposed t
S have committed, | travelled up t
II London, and had not the least a
i. pearance OF man who had anythiu
It on his MUD. Again, Strange W.
). known to have had on his person
e gold watch, and purse containing
II few sovereigns and twenty-five poun
o notes, the numbers OF which latte
[ Were a5Cerialntd at the bank
" southampton, where he had procure
k them Iii exchange for a bank post bi
q, The watch had been taken and W;
S, never traced; the Soyereigns ha
d, also disappeared; but the bank not
s. had been exchanged at the Bank {
e England on the day after the murde
,e and before |, as was fully proved, ha
e any communication whatever, wi
d any one Ill London. OF this la
d point my counsel made the most, b
lie 1t did not help me much, If anythin
The jury retired, and after delibera
At ing about half an hour, returned in
,e court and declared, through the
st foreman, that | was guilty OF the WI
@. ful murder OF Edward Strange.
d "Gentlemen, man who has gol
w through that ordeal-who had heal
to the jury pronounce him guilty of ca
ID ital crime, and heard the Judge pa
d sentence Of death upon him-a ma
ID say, gentlemen, who had gol
~ through that ordeal, and still lives
IN tell the tale, may (or am | presum
le tuouS y be looked upon as a IN;
n. who has really gone through what,
IS these days, would be called "a sens
,h tional time. | heard every word t
Id foreman said, and found myself won
as ering what the Judges black cap
re Of which every one has heard, but te
pr have seen-would be like. Then
re was III a kind OF dream for a tin
9 until | heard the words condemnil
n. me to be hanged by the neck until