Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-07-22

Ny friend, with whom had no lately
} set out in company, had been found muir.
I dered and robbed near the spot at which
!, but alone, knew we had separated.
was the last person known TO be with him
and was now arrested on suspicion Of bis
murder.
diately instituted. The watch was found
in the drawer in which had placed IT.
and was identified as the property of the
murdered man. His horse, too, was found
in my stable, for the animal had just
lput there was none other. i recog
nized him myself when ] saw bin in the
light.
What / said, know not. LILY confu
sion was taken az additional evidence
And when, at length, L did command
language to give an ineligible state
ment, was received with sneers Of incre-
dulity.
The mob spirit is inherent in man-a'
least in crowds of men. 1t may not al.
ways manifest itself with lynching char.
acter. But whatever its form, il is always
relentless, pitiless, cruel.
As the proofs of my guilt, one after
another, came to light, low mutterings
gradually grew into q clamor for ven
geance and but for the frmness OF
one mantle officer who had me in
charged doubtless would have paid the
penalty of my supposed offence on the
spot.
1t was not sympathy for me that actu-
ated my protector. His heart was as hard
as his Office, but he represented the majesty
of the law, and took sort of grim pride
in the position.
As much under the glance OF his eye
as before the muzzle OF his pistol, the
cowardly clamorers drew back. Per
haps they were not sufficiently numerous
to feel the full effect of that mysteri-
Gus refux influence which makes a
crowd of men 50 much worse, and at
times so much better than any one Of
them singly.
At the end of some months my triil
came. 1t could have put one result. Cir
cumstances too plainly declared my guilt.
l alone knew they had lied.
The absence OF the jury was very brief.
To their verdict | paid but little heed. II
was a single Lideous word but ] had
long anticipated it, and il made no i'm
preston.
As little impression was made by the
words of the Judge which followed II !;
| and his solemn invocation that God M, sht
have that mercy upon me which man wa
too Just 10 Vouchsafe, sounded like Tie
hollowest of hollow mockerie-.
1t may be hard for the condemned Grim
inal II meet death il Is still harder ior
him who is innocent. The one, when the
/ first shock is over, acquiesces In bis doom,
and gives himself ~ repentance; the
heart of the other, filled with ri, lion
against mans injustice, can scarce bring
itself 10 ask pardon Of God.
4 bad gradua overcome this feeling.
in spite OF the good clergyman irritat-
\ ing efforts which were mainly directed
towards extracting confession, without
which, he assured me, he had no hope 10
offer.
On the morning Of the Day fixed ior
my execution. felt mea-urably resi- 1ncd
Z | bad 20 long stood face 70 face with
death, lad so accustomed myself o. look
1 upon il az a merely momcntary pang.
that i no longer felt solIcitOus s4yc that
my memory should one day be vindicit-
ed.
She for whom ] had gone TO prepare a
home had already found one in heaven.
The tidings Of my calamity had broken
her heart. She alone, Of all the world.
believed me innocent; and she had died
with prayer upon her lips that the truth
might yet be brought To hight.
! All this | had heard, and il had spOth-
I ed, as with sweet incense, my troubled
spirit. Death. however unwelcame the
shape, was now portal beyond which
could see one angel waiting To receive
me.
III III 81, .c... ! 49,. -.
footsteps, and neryed myself 10 meet the
expected summons. and the sheriff and
hi- attendants entered lie held in hi
hand paper. IL was doubtless my death
warrant. He began to read II. Nv
thoughts were busy elsewhere Tic
words free and full pardon" were the
first TO strike my preOccupicl senses
They affected the bystanders more than
myself. Yet 50 II was i was lard,ne4
for an offence ] had never committed
The real culprit. none other. II j. ri-rd-
less TO say, than he who had sough, aud
abused my hospitality, had been mcrt4ily
wounded in an afIray in a distant city,
hut bad lived long enough - make 4 Dis
closure, which had been laid before IA.
Governor, barely in time TO save M from
a shameful death, and condemn me 20 4
cherries and buricnsome life.
This l. my experience Ny Judgment,
as yours, in the case b. fore u, leads 10
but one conclusion, that 81 the prisoners
guilt, but not less confident and apparent
ly unerring was the Judgment that falsely
pronounced my own.
We no longer Imporiuncd CUR fellow
juror, but patiently awaited oar discharge
on the ground of inability - agree. which
came at last
The prisoner was tried and convicted AZ
subsequent term. and ~ tie l,si mo
ment confessed his crime GA tho rlf-