The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-08-29

state of Inconsistencies upon the floor,
and had seen man running across the
lot that lay behind the house. All of these
women emphatically declared that was
the man.
The unknown had passed quite close to
the men at work, running at full speed,
and four of the men also declared that
was the one. They stated that they had
distinctly seen my face and hair, and knew
me to be dressed exactly as the fugitive
was dressed.
was so amazed that | could hardly re,
ply. 1t struck me that the stranger whom,
| had seen ON the road was the guilty ras.
cal, but they charged me with having con-
cocted that story to clear myself. No one
else had seen him, and my statement was
looked upon as a lie.
Mrs. Ryder continued in an unconscious
state, and the Justice decided that l should
be held a prisoner to await results. | was
taken to the little hamlet two miles south
shackled, hand cuffed and showed into a
wagon shop, guards being placed around
it. l was certain if the woman returned to
consciousness she would clear me of the
charge, and just as surely as she did not
knew that l was in bad scrape. If the
niue witnesses swore as they declared they
would, the woman dying, should be hung
for murder.
They brought me in some supper and
then left me for the night. All through
the long weary hours l did not close my
eyes. Taking it for granted that the wo-
man would die, 1 tried to form a pro-
gramme of action. found should have
no defense. l might get half dozen men
to testify to my good character, but none
of them could testify that l had not COM
mitted the assault. The direct testimony
would all go one way, and against me.
Soon after daylight the Justice came in,
accompanied by several men, and he in
formed me that the woman was dead !!
| None of them talked of violence, but they
looked serious, and regarded me as one
already sentenced to the gallows. Break
fast was brought in, and l was then taken
to the Justices Office, arraigned, pleaded
"not guilty." and was bound over to the
higher court for trial on charge Of murder
After little delay l was placed in a vehi-
Gle, in charge of constables, to be taken to
Lynchburg and jailed until the case should
come up for trial, which would be in about
two weeks.
The citizens hooted at me, and there
were threats of violence, but we drove off,
and in three or four hours l was occupying
the strongest cell in the Jail at Lynchburg.
My arrival created commotion. The
papers were full of the sensation, and not
one of them even expressed a doubt that
was guilty of the charge Indeed, one
reputation all over the North as a great
villain, and that l had repeatedly broken
out of States prison. Such talk scared
the jailor into placing heavy iron Oh my
| legs and claiming me to the floor. During
my first day in Jail crowd was around it
all day, trying to force the doors and lynch
me, and hundred or more were admitted
to gaze at the murderer
l was utterly without hope. l had no
money, and being an orphan, had no
friends, even in my native northern State,
who could render me help. l was positive
that the stranger who had stepped out of
the woods ahead of me that day, should
be in my place, but he had hundred
| ol> NfT f,o
cent man to swing for his crime. Circum-
stances had woven net around me which
| could not break.
How l wore the two weeks away l can
not tell. But they passed along, and one
morning an officer came and conducted me
into court. l found that the prosecution
had taken every necessary step to convict
me. The witnesses were on hand, every
body said it would be a mere matter OF
form, and some of the spectators smiled
when 1 pleaded "not guilty" l was as
signed counsel, and the case was adjourned
for two days that we might make some
show of defense. The counsel thought me
guilty beyond doubt, but yet he visited
me in my cell, and drew from me all that !
had to say.
We have no show whatever" he re-
marked, as he got ready to leave. "Ii
there was stranger, as you say, and we
could catch him, why, you could slip your
neck out; but, as it is, you will be tried,
convicted, and the Judge may give you a
month to prepare your soul for eternity"
He spoke as if only the life of dog were
at stake, but he had learned to consider
such things as a matter of strict business,
and he only looked at the case in profes
sional light. l was not cast down the more
for it, as had already come to realize how
the case would go.
Well, the day of trial came, and l went
into court. One after another, the nine
witnesses swore that l was the man. They
swore that they had noticed my beardless
face my brown coat, and other articles OF
dress; and my attorney could not move one
of them to admit that he or she might pos.
sibly be mistaken. When it came to the
defense, my attorney announced that he
had none, but secured me the privilege OF
making my statement. | made it, telling
only the plain truth. There was one thing
which puzzled them a little. They could
not see why | should have returned to the
house, when | must have known that a
dozen women were there, and that the mer
in the field had been alarmed, and were
already hunting for me. But the jury got
over that point on the supposition, as
afterwards learned, that became confused
and doubled back on my track, or that
intended robbery.
The twelve men were charged by the
Judge to bring me in guilty" not in sc
many words, but they could not fail tc
arrive at such verdict if following his
instructions. Sitting in the prisoners box,
my attorney away so that he might not
hear the verdict, | knew what the foreman