The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-06-07
O.e nemn-sExper,ence I'M ,he Court
81 GENERAL sesstOns-A Strange Case
1feunStantial Evidence : ys-
terry OF Ia rder,


would be required to there present my
self on the first day of the ensuing
month. Being DESTROYS to personally
participate in an experience of criminal
life, suddenly refrained from seeking
any excuse, and resolved TO do my duty
as man and as an American citizen.
SO, arriving i'm the court room at All
early hour, took my seat within the
inner railing, and improved the time
by studying the situation and sur
roundings. Outside, in that portion of
the room devoted to male witnesses and
spectators-the seats on an ascending
plan, as in theatre-was as motley a
collection of individuals as could well
be found. People well-dressed, ILL
dressed, and partially dressed were
Jumbled together in most variegated
confusion, nor were wanting faces well
befitting this variety in costume. 1t
was comparatively easy for even an
inexperienced physiogomist to dis
tinguish between the witnesses and the
friends of the prisoners, come to testify
on their behalf or TO sympathize with
their fate-be it acquital or conviction.
The study of these countenances is
interrupted by the opening of door at
the further end of the apartment and
stir i'm that neighborhood. Heads
are turned and bodies bent curiously
around To see the cause of this commo-
ton. 1t is the arrival of the tO-day's
batch Of criminals, marching i'm from
the van which has brought them from
the Tombs. A queer looking lot, but
the greater number owning that vicious
type of the face which is an unmis-
taxable index of its possessor's char
acter as if il were written upon
his forehead i'm legiIeIe words. Then
comes the rattle of clanking handouts,
and one by one they are swallowed up
by the prisoners box, only to emerge
on the call of the District Attorney.
All this time my fcllow-jurOrs have
been arriving, and | now take the OPP
poriuniy to notice those with whom
j am associated. Two circumstances
first attract my attention-the large
proportion of Germans, and next, how
many of them are young men-that
is, men who cannot have voted at more
than one Presidential election. A very
great majority are apparently men of
intelligence, competent TO think clearly
and judge fairly. Two or three, how
ever, are of that obstinate, chuckle-
headed race who, having imbibed one
poyerty-stricken idea into that odd
compound "which we are pleased to call
their minds" are as immOValle as the
everlasting hills; to which class be-
longed the celebrated Judge who want
ed to hear only one side of case, be-
cause when both had spoken they con-
fused him so that he was unable To de-
eide.
Most of the cases are for larcenies,
either grand or petty; the former when
the property stolen is above the value
of $2o, and the latter when under.
These are often uninteresting though
now and then some droll incident will
enliven the proceedings. In one Ol
the last cases of the, term two small
boys were arraigned for petty Iarency
stealing some chickens, | think, WAS
their oflense. They pleaded guilty,
and, as it was the first time they had
ever been in trouble, the Judge, as he
usually does in such instances when
good character is proven, suspended
judgment, the more particularly that
the mother of one of the boys interceded
for him and testified TO the strength OF
Other affection for him, which, | trust,
exceeded that of her arm. No sooner
were the boys told that they were free
than, following her unfortunate off
spring, she swung her hand around
and dealt him most lusty cuff Oh the
side of the head that made him stag
ger; then, as he started TO run, she
gave him a tremendous thump on the
back. Perceiving this effusion of ma
ternal feeling, he inconvenientIy bolted,
she after him. 1t is feared that the boy
did not enjoy himself when he arrived
home.
An extremely odd instance of cir
cumstautial evidence occurred in one
trial which is worthy of being recorded
Workman, going in the morning ia
the building at the corner of Broad
way and Leonard street, found there a
man who, not being able to give any
good account of himselfo or what he was
doing i'm that place, was handed over
TO the police, taken TO the station
house, and detained for examination.
He was previously searched and Il
broken bladed knife taken from him.
Hardly had this been done than 4
porter, belonging to store i'm Leonard
street, about eight buildings from the
corner, came in to announce that tho
store had been broken into during tn,
night. 1t had fecn entered from Tie
scuttle boxes, laus lciled End several
drawers forced open, in on of which
he had found about three quarters a
an inch of a knife-hladc. The sergeant
Immediately thought of the broken.
bladed knife taken from the su. pirior,,
man, and compared the two-they fit.
ted together exactly. Upon this a de
fn.fItn tn fl,n I,.tfI
and discovered from the roof a rope
hanging down about twenty feet to the
adjoining building, whence was &
clear level to the store entered. Around
the open drawers We're noticed drops o.
candle-grease, and the end of candl,
was found i'm n pocket of the suspicious
mans trousers. After the verdict, tho
prisoner was identified us one con.
victed of burglary several years ago
but whose sentence had been postponed
on condition that he would leave the
country. This he never did, and SO
being adjudged guilty, that overlooked
bit of the knifc-blade cost him fiv,
years at hard labor in Sing Sing.
One of the mysteries of a large city
came out i'm trial for manslaughter
The defendant was standing at the
door of a saloon when he saw a tipsy
man coming down the street, followed
10y a jeering, buZzing crowd of boys
and girls, The man picked up Il large
piece of paving-stonc and was about tC
throw il at two of the children, who ian
away from him, screaming, when the
prisoner knocked il from his hand
Upon this, the man struck him; they
clinched and the assailant was thrown
down. Rising to his feet, he staggered
on few PAGES and again fell. Being
picked up, he was found to bc dead
from conclusion of the brain. The
prisoner was acquitted, but il came
out that nothing had been discovered
concerning the identity of the dead
man. He was advertised, his body eX,
posed at the MoIgue, and every mean.
taken to secure publicity; but all tC
no purpose. No trace-not even til,
slightest clue-was ever found as tC
who he was or whence he came. Con
lecture can exhaust itself i'm vain; he
may have been utterly friendlcss and
alone, or he may have left a mourning
family in some distant quarter. He il
buried in Potter's Field and has
vanished as thoroughly from the earth
rs though he had never here appeared
Ii invested the case with a certain
weird interest; this spectacle of a man
coming from nowhere todie and vanish
in oblivion.
Ii is not my intention 70 give n re-
sumo of the months proceedings, or