Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-07-13

more testimony stronger still.
The fire had been set In the
back, basement room'where, shaw.
ings and other stuff for kindling
were kept. Entrance had been
gained through a back window,
which had partly been pried open
with a knife. This basement
wall was brick, Fand beneath the
sash was the blade Of a knife
which had been broken off trying
to raise tile sash. The blade was
recognized as belonging to the
prisoners knife. A maker of cut
lery had made knife to order for
Ambold only few months pre-
vious, and he knew the blade at
once and swore to ii. 'EllEE%>li
But this was not all. The fire
had been evidently set Oh first
tsthe shaVingsthatl lay upon the
stSpe floor, but piled up against
the wooden partition. The floor
was damp, and some of the outer
shavings even, were not wholly
burned up. But just at the edge,
where the fire commenced, lay a
piece Of paper, rolled up, and a
bout half burned, and from the
manner in which it lay, it was
evident that the fire. had been set
with it. This piece of rolled pa
per had Ieen ignlted by q mat6h,
"a numbt of which were Scattered
around, and as soon as'it was on
fire it had been laid upon the floor,
with the burning end just in tlle
shavHigs. dOf course these shaw
ings were in a blazeiinstantIy but.
the paper torch being upon the
damp.stones, had net burned who'll
ly up.
And this paper was found to be
a part Of a, letter belonging 10 the
prisoner. A letter which he, had
received from friend Of his land
friend ofgniine. o61y a week
before. That friend had. to come
forward and swear. that piece of
clfaTea paper was part kof a
letter he had written to the pris-
oner. This friends name was
Stephen GEant.xy lie .wassa young
merchant, aud the letter had been
written for the purpose of induc,
ing Ambold to reform. Stephen
tried d5Ard to aveid5testifying, fer
he knew as others did that the
! fire must ha vebeep, set with that
Identical paper; Bot he was sum,
moped,, aud be could not deny his
own chirography.
fsThe case Hooked darS. z Many
with esSes were willing to testify
to the prisoners good qualities,
-butSho o1la could Swear that he
was not dissipaied and degraded.
That house had been. to him IN
deed q region. internal, Its de-
struction, cried out for his bodily
life ; and lis. existence had long
been eating away his soul. Poor
Charley! | had before, ,beenisur
Of hislinnocenee5 but now | could
only shake my head and pity him.
! Finally he,was allowed to speak
for himself. He said he was !, in
nocent of the crime imputed to
him. lie said be had threatened
to burn that house, down-that be
had said ,About.all that had been
sworn to. : And, furthermore, be
was, round the house on the night
of the fire., He was not ten rods
off when the flames bursts forth,
and he was kone of the first to
give the alarm. He had uttered
onescry of fire when he noticed
where the flames must have. origi-
mated, and the thought came 10
him if he was found there be
might be suspected of having set
the fire, SO be ran away. !, He also
said that three hours before the
fire he had been robbed in that
house, His pockets had been
emptied Of everything in them,
and his pocket-book, containing
forty dollars in money and some
valuable papers, had been taken.
He had gone there on the night
of the fire to try and persuade
them to give him back his money
and papers -or at least to get !
what he could, When he got
there he saw man go in whom
he did notswish to see, SO he had
hung around, waiting for him to
depart, He was around by the
back of the building once-and
that was before the fire broke out.
He knew nothing-nothing. He
claspea Aiss hands, aud with his
fearless eyes raised toward heaven,
he called on God to witness that
he was innocent 4
| have told you that1 knew
him well. L.knew him $50 well
that from that moment / knew
him TO be innocentss l. kHew his