Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-05-15

5 you that that bill became due on tn
very day of Mr.. Blocks death. ]
; it not probable, gentlemen, is it no
evident, that his failing to meet tha
bill would induce distrust and dis
quiet, inquiry and investigation, un
til the whole scheme of his fraud an5
mpostpre would be discovered anc
disclosed, and fall to the ground Eks
q house built with cards !? Gentle
men, alarmed at the perilous position
in which he stood, he resolved thai
his forgeries should remain undiscov.
cred f; that Mr.. Block should never
know that the bill had not been met
bu. should rather perish in that sud.
den and frightful and barbarous man.
ner with which you have been al
ready acquainted. Gentlemen, I shall
prove all this by the c1earest and
most direct testimony; and then
shall ask you, whether have not in
deed shown'you that motive sufficient
existed to induce a heartless and
| reckless man, such asthe prisoner at
1.-The bar, to plan the destruction of
his fellow-creature, and to CARY out
that plan to its full and most fearful
end"
A model of Mr.. Blocks house and
premises was produced in court, and
the ;mpossibility Of any escape by
means Of the river or over the pail
sades on either side Of the wharf was
Ep'ainly demonstrated. It seemed
clear that the murder must have been
committed BY some one who was an
inmate Of Mr. Blocks house at the
time. AS the case proceeded, the
web Of evidence drew very tigh ly
aud closely round the prisoner. MI.
Garrow proceeded to consider the
manner in which the crime had been
effected.
"The weapon, he said, with
which, according to the theory of the
prosecution, the crime was perpetra-
ted. will be produced in court before
you: a pocketiplstol recovered in the
presence, OF police officer, by one
avid Jones, the apprentice Of the
deceased recovered, | say, after in
finite pains and difficulty from the
thick mud of the river. !" (Great
sensation in court at the mention of
this fact. The apprentice, moved
by the circumstance OF his having
been at one time himself an object Of
suspicion, or as I would rather be-
lieve, by a sincere d sire that the
murderer of his kind and good mas
ter should be discovered and brought
to Justice, at the risk of his own lite,
sought and found the weapon now
before you, in the deep mud Of the
river. I shall be able to prove to
you that this pistol was seen to be
in the possession of the prisoner at
the bar only q short time before the
night of the murder
Further upon this fact the learned
counsel dwelt for some time, and then
proceeded. !" And now, gentlemen,
the last few minutes Of Mr.. Blocks
life on this earth. The prisoner as
it appears by the deposition of Mr..
Block, quitt,d the room facing the
river, to bring particular book from
another part Of the house , Now,
mark, gentlemen.-he did not return
with The volumc qequirca Why?
Because. before he could obtain it,
he was disturbed and brought back
by the sound OF the pistol-shot ? Not
SO, gentlemen. Rather because he
had quilted the house stealthily, to
CREEP to the window looking on to
the wharf, to raisei it from the out
side, to thrust in his whitc hand"
(it was noticed chat here the prisoner
quickly Withdrew from public notice
his hands, which had previously been
resting in front of him on the ledge
Of the dock, Ito take deliberate
aim, and to discharge his deadly
weapon at the unfortunate deceased.
But we shall be told that his shoes
were afterwards noticed not to be
aoiled, as they must have baen soiled
had he stood but lor moment in tie
thick soft clay of the wharf The
explanation is very simple. He slip
ped off AsS shoes at the door. He stood
IN lis stockinged feet, while he nc
complished his murderous task, then
flung away his-pistol. deep, as he
fancied, in the river mud,-returned
within doors, resumed his shoes, and
ignorance and innocence oil
what had happened. Gentlemen, the
ribbed white cotton stockings worn
by the prisoner on that fatal night,
have beenfoun secretediu his cham
bar. They will be produced in court,
and properly identified by 'disinter-
ested witnesses. And your atten- +,
ton will be drawn to the fact tha:
they are soiled and stained as only.
could be solled and stained
which had been worn without shoes
on the wet. soft, yellow CLAW of the,
wharf oil the unfortunate Mn. Block.
An extraordinary excitement follow
ed this minute statement Of the prob !
able manner in which the murder had
Jeen perpetrated.
The case for the Grown was fairly
borne out by the evidence adduced.
The prisoner, when called upon for
bis d.fs snce, seem d to be over*helm-
ed by the weight Of the evidence
against him. He coptented himself
with protestations, again and again
repeated, OF his entire innocence .of
the charge brought against him. He
described it as a conspiracy to de-
strey him. He stated that the death
IF hig partner, so far from from, being 9
profit to him, had involved. him in !
ruin and bankruptcy and that he
was not so destitute of worldly means
but that he could have met the bill
for a thousand pounds if he had
thought proper to 90 so, and i Mr.,
Block hid not consented to the'pay- +