The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-09-28

prisoner good character, and testified,
with some emotion, to his having for
merly been in the service of his family.
Mr. Edgar Deverill, the late owner of
Baneheld, gave similar testimony.
The Judge summed up against the
prisoner, recapitulating the threats that
many witnesses had testified to have
heard him utter against the deceased !;
his obvious motive-jealousy, with or
without just reason; and the insufficient
cy of the defense. The verdict, Gull
ty," was returned with scarcely any
hesitation. Before pronouncing sem
tence, the prisoner was asked if he had
anything to say.
L have this to say, my lord,' said
William Pross. "The defense set up by
my counsel was contrary to my request,
and untrue. My counsel told me the
truth would hang me, but wish it
stated. All the witness Anne Preston
has stated is strictly true but did not
reach the lake until quarter after seven
by the chimes. She found me by the
body. l went there, admit, to murder
Mr.. Mesturn but found it done. The
murdered man was crouched under q
tree by the water. 1 thought him hiding
away to meet Anne, but when came
up to him he did not stir. He had
known as we'll as 1 what cause 1 had
against him, and 1 did not mean to
strike him down asleep. pushed him
to wake him, that l might charge him
with it, but as 1 did so, the body slid
down from where it was, to my horror,
and lay with his head in the water; and
l saw the blood, and knew what had
been done. l was stunned at the dis
covery, and dropped the knife held in
my hand. Anne Preston found~me by
the body. swear this is the truth. My
lord, have no more to say"
The Judge enlarged On the enormity
OF the offense, and in the course of his
address made this remark:
at has been my lot, prisoner at the
bar, amid continual opportunities for
the study OF criminal cases, to notice
that justice would rarely be asserted but
for some providential .blunder on the
criminals own part, which, it seems, he
is invariably bound to make. Now, had
you previously made Anne Preston your
wife, as it was your duty to have done,
you would have shut the mouth of the
only important witness against you, and
justice would have been thus defeated"
"My lord" said the prisoner, collect
edly, II submit you are travelling out
Of the record"
Il sit corrected" returned the Judge,
with bitter irony, having assumed the
black cap; and therefore it only re-
mains for me to pass on you the custom
ary sentence-that you be removed to
the place whence you came, and taken
thence to the place of execution, there
to be hung by the neck till you are
dead and may the Lord have mercy on
your soul p'
The prisoner had the best of the argu-
ment, but the Judge had the advantage
of the situation.
William Pross was executed three
weeks afterward, protesting his inno-
cence. Probably, with the exception of
one person, no one in the country be-
lieved him. The exception alluded to
does not refer to myself. Like other
people, l became wise long after the
event.
had known Mr.. Deverill, of Baue-
field, and his son Hubert, for some years
before the above occurrence, epitomized
from the newspapers, took place. He
was one of my earliest patrons, and, an
artist myself, had studied with, and to
some extent instructed, Hubert Deverill
in early days, until he far outreached
my powers of further teaching. His
works became noted, and it was the gen.
eral opinion that he was painter of
great promise. He had q singular man
nerism, but his coloring was remarkable
for peculiarly rigid truthfulness. He
never exaggerated or lowered tone to
get an effect. He would paint what he
saw in sunset, if it were vermillion.
Excuse my dwelling on Hubert Dew
erill's faithfulness to color for an instant
it is very import mt element in this
brief history. The south of Hampshire
is remarkable for brilliant sunsets at the
two Equinoxes. Hubert was fond of
painting these. l do not mean to imply
he preferred extravagant effects; but it
is desirable to bear in mind that if he
saw crimson and purple and gold, as it
Were in blaze of fire, he would paint
them so literally that you would think
these pictures all wrong, until you had
let them dazzle you at last into the con-
viction how right they were.
His father, Mr.. Edgar Deverill, in the
days of his prosperity, had been gen.
erous, open-hearted man, always ready
to assist those in difficulty or distress,
even to lavishness that was stigmatized
by his neighbors as uncalled- for and in
He dated his ruin to sup
porting certain promising schemes that
all the world called frst-rate invest
ments, until their crushing failure made
folks Immediately condemn them as the
rashest of speculations. His tenant, Mr..
Mesturn, Visible means of support, the
farm he rented from Mr.. Deverill, but
actually an amateur money-jobber and
bill-discounter of no mean proficiency,
had, strangely enough, amassed wealth
from these very same rash speculations.
1t was almost entirely by his advice that
Mr. Deverill had made his investments
but whether he sold out too soon or held
on too long, he contrived to lose ruin
ously, whilst his tenant turned money
at tremendous rate of profit.
i do not say, for do not know, and
the inquiry is not worth the making
strict rectitude, in the eyes of the blind
goddess of the scales, is SO different to
what seems such to people with open
eyes)-1 do not say that Mr.. Mesturn
look any illegal advantage of Mr.. Dew
arill. But it is fact that nearly all
Mr. Deverill lost found its way into Mr..
Mesturn's pocket. Bit by bit, Mr.. Dew
eriA .mertgaged the farm to his tenant,
then sold the right of redemption, then
mlortgaged the estate to pay fresh losses,