National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-03-08
A Devoted Mother.

: Charles NARROW, found guilty Of having
willfully murdered William Bachmnn,
is sentenced to be hung. Some time last
August u stranger named William Bach
man came to the brewery of NARROW and
asked permission to stay there over
night The favor was granted, and the
stranger, protesting to have with him q
considerable sum of money, and 10 be
SO eking for n business, made his head
quarters with NARROW for several days
Suddenly he was missing, and the next
news of him came from Pole, named
Benkowski, who appeared before n
magistrate in Dunkirk and told story
OF his murder. He Heexplained that he had
been working as the hired man of Mar
low, and had been witness of actions on
the part of the brewer which left no
doubt in his mind that he (Marlow) had
murdered Bachman in the beer cellar
aud had burned the corpse in the furnace
of the place The premises we're imme.
diately examined and the remains of
Bachman's body and clothing were duly
found. NARROW was arrested and in
time brought up for trial, complete
train OF circumstances pointing appa-
rently with infallible sureness to his
guilt
His defense, suddenly developed, was
certainly of n startling and unexpected
character. II consisted in the bold and
unqualified assumption Of the guilt of
the murder by the brewers old mother
in-law, Mrs Ortman. With her daugh-
ter, she told a story which, for ingenuity, |
under the circumstances has surely been
seldom equalled. Her testimony was to
the effect that, entering the house on the
afternoon Of the murder she saw Bach
man in the act Of an outrageous assault
upon her daughter. She selzed hammer
and struck him, as Jael smo.e Sisera, n
blow upon the temple. Her daughter
tainted, and Bachman rolled over dead.
As soon as Mrs. NARROW came to her
senses, the women testify, they carried
the corpse to the cellar, thrust it into the
furnace and piled the fireplace full of
ingots. Then they washed the cellar {
floor and stairs, and resolved to keep
their terrible secret in silence NARROW ,
IN the meantime attempted to prove that |
he had gone to the village before the
hour at which the murder had been com. .
mitted. ,,
The first trial resulted in disagree.
ment of the jury, and learned lawyers
we're puzzled whether to credit or reject ,,
he persistent story in which this old |
woman swore human blood upon her
'wn hands. At the second trial the same
tory was told again and as persistently, il
I not as consistently, as ever But a Il
continued fusilad' If cross examination n
peedily made breaches in the singular
efence. NARROW failed to establish his cl
libi, and the fabrication of the women OF
t various points fell to the ground NJ
,nce and again the old mother in-law.
eallzing that her most energetic attes- X
atoms Of guilt were likely to be in vain, n,
roke down and uttered her agony in w
cart broken ejaculations. The jury
'ndered an unanimous verdict, finding !.
le woman innocent who pleaded guilty, ~ ~
I'd him guilty who sought to establish ie ie
IS innocence at a womans cost. ""
What shall be said of the extraordi
Try resolution, if not heroism of this pr
d woman Her case illustrates either
e remarkable subservience to which bo
FAX mind may be reduced by a strong on
ID brutal one, or it reveals spirit o, up
lf-immolation such as has but few tire
rallels 1t, is, perhaps, safe to say see
at such spirit could only have been
ed in the simple nind of European Yo
asant woman, reared in a society where the
2 relations of the sexes are still undis- esr
bed by the modern woman move the
mt on,