St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-10-22
Il JUrUltdH - .StOrU.


We had been out twcnty-four hours
and stood eleven to one. The case wa
4 very plain One-at least we clever
thought so
"A murder of peculiar atrocity hac
been committed, and though no eve haC
wl'nessed the deed, circumstances nnint.
ed TO the prisoners guilt with unfaiIiuo
certainty.
The recusant juror had stood out from
the first He acknowledged the corency
OF the proofs, confessed his INABILITY to re-
conclle the facts with the defendants in.
nocence, and yet, on every vote, went
steadily for acquittal.
His conduct was inexplicable. 1,
could not result from lack of intelli-
gence; for while he spoke but little, his
words We're well chosen, and evinced a
thorough understaudin. of the case.
though still in the prime of manhood.
ms locks were prcmaturcly white, and
his tacc wore a singularly sad and
thoughtful expression.
He might be one of those who enter
tanned scrupIes as 4 right to society to
lnthct the death penalty. But no, it was
not that; for, in reply to such IL suggcs-
ton, he frankly admitted that brute men.
like the vicious brutcs they resemble.
must be controlled through fear, and
that dread of death, the supreme terror,
l., III many cases, the only adequate con-
.tra,nt.
At the prospect Of another night of
irult!cSs imprisonment we began to crow
impatient, and cxpo>tulated warmly
against an unreasonable captiousness ::
and some not over Kind remarks were in
dulged III as to the impropricty of trlt-
ing with an oath like that under which
we were acting.
"And yet the man answered, as
though cOmmuning with himself rather
than rcpeIlln@ the impuiation, lit i, con-
science that binders my concurrence in
verdict approved by my judgement"
"How can that be ," cried several at
once
"Conscience may not always dare to
follow judgement"
''But here she can know no other
@uide."
II once would have said the same"
And what has changed your opin-
ION r
''ENpericnce"
The speakers manner WIS visiblv agi-
| tatcd, and we waited in Silence the cx.
plunation which he seemed ready to give.
Mastering his emotion a if in answer
to our looks Of inqury, he continued:
"Iwcnty wears ago | was Il voun-
man just beginning lite. Few had bright
er prospects and none BRIGHTER hopes.
An attachment, datin. from childhood,
had ripened with IL object. There had
been no verbal declaration and acceptance
of love--no formal pli.htin2 ot troth :
bat when | took my departure 10 seek 4
home in the far West, i; was thing un-
dcrstood that when | had found it and
pa. it i'll order, -he was to share il.
Life in the forest. tLou%h solitary. l.
not necessarily lonesome. The kind OF
society afforded 10y Nature depends much
on ones self. -As Tor me. lived more
in the future than in the present, and
Hope Is an ever cheerful companion.
At length the time came for making
the final payment on the home which |
had bought. 1t would hcnceforward be
my own and. i'll a lew months, my sim
pie dwelling, which | had spared no pains
10 ronder inviting, would be graccd 10y
It's mistress.
y: the land office, which was some
sixty miles oil, l met my cid friend, Geo.
{. lie, too, had come to seek his for
tune i'll the West, and we were both de-
lighted at the meeting. He mad brought
with him, he said, a sum of money which
he desired to invest IN land, on which it
WAS his purpose to settle.
| expressed IL strong wish TO have him
for "a ncighbor, and gave him cordial
invitation to accompany me home, givin.
il as my belief that lie could nowhere
make a better selection than in that Vi
cinily.
He readily consented, and we set out
together. We had not ridden many miles
when George suddenly recoIIectcd com
mission he had undertaken for friend,
which would require his attendance at Il
public land sale on the following day.
ENacting a promise that he would not
delay his visit longer than necessary, and
having given minute direction as to the
route, l continued my way homcward,
VIII lie he turned back.
L was retiring To bed on the night OF
my return when summons from with
out called me to the door. i stranger
asked shelter for himself and horse for
the night.
invited him in. Though stranger
his face seemed not unfamiliar. lie wa,
probably one OF the men | had seen al
the land office, a place at that time very
much frcqucnted.
Offering him Il seat, | went to see tc
his horse. The poJr animal, as well a-
| could see by the dim starlight, seemed
to have been hardly used. His pantin4
sides bore wtncss Of mcrcilcss riding, and
Il trcmulous shrinking, at the slightes,
touch, bctokcncd recent fright.
On returning to the house, 1 found the
stranger was gone. His absence excited
no surprise; lac would doubles soon re-
turn. Ii was a little singular, however,
that he should leave his watch lying OF
the table.
At the end Of an hour, my guest not
returning, | went again to the stable,
thinking he might have found his way
thither TO give his personal attention tC
the wants of his horse.
Before going out, from mere force q
hablt-tor We were rs yet unvisited by
thieves or policemen-I took the precau'