Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-03-28
A RIGHTEOUS VERDICT.

here was :VerGlcc rendered 10 the lily
Criminal Court yesterday which will inspire
new confidence in the power OF the legally cou
sttuted tribunals Of justice. When a father
aveuges the wrong doue to his daughter, and
slays the rayisher or scducur, he is always ex
cused, because there is probability that the
guilty might otherwise escape Jurlcs are OF
ten led astray by false testimony, and by the
piausible arguments Of those who undertake to
defeat Justice ftr price. A woman who has
suffered the greatest wrong that man can lutlct
shriuks from testiiying before jury, aud when
the chances are tha. she will be sent from the
Court room wearing the brand of perjurer.
An intelligent and conscientious jury has de-
monstratcd the fact that the law Is competent
to punish crimes Of this nature, even when the
victim is pcnnliess orphan, and when wealth
and social Influence are arfayed on the other
side.
As general rule, it is best to suppress what
ever savors in the least Of prurlcncy, even
though the effect may be to keep back a part
Of the truth But there are cases that tran
sceud the ordinary rules of human couduct,
and impose duties that are most dstasteful.
When young girl of irreproachable character
is Compelled 10 tell what size has suffered aud
the painful story is turned into jest by lawyers,
who suppose it to be their professional duty to
s0cer at her sorrow, We thlnk that the public
ought to know precisely what she has said
Those who are Interested in preserving the
purity aud sweetness Of the family circle, and
IN protecting the citadel Of womaD's virtue, are
cutitled to such "a report Of the proceedings in
u case like this, as will permit them to judge
between the heart broken witness aud the
learned couDsellors, who provoke the idle crowd
outside the bar to laughter by making light of
her misery.
We shall not repeat the painful facts Of this
most brutal outrage, as detailed from the Wit
ucss stand. The evidence was the most over
Whclmiug; the character OF the victim could
not be impeached, and her testimony was cor
robvrated by circumstances that conclusvely
proved her own innocence, and showed that
the accused had been guilty of capital crime
Which he had tried to palliate by coufessiug TO
an immoral act not punishable under our Stat
utcs. Ii the mcrciful rules OF the law had DOT
shut out the prosecution from putting the
Young mans character iu evidence against hlm,
his case would have been still more hopeless.
\, ii is, there Is rot person OF intelligence
who heard or read the evidence that does not
believe that he Is guilty, ami that his guilt was
fully, clearly aud couclusvely proven.
Miss James deserves The sympathy of every
viruous person iu the community. She has
shown a courage aud a conscicutiousuess which
10 person occupying higher position 10 So
cicy would be called heroic. After she had
suffered the shameful assault there were mauy
Considerations that might have induced her to
say uothing about it. She knew that if she
told the dreadful story she would be compelled
to come to Court; that great crowd would
stare at her over the bar-railing aud eagerly
drink in the words which it wruug her heart
to utter; that lawyers would crusS-qucstion
L., ,Ia Inr fln phI hI.b
her modesty would scarcely allow to pass
her lips; that they would impugn her chas-
tty, rldicule her assertions of innocence,
aud hold her up to the jury and the spec
tators as u girl of easy virtue, who was
adding the crime of perjury to her other slDs.
Shc knew all these thugs, md yet she dared TO
bring the crimiual to justice. 1t must be re-
membcrcd that she Is "a poor girl, who makes
her own living by going out to service; that her
mother is dead aud that her father lives in
another city aud takes no interest in his daugh
ter and then we can understand what brave
spirit she show, d when she rejected all offers
OF compromise aud Indignantly thrust aside a
sum of money that to person lu her clrcum-
stances would be u small fortune. When the
accused saw that trial was inevitable aud cou-
yiction almost certain he tried. 10 save himself
by an offer of marriage, and presumed so Tar
ccnsc in advance Of his proposal. Miss James
Indignantly rejected the insulting suggestion.
She was unwilling to become the wife of a man
who had put stain upon her life, and whose
hands were crimsoned with other crimes, i'll pos
Sibc more heinous, than that for which he was
about to be punished He might have desert
ed her on the day of their marriage, or he
might have made her life wrctched by brutal
Treatment of which she had already experienc
I'd lar 100 much. She Was wise as we'll as a
brave girl, in prcferring to endure Mr.. Whit
ney's witticisms rather than become the wife of
Charles Rose.
Before we dismiss case to which we trust
that we shall not be compelled to refer agaiu,
We desire 10 commend the noble conduct of the
family that took this unfortunate girl into their
house day or two alter the outrage and have
betriendcd her ever since They may have
saved her from life of shame, by giving her
Il secure place of refuge. 1t made US put
higher estimate on the dignity of human nature
to see thcm lead her ioto the Court House every
day. with calm, resolute faces, that showed
uclthcr fear nor anger, although the vulgar
crowd stared at them with lnSolent familiarity,
and followed them about the streets. The hu-
name and conscientious gentlcmcn who com-
posed the jury are worthy of all praise. They
had painful duty to perform, but they did not
try to escape from the responsibilities which 1t
imposed Baltimore .lmertcam.
The SPORTING SEAsoN.-It is proposed by
the Prince William Jockey Club to iuaugurate
the sumner sport over the Manassas race
course ou Saturday, May the 9th. The track
is now being put in thorough order and stabllog
erected on the premises for the use OF parties
wishing to train on the course
The first race on the programme is sweep
stake tor four year olds, so each, half forfeit,
silver cup valued at $40 added, half mile
and repeat Open to horses raised and owned
IN Fauquier, Loudouu, Fairfax and Prince
Wiiliom
The second is dash of quarter of mile,
$40 each, half forfeit, for horses owned in
Prince William.
The third mile dash open to all horses
owned In the State, $50 each, half forfeit