St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-08-01

self little upon his oratorical powers.
, His picadimgS at the bar were more in
the style of conversation than oratOry-
the conversation of an enlightened.
wcll-cducatcd, thoroughly disciplined
lawyer. In replying to lIamilton's
splendid legal speeches, he would select
the vulnerable, vet vital points, and
quietly dcmoliSh them. leaving all the
other points untouched. In twenty
minute speech he has been known to
completely neutlaize the effects of one
of llamiltOn'S long, elaborate and ornate
addresses.
Hamilton and Burr occasionally asso-
ciated III the trial of Il cause On such
occasions they were almost irresistible.
1t Is related that on one occasion they
were retained to defend n man indicted
for mnder, and who was generally he
lievcd to he guilty. though the circum-
stances under which the crime was
committed rendered it IL deeply inter
cSting case of circumStantial evidence.
During the progress of the trial. as the
circumstances were developed. suspi-
cion began to attach to the principal
witness against the prisoner. Burr and
Hamilton brought ali their skill in
crosS-eNamimation to bear on the wit
ness. in the hope of dragging out of
him his dreadful secret. But with
singular SagacitN and cnolncsS he elud-
ed their efforts. though they succeeded
in darkening the shadows of suspicion
that fell upon him. and strengthening
| their convictions of their clients inno-
ccncc.
! Before the croSS-cxamination of the
4 / iIhf
.i"urnrd for tea.
/ Il helicVc nur client is not guilty. hut
/ ! have no doubt that brigham. that
coming witness. is really the guilty
man; hut he is 50 shrCwd. cool and
deep. that | am fearful his testimony
| will hang poor Blair. our client. in spite
of all we can do" said Hamilton to
| Burr. while on their way from the court
/ house t" their hotel.
Il agree with you that Blair is not
| guilty. and brigham is. and hclivr we
can catch him. have IL plan that will
detect him, if am not wonderfully
mistaken" SaId Burr. He then pro
cctdcd to explain to his associate the
nature of his plan.
~ on may succeed" said Hamilton.
after listening Ia his plan. Its worth
/ trying, ut any rate. though You have a
man of iron to deal with"
After tea. Burr ordered the Sheriff to
/ prov idle an extra number of lights fuI
the evening session, and to arrange
! them So that their rays would converge
against the pillar in The court room near
the place occupied 10y the witness.
The evening session opened. and Bun
resumed the REORGANIZATION of the
Witness. 1t was a test of the profound
skill and suhtlety of the lawNcr-thc
sclf-posScssion. courage aud tact of the
witness. standing on the very brink of
a horlid gulf. calmly and intrepidly re
si>ting the efforts of the terrible man
before him to push him over. At last =,
after deNtcrUuSly leading the witness To
| the appropriate point. Burr suddenly
seized Il lamp in each hand. and hold
| ing them in such u manner that their
| light fell instantancously upon the face
of the Witness. he exclaimed in start
| ling voice. like the voice of the avengcr
of blood "Gcutlcmcn of the jury. he
| hold the murderer"
With wild. c"nvulsivc start a face
of a>hv pall0r-clcs starting from their
sockets lips apart. his whole attitude
cvincing terror. the man sprang from
/ his chair. For moment he stood mo
| tIonlc>s. struggling to regain his self
, pOSscssiOn. l;ut il was only Il mOmeII-
tary struggle; the enihle words of the
/ adNocatc ''~hiycTcd along his arteries.
shaking every nerve with palsying fear.
/ Conscious that the eyes of all in the
count room were fixed upon him. read
ing the hidden deeds of his life. he left
the WitncSS-Stand and walked shrink
| inglv to the door of the court room.
But he WAS prevented from making his
escape 10y the Sheriff. This scene. So
thrilling and startling. may perhaps he
imagined. though it cannot bc dc>crib-
ed. Like the fall of David Deans. in
the court room. before Judges. jurors.
and lawyers. when the doom of Eilie.
his Youngest daughter. was pronounced
10y the testimony of her eldest sister.
Jennie Deans. il struck the spectators
with silent awe; changing the whole
aspect of the trial, ovcrthrowimg in an
instant the hypothesis which the Att"r-
mcy General was confident would send
his prisoner to the gallows-saving an
innocent man from the dcathful hands
of IL bold and skillful pcrjurcr.
The false witness was arrested. two
.
murder. another for perjury. He was
acquitted on his tIial for murder, but
subsequently convicted of perjury and
sentenced To Il long imprisonment.
The higi-toned lihcrality and gener-
ositN with which Hamilton and Burr
conducted the contests of the bar caused
no bitterness or animOsity. They con-
timucd friends until they hccame great
partisan Icadcrs-until the polluting
influences of politics s-thcir collision as
rival statesmen, created that relentless
antagonism which eliminated in the
tragic scene when Hamilton fell by the
hand of Burr. in the most famous duel
in history-a duel which doomed its
survivor to ohloquy and reproach which
he never outlived, and which, with the
alleged treason for which he was tried
and acquitted in 1907, ostracised him
from his rank among great men of the
nation.
i At the time Burr is introduced to the
reader he had long drank of the Marah
of the waters of disappointment and
sorrow-had long labored at the task
of Sisyphus-the mountain and rock.
1t was Theodosia. his daughter, So
lovely. so pure, so intellectual. so haugh-
ty. and vet so soft and gentle, that
opened to Aaron Burr the brightest
page in this hlotted volume of his life.
''Shc WAS nearly complete realization
of his ideal of IL woman" Upon her he
laN iSlcd the wealth of IL soul that over
flowed with tenderness. Long after his
fall from power she was the solitary StaI
shining i'll beautiful cluster over the
darkened and rough pathway of his
life