The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1869-06-12
Ing affection for him, which appeared 70
be rsciprotated. One evening in Noyem.

- ~SS~tAo~~sS~' Sno UsShiu Al NpSoui-
Der, 1921, being detained longer than
usual by business at Welshppol, Newton
set out abut six o'clock to walk home to
Oakfold. It was an exceedingly dark
night, and he never reached home again.
His family became very anx ious, and
upon iuquiring early the following morn
ing at Welshpooi, they ascertained that
he had been brought back to that town
not long after his departure from it, by
two men named Parker and Pearce, who
charged him with highway robbery ac-
companed by violence, an offence then
punishable with death. AT the trial Of
the next assize he was pronounced guilty
on the testimony of these two men, which
wasclear, positive and consistent through
out was sentenced to be hanged, and left
for execution. He employed no COUNSEL,
and called no witnesses in his defence !;
but upon being asked by the judge, in
the usual form, off he had anything to
say why sentence of death should not be
passed upon him." he made, in substance,
the following extraordinary speech: "My
lord, it is evident all I could say in oppo-
sition to such testimony would be in vain
and hopeless. The witnesses are men Of
responsibility, and their evidence has
appeared plain and conclusive, and my
most solemn protestations of innocence
would avail me nothing. 1 have called
no witnesses to character, and upon such
evidence the jury could pronounce no
other verdict. l blame them not. From
my soul forgive those men upon whose
false testimony l have been convicted.
But, my lord, l protest most solemnly
before your lordship, and above all, be-
fore that God in whose presence 1 must
shortly appear, l am entirely guiltless of
the crime for which l am about to suffer.
1 have produced no one to speak in my
behalf. Two years have scarcely passed
since / came to this country an utter
stranger. have made no acquaintance
here beyond the household in which
have been employed, and where l have
endeavored to discharge my duties faith
fully, honestly and well. Although
dare not hope, and do not wish, that my
life should be spared, yet it is my devout
and earnest desire that the stain of this
crime may not rest upon my namo. l
devoutly hope that my good mistress
and her kind and excellent daughter
may yet be convinced that they have
not nenrishcd and befricnded highway
robber. l have, therefore, in humble
devotion, offered a prayer to Heaven,
and / believe it has boon heard and ac-
cepted. venture to assert that if l am
innocent for the crime for which suffer,
the grass, for one generation, at least,
will not cover my grave. My lord, l
/ await your sentence without murmur,
without sorrow; and / devoutly pray
that all who hear me now may repent of
their sins, and meet me again in II Heaveu"
The unfortunate man was condemned and
executed, and was buried in Montgomery
church-yard. Thirty years had passed
away when saw it, in company with
poor Eliot Warburton, and grass had not
then covered his grave. 1t is situated
in remote corner of the church yard
far removed from all other graves. 1t is
not raised mound of earth, but is even
with the surrounding ground, which is,
for some distance, especially luxuriant,
the herbage beip~ rich and abundant.
Numerous attemr have from time to
time been made by some who are still
alive, and others who h" % passed away,
to bring grass upon that bare spot. Fresh
soil insss been frequently spread npou it,
and seeds of various kinds nuYS hcon
sown, but not blade has there ever
been known to spring from them and the
soil soon became smooth, cold and stub
born clay. With respect to the unhappy
Witnesses, it appears that Parker's an
cestors had once owned Oak6eld, and
that he had hoped by getting rid of
Newton, to remove the main obstacle
there was to his repossessing it, and that
Pearce had, at the time of Mr.. Morris
death, aspired to the hand of his daugh-
ter, in whose affections he felt he had
been supplanted by poor Newton. The
former soon left the neighborhood, be-
came drunken and dissolute man, and
was ultimately killed in Soma limo xvorLs