The Shasta courier., 1869-12-11
SHASTA COURIER.
A FAMOUS TRIAL.
Recent Death of the Supposed Murderer,
Rev. E. X. Avery, In Ohio.

One of the most celebrated criminal trials
| in American history is that of the Rev
| Ephraim X. Avery, a Methodist Minister.
who died few days ago in Ohio, and who
nearly 40 years ago was tried for murder
before the Supreme Court of Rhode Island
at Taverton, in that State.
THE MURDERED GIRL
Just after dawn on the morning of the
Dist of December, 1882. farmer living at
Tiverton, barncssed his team and started to
drive down to the river. The road lead to-
ward the town of Fall River. which lay Just
over the boundary line. in the State of Mas
sachusetts Across the stream was Bristol,
in Rhode Island but neck of land stretch
ing out into the river made it necessary to
cross stone bridge leading on to the penn-
sula and then ferry over town, in order
to go from Tiverton to Bristol. But the far
mer drove over the State line. down into a
field about GO rods from his house and bv
bis stack yard lie looked caaefully at his
hay as he passed along. He thought he saw
something hanging on one of the stacks. and
refining up his horses. he jumped out of the
wagon and ran into the yard.
There he found suspended by the neck
from a haystack, the body of a young woman.
He could not at first tell whether she was
dead, for her hair was over her face in such
manner that he had to put it aside with his
hand to see. She had evidently been dead
some hours Both her Shoes were off and on
the ground beside her. Her feet were close
together :: and her knees were bend so that
they almost touched the ground. The grass
around the stack was boggy and trodjen
down. Her clothes were smoothed neatly
under her, from her knees to her feet; and
double cord of marline, with which she had
been strangled, was so deeply indented in
her neck as to be almost concealed by over
tapping flesh, and was fastened to stake
which projected from the hay above her
head.
The farmer who found her called loundly
for assistance to two persons who happened
to be in sight They came to him, and the
three succeeded in cutting down the body.
None of them knew who she was. They put
her in wagon, on blanket, over some hay
and drove to the farmers house. The body
was afterwards identified as that of Sarah
Maria Cornell. She was factory girl who
worked in a mill at Fall River, and boarded
with Mrs. Hathaway there.
A coroner's jury was Immediately sum-
moned to the house, and an inquest took
pldCC. VldnJ poTcOuS Dclu W tue tHcUTy IUdb
the poor girl had committed suicide Her
trunk and bandbox were brought from Mrs
Hathaway's in Fall River, and examined, in
order to ascertained who her friends were.
Some lettere were found in them The cor
oner was very ignorant. He did not even
swear the jury, and they returned this very
remarkable verdict:
1t is our belief that the said Sarah NJ.
Cornell committed suicide by hanging her.
self upon stake in said yard, and was in
fluenced to commit the crime by the wicked
conduct of a married man, which we gather
from DIR. Wilbour. together with the con-
tents of three letters found in the trunk of
of the said Sarah NJ. Co.nell..
THE FATAL LETTER
| What were these letters! And who was
the married man to whom the verdict refer
red?
This was one of the letters
If | am missing. inquire of the Rev. Mr.
Avery, Bristol. He will know where am
gone.
Dec. 20. S. NJ. CORNELL
The man referred to in the verdict was the
Rev. Ephraim X. Avery. Methodist clergy.
man, who preached at Fall River, and who
resided at Bristol. r. l.. with his wife and
children. He was about 95 years old, wa.
popular preacher, and had hitherto born ar
excellent character. But now the hand o.
fate pointed at him as the seducer Of thi,
wretched factory girl-as the accessory O
of her self destruction
THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEE.
But there were many who thought tha
Sarah Mariah Cornell did not commit sui
eide, but was murdered, and there were man,