Middletown transcript., 1870-06-18

centric Engllshman, Brock by name, VIII
was reputed to have some wealth, an,
, who dwelt hero alone. Unseen, or unre
cognized if seen, Wallen passed within
the door of this place, seeking the con
cealment of this mans roof which had of
ten harbored him before and when mex
he emerged from it, it was with the curse
of Cain upon him
The evidence given upon the trial of this
man for murder of Brock, on behalf of the
prosecution, supplies most of the sequel
About one o'clock in the morning, man
and his wife occupying the room above
heard struggle in the apartment below,
a heavy fall, and the closing of the door
About the same time-and it was at the
dead of night, when the streets were still
and quiet-the night watchman upon the
railroad bridge under which the street
passed, saw man walking rapidly along
the sidewalk towards a livery stable. At
daylight, the Englishman, Brock, stag
gered into the Office of physician near
his house, and made a statement that he
had been hurt, repeating something else
which the rules of criminal evidence would
not permit to be used on the trial of Wal
len. The doctor, supposing the man
slightly hurt, administered q restorative
and assisted him to the sofa. Brock lay
down upon it, and in few moments ex-
pired. A closer examination showed to
the Mortified doctor that the base of his
skull had been crushed in; as it after
wards appeared, by a heavy iron instru-
ment.
The ncws spread quickly it reached
the district attorney among the first, and
he repaired promptly to the spot. He
was told that the last words of the Eng
lshman referred to Clarence Wallen. Was
Wallen in Randolph ? Nobody had seen
him-nobody knew-until livery stable
keeper heard of the inquiry, and startled
the law-oficer with the intelligence that
Wallen had hired carriage and span of
fast horses, about two o'clock of that
morning, and started for Canada The
promptness of the officer alone gave any
hope that the fugitive could be arrested.
First telegraphing to the city on the from
tier which he would probably pass
through, the officer started himself with
the tleetest conveyance at hand, some five
hours behind in the pursuit.
The fugitive had crossed to Canada be-
fore the pursuit reached the city; but the
telegraph had done its work, and other
officers of the law had followed hard after.
He had taken the early train for Port
Dalhousie; the officers took the next, and
the district attorney remained upon the
Canada side opposite the city, to arrange
with the Canadian officials for the transfer
of the criminal to the American side,
without delay and risk which would at
tend the slow process of extradition.
Had the day been any other than Sun
day, Wallen would probably have escaped,
since he might then have extended his
flight far westward without pausing. But
on the Sabbath the trains ran no farther
than to Dalhousie; and the officers left
the frontier, sure of overtaking him there
They did find him there; and with him,
sharing by his side his guilty slumber,
the wretched girl who had deliberately
sacrificed everything dear in life for him.
But few hours before she had left her |
fathers house with the man who was now
aroused from sleep by officers, and arrest
ed on the charge of murder! The wall
ings of the miserable girl, mingled with
her protestations, woman-like, of her be-
lief in his innocence, resounded through
the night, and completed the dram attic in
tcrest of scene which my feeble pen
shall not attempt to justly portray.
The two were hurried back to the river;
where, in presence of the district-attorney
and several Canadian officials, Wallen was
searched. The damning evidence of
his guilt was found on his person j: bank
note, torn and pasted in q peculiar man
ner, which was positively identified by
citizen of Randolph as one that he paid to
Brock only the day before. Robbery,
therefore, appeared to be the cause of the
murder.
Wallen and his paramour were convey
ed to Randolph, where the former was
lodged in Jail, and the latter returned to her
home. In due time Clarence
Wallen was indicted for the murder of
Brock, and his trial came on during the
spring. The remarkable circumstances
surrounding the crime, and the parties
whom it brought conspicuously before
The public, attracted such crowd to the
courtroom as had never filled it before,
while hundreds went away, unable to gain
ldmittance. The trial proceeded, day
lfter day, with its impressive solemnities,
md amid eager excitement. The vener-
lble Daniel S. Dickinson, then attorney
general, appeared among the counsel for
he prosecution, and the able and gifted
lyman Tremain headed the defence-for
he kind interest of his much-abused rel
tives still clung to the prisoner. and !
very nerve was strained in his defence. /
The trial ended with verdict of guilty.;
md the aged judge, in conformity with 1
he law as it then was, sentenced the pris-
ner to be confined one year in the States I
rison at Auburn, and then to be hung, a
n such day as the Governor should ap-
oint. The face of the judge, while he
poke, was covered with tears that of the |
risoner was stony and Indifferent. I