Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1872-04-27

prosecution. He'll swing for it, an per.
baps four or FIVE others"
"a good hanging judge is A."
said the under-sheriR, who at this mo
ment Joined us, rubbing his hands, as if
pleased with the prospect of few ex-
ecutioDs.
"No prospect Of the prophecy yonder
coming to pass suppose p''
"Not in the least" replied the busting
counsel. ale never looked better. His
illness has gone completely off and this
days work will brighten him up
Cartwrigbt's trial came on. ! had
never seen the man before, and was not
aware that this was the same person
whom Harvey had incidentally told me
he bad discharged for theft the truth
being, that till the last moment OF his
existence, that unfortunate man had
been sacrifice to this wretch's malice.
The crime of which the villain now
stood accused was that of robbing a
farmer of the paltry sum of eight shil-
lings, in the neighborhood of Ilfracombe.
He pleaded not guilty, but put in no
defence. Averdict was recorded against
him, and in due form A sentenced
him to be hanged. An expression of
fendish malignaney CLEANED over the
haggard features of the felon as he asked
leave TO address few words to the
court. 1t was granted. Leaning for
ward, and raising his heavy, scowlihg
eyes TO the Judge, he thus began /:
"There is something on my mind, my
lord--a dreadful crime-wbich, as | am
to die for the eight shilligs took from
the farmer, may as well confess. You
may remember Harvey, my lord, whom
you hanged the other day at--?"
"What of him, fellow 2" replied the
judge, his features suddenly flushing
crimson.
"Why, my lord, only this-that be was
as innocent of the crime for which you
hanged him as the child yet unborn
did the deed put the watch in his
trunk !" And to the unutterable horror
of the entire court he related the whole
particulars of the transaction, the origin
of his grudge against Harvey, and his de-
ligt on bringing him to :be gallows.
"Inhuman, execrable villain % gasped
the Judge in extreme excitement.
"Cleverly done, though Was it not
my lord?'' rejoined the ruffian with bitter
irony. "The evidence, You know, was
irresistible; the crime as clear as the sun
at MONDAY ; and if, in such plain cases,
the just and necessary law was not
enforced, society would be dissolved, and
there would be 10 security for property
These were your words, | think. How
on that occasion admired your lordship's
judgment and eloqnence! Sociey would be
dissolved if an innocent man weie not
hanged Ha !-ha !-ha Capital =
shouted the ferocious telon with demoniac
glee, as he marked the effect of his words
on the countenance of the judge.
"Remove the prisoner p cried the sher-
if. An officer was about to do SO; but
the judge motioned him to desist. His
lordship's features worked convulsively.
He seemed striving to speak, but the
words would not come.
81 suppose, my lord" continued Cart
wright IN low and Kissing tones, as the
shadow of unutterable despair grew and
settled on his face-"I suppose you know
that his wife destroyed herself. The cor
oner's jury said she had fallen accidental.
ly into the water. know better. She
drowned herself under the agonies of a
broken heart saw the corps, with the
dead baby in its arms; and then l felt,
knew, that was lost ! Lost, doomed to
everlasting perdition But, my lord, y
and here the wretch broke into howl
wild and terrifc-''ace shall go down to-
gether-down to where your deserts are
known. A-h-h! that pinches you, does
it? Hound of Judge legal murderer
coward l spurn and spit upon thee ~
The rest ofthe appalling objurgation was
inarticulate, as the monster, foaming and
sputtering, was dragged by an officer
from the dock.
Judge A--had fallen forwards on his
face, fainting aud speechless with the vic
lence of his emotions. The black cap had
dropped from his brow. His hands were
stretched out across the bench and vari
ous members of the bar rushed to his as
sistance. The court broke up in frightful
commmotion.
Two days afterwards the county paper
had the following announcement
"Died at the Royal Hotel, on
the 9th instant, Judge A., from an
access of fever supervening upon disor'
der from which he had impertectly recov'
ered."
The prophecy was fulfilled