The New York herald., 1869-12-08

srasned a stene and threw it violently at Fields
Fortunately for the Doctor u struck MS
within SIX feet OF him and IN the act OF hurllni
.of,cer Cray though badly cut in the head and
| shoulder and beediag proiusey, managed to Gel
over fence and reach another at the road, where
| he fell from exhaustion and loss OF blood Bis COM
rades now came TO ms assistance helped HIM over
fence and led him down the road IN the direction
Of their carriage. on reaching IL aud before the
Doctor could dress his wounds he was Ia falntinR
condition again.
and preparing TO take MIN home. As they were
passing down the road and but short distance
from the house they heard some one Yelling at teni
On looking IN tne direction OF the noise they dis
covered Fields at work poughing IN q field. lie ap-
peared defiant Gray was taken home and suffered
Tor long time from the wound in the head. Al
though able to 60 about and attend 10 business the
wound l. not entlrely healed jet.
Before the close OF the day on which Gray
attempted 10 arrest him, and came so near losing
armed, were dispatched 70 secure him II possible.
They searcded the premises carefully, but iailed to
| ind him. ne having become alarmed in the mean
| time and ned to The woods They described the
premises rs presenting a slckening appearance and
| resembling butcher shop more tlan ANYTHING else
| on account OF inc blood which had rcen shed.
MOI being able 70 secure the criminal they gathered
up tue douOlebitted axe used in the murderous
| assaults. II was covered with corted bood ana
| had number or human hairs adheltng to It, afford
ing positive evidence OF the murderoas work 1t nad
performed IA the nanGs or 4 desperate and powerful
| man. They also secured the nat worn by Matthews,
winch was lyins where he first fell, and was satu-
made by the sharp sEeel OF the as It went crash
| ins through his skuil into the BRAIN.
IEBUAAS CONDUCT AND MoURNFUL SORROW.
i hrs. Fields, as might naturally be expected, was
well nigh oyerwhe med by the dreadful tragedy that
had occurred N her presence. Her brother stricken
down by the hands OF her own husband ana welierng
In his blood at the door Of their humble home, her
| chldren almost distracted witn terror ana unable
/ to clearly comprehend way such q terrible calamity
| had come upon tnsm, was enough 10 not only over
| whelm but appall the stoutes heart. To the wife.
motner and sister 1t was indeed an agonlzng scene,
and her feelings or grlef on the occasion can bet
| ter imagined Than described.
| She left the scene or blood and accompanied her
brother 10 his home 10 and all she could In admins
terng TO his wants. That night, IL Is alleged her
| brutal husband forced two OF his little girls aged
eight and ten years respectively. to travel through
the woods at midnight to carry message for her TO
FLIGHT OF THE MURDERER
| After his murderou5 assault on the o1lcer Fields
began to reject over what he had done and to real
always taxes possession OF the guilty mind, he fed
TO the woods, fugitive from justice. AS he rushed
| into the gloomy forest and skGlKed in the dark
ravInes OF tnat mountainous region what have
| been his thoughts Y--hls hands dripping with the
blood OF MS fellow man. the officers OF justice IN pur
suit OF HIM, his wife bending over the PROSTATE
form of her dying brother, his children walng for
their parents and wondering In the simplicity Of
| their innocence wny such things had occurred. III
he possessed one single emotion of pity or one throb
OF true manly sentiment, his conscience must have
| up5raided him for the terrible crime he had CON-
| mtted.
in The deep, solemn gloom of the night. with MOTH
ing around him but tae whispering trees, as their
branches were stirred by the passing breeze ana tue
grim old rocks raising themselves ike stern sen-
neis to guard the weird spirits OF the night he must
| have felt the remoTSe OF guilty conscience aud
lay realized tie magnitude Of his dark ana bloody
crime Or d'd be think himself alone in those dark re.
cesses OF the mountain and smut cut from The pene-
| tratIng glance OF Him VINO rules tne universe and
| controls the destll!es Of man?
| As Fields was man OF ungoyernable passion, ana
naturally brutal II is not strange tnat he was cruel
| TO dumb animals, and frequently vented
savage and barbarous manner when dis
| pleased at their actions. On one occasion 1t Is
represented tnat he beat an OK terribly, and when,
from tue violenc, OF his blows, It sank down unable
TO move, he piled straw around Its body and set ire
to the same, determined to make 1t move or he
roasted alive. u was also stated that he did
several occasions exercise his strength AMI crafty
his savage nature by twisting or tine tails OF his
oxen when tney failed to move to suit him, ana then
beat them With the dismemnered portions OF their
bodies. Such savage cruelty would seem almost
| witnesses WAC nave beheld these exhibitions. A
South sea s.@nA savage could not be more aemonaic,
ana when we fnd man in this age OF enlightened
ana Cnilsanizlng influences capable Of sGcn grEey
70 dumb animals u s not strange. perhaps, tlat nc
sI1uIl commit the crime OF murdeE
TLIE REWAlip--TfgE ARREST.
When the news OK the assault on the ofcer reached
the county authorities, together with the fact tlat
Fields had fed iC was deemed besg 10 oAeT reward
or 500 Tor MS apprehension. Parties at once made
| preparations 10 pursue him, as IL was suspected
he was lurking IA tue Wco4S NOT laE from IoWanda
Having wandered about IN the woods miserable
| guilty fugitive -harassei by fear and plncaed by
| hunser-he made hls way back towards ais olshted
! nome. Late in the evening OF tue 3oth OF May he
faEsi, 80 zAd al CaA rasli5ae2 q. A-S SUN, ca
Pleasant stream, near Rastou, and inquired wnere
ne was, having become SO oewildefed that he did not
! know his whereabouts, although he was near his
| house. On being informed he pushed on rapidly,
seemingly anxious 10 gethome.
Information was at once given that he had been
seen, ana parties were soon on the alert 10 arrest
him. That night six men, all heavily armed, an
peared before his house and lsy concealed till day
hight. Early IN the morning they raped at the
door when was opened py one OF his children, and
on learning that be was inside word was sent for
b i'm TO come out or they would burn the pJlldlng.
lie was informed that resistance was useless, as
they we're armed aud determined to take hun.
In few minutes he mace his appearance, and as
he emerged from the door be barred his breast and
said ''Shoot; amt AFRAID OF q regimentW He was
informed that they did not intend 10 hurt him, but
! ne must consider himself under arrest and 20
| with them. on looking around he recognized one
Of his acduatntances, when he sang out, "Helo,
Jack, which OF You Is going TO hang meYp
he was again iniolmed tnat ne must go with
and directed his little boy to mitch up the OK cart
and haul him to the railroad station. The cart was
got IN readiness It was q two-wheeed affair." with.
out any box. nothing out lew boards and straw
sit on. When everything was IN readiness he
lett his home Tor the last time. apparently uncol-
. cerned about HIS fate hardened, depraved and
. desperate man. Passing neighbor's house nc
: called out TO him II ne didn't think ne had nice
guard and asked q lady II she wouldn't come and
take q ride with hIm In his carriage.
on the way 10 the station he inio1ned his captors
that he intended 20 Kill Matthews and that he would
have killed Constable Gray II he mad not parried the
blow with his arm. lie also informed them that he
: | wanted to Kill Dr. Lyon.
In Que season the station was reached--the train
arrlyeu-he was put ABOARD and carried TO Williams
port, the county town, wnere he put In IAN auC
l | securely locked up for trial.
{ E COMMENCEMENT OF THE TRIAL.
I.elds renamed close prisoner in the jail unti
! the 10th OF August, when the time Tor his trla
arrived When brought into court that day by thC
sheriff he was coarsey dressed in check shirt dara
pants, without vest or coat, and mis- feet were On
cased In carpet slippers without stockings.
As he had no counsel the Court directed two emf.
! nent lawyers 10 defend hiin-MT w. H. Armstrong
, and General Robert Femmng. Much time wa
1 a tf,af f~fa
commenced his distinguished counsel made strong
defence, putting In plea that his ungovernabt
temper was the effect OF sunstroke received few
years ago; but IL coon became apparent from tht
testimony tnat he was guilty and deserved tn,
0 seyersSt punishment known to the law.
: AN ArrEIPr TO CoIAIT SUICIDE.
/ | TIE desperate aud hardened prisoner eoun he