Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-10-17

with those of the canal bDatmen. They were
very good witnesses :or tie Commonwealth for
the purppsc of preliminary exam patton and
an indictment, but just 50 soon as they were
brought upon the stand and gave evidence
which did DOT sustain the theory of the prose
culiDn, then tlcy became liars and ial>ifers of
the truth. The circumstances Of the case were
to be reviewed Under the light that the accused
is woman--lonc and dcIencelcs--hcr agressor,
"a man larger than herself, controlled by the in-
fuence oil liquor, which left no other recourse
than that she had adopted No mau upon the
jury would be required to abandon his home
aud flee upon an Intrusion, but the law gave
him the right TO repeI the intruder.
Col Charles i Stuart for the defence, fol-
loved, and criticised the Inconsistencies OF the
evidence in the case for the prosecution. These
Inconsistencies were we'll illustrated by an incl
dent which occurred in the life Of great his
torian OF modern times: When Sir Walter Ra
leght was writing his history of England, whilst
passing along the streets Of London, he saw 10
advance a crowd Of men who had suddenly as
scmbcd 10 consequence of fatal aftray He
endcaYorcd To discover the facts of the matter
aud OF forty witnesses whom he interrOgated
no two were !Juhd whose stories would bear
his study aud exclaimed TO his secretary, Good
God, how eau | write history of events long
buried in the post when | can not discover the
tru;h Of vita; has occurred wthlu few feet of
my own dwelling, aud almost under my own
eye. None OF the witnesses TO! the prosecu
ton IN this case agree. anu there is wonderful
| conflict In the testimony. There could be no
| malice In the case. because the prosecution dis
| closed the tact that this VS. the first time the
parties ever met, aud there could have been
| 10 aDtecedent grudge, uor was there any cir
cumStauce upon which to base the fouudation
Tor presuming or believing mare TO have ex
listed. Col Stuart criticised aud analysed the
case made by the prosecution, but space will
not permit an exteudei synopsis OF his speech.
The Commonwealth Attorney concluded
| the argument Tor tie prosecution, very briefly
claiming that there could be 10 parallel such as
draw, by the prisoners counsel between the
defendant house and the houses Of the jury.
Such parallel was AZ insult to the jury.
At 9 o'c.0ck the case va, given 10 the jury
without Instructions, who retired TO deliberate
upon their verdict and after an hour 5 absence,
returned into court and announced that they
had agreed. This endorsement created quite
Il commo:ion among the crowd who had dense
ly packed the court room throughout the trial.
Much speculation was induged IN with regard TO
the result, naily believing that ii would be L
verdict OF not guilty, or AZ most uanslaughter.
After the jury had been pOlled the Clerk made
the usual lnIcrrogatory of The jury whether or
not the prisoner was guilty OF the felony
whereof she stauds iudlctc1 The foreman, +.
II. Jauucy, responded, 'Gull!y Of murder IN
the secoud degree, and we tx her imprlson-
mcnt in the pcuientiaIy at seven years.
Counsel for defence Immediately moved an ar
rest Of judgment and Tor ncw trial. The
court ordered the verdict to be entered and the
Sheriff to adjourn the court until Monday morn
ing, this bcpg the last criminal case for the
term. After the ADJOURNMENT the crowd filed
out past the prisoners box, and she was soon
after taken to the jai! under the custody of B.
H. Cline, turnkey, aud }. 7. Ward, jailor
Attorney General S"ySter took no part in the
prosecution, having left for Baltimore during
the day.
Throughout the trial of the case Ncttie
Green, the prisoner, sat in the box under the
charge of 40 officer quietly weeping. She is
said once to have been exceedingly beautiful,
but now her form presents an uDsbapen look,
aud her face has lost in long life OF unnter-
rupted dissipation the charms that it once pos
scssed No doubt is she sat there with the
uplitted arm the law hanging ever her, with
the sin Of sending the uuprcpared soul OF Sam
uI Eicheberper suddenly to render its last ac-
count! and the smcll Of his blood upon her
haads, which all the perfumes Of Arabia could
not swecten her reflections must have carried
her back to the tlGle when she was still young
and innocent; ere the first false, fatal step had
been taken, the consequences OF which was
murder. And now as her life is passing into
is decline, and the door Of prison a! out to
close upon her, perhaps never to DC opcDcd Tor
her discharge, she can trace back through
long course OF events her present nstoruncs to
her youthful folly.