Connecticut western news., 1874-02-13
A TALE OF THE CIRCUIT.

A TALE OF THE CIRCUIT.
 It was first night on the circuit after vacation, and old Tom Badgers turn fol 8 story.
 Toms forte lay in the crimina, line." He had cheated the gallows SC often that Bill Quipley used to say he wondered how he could look hemp. field in the face.
 "Did I ever tell you," said Tom, giving his tumbler of julep an exhaust. i've snck-"Did I ever tell you, boys, | about Obed Scott's case ?" No, he never had.
 "I should like to have such another now," he resumed. C It was just des- perate enough to put one on his legal metal and I think, with my present experience, could win three times out of five under similar circumstances, But I was boy then"
 "How was it ?'' we asked, desirous to cut short the preface.
 "The case was in 8 nutshell" said Tom, coming to the point.
 " Enos Burdge was an old settler, without wife or child, who began to feel hampered as the population averaged
 
 cided to sell out and go West.
 /" He had choice tract of lanl, with comfortable cabin on it :; and Obed Scott, the likeliest young man in the settlement, made an offer to buy it. Obed, instead of squandering his gains foolishly, as too many youngsters do, had saved them up. One reason of his prudence, mayhap, was his engagement to Kettle Ward, the prettiest girl ever saw"
 The old lawyer stopped to homer her with reminiscent swig.
 Though others," he continued, 'sofered more, in payments,' Enos accepted Obed's bid; for the latter was ready to pay cash down, and Enos said he wished to quit the country for good, and didn't want to leave no unsettled business behint him.
 "On the day fixed for completing the contract, Enos went before justice of the peace, and duly executed deed to Obed Scott, which he carried away with him saying Obed was to meet him that evening, pay the money, receive the deed, and take possession after which it was Enos' intention to pass tho night with an old friend to whom he was to pay small debt, and whose house lay in the direction of his journey.
 But Enos never reached his friend s house, and the only account given of him after leaving the iustice's, was by Obed Scott, who said he had met Enos at his cabin, as agreed on, paid him his money, and gotten the deed; and then Enos had gone away, leaving him in possession of his purchase. There was no honester man than Enos Burdge. That he should have left the l country clandestinely to avoid paying the one trifing debt he owed, and with out stopping to bid his friends good-by, seemed thing hardly credible. "Rumors of foul play began to be calculated and those were not wanting who hinted at the possibility of Obed Scouts having thought it. economical stroke to put Enos out of the way, and so possess himself of the deed without paying the stipulated price.
 "So rife did these rumors grow, that sundry good citizens at last called on Obed, and told him that thorough in- vestigation was necessary to vindicate his name.
 s' Instead of inviting inquiry, as good policy, to put it on no higher ground, would have dictated, Obed was indig- nant, or feigned to be, at the imputa- tion cast upon him. His tone enhanced rather than allayed the prevailing doubts, and a search of the premises was begun without waiting for his per- mission.
 "Not far from the cabin, beneath some scattered straw, signs were dis covered indicating that the earth had been recently disturbed; and on digging down little way, the mangled corpse Of Enos Burdge was exhumed
 "Obed admitted that he had taken possession of the cabin on the evening of it's late owners departure, and that he slept there that night. Enos Burdge had never been seen alive since. Who so likely to have slain and buried him where his body was found, but the man who had both the motive and opportu- nity? ..s..
 "That was the question I asked my self when retained to conduct Obed's defence, and confess was unable to return a satisfactory answer. Still, l felt bound to do my best, and I did it On the trial, the facts were proved much as have related them. In sum- mlng up, made the most of Obed' s good character, dwelt on the fallacious- ness of circumstantial evidence, read cases from the books to show how many | judicial murders it had been accessory to, and wound up with strong appeal to the jury to give the defendant the benefit of every reasonable doubt.
 But old Paxwax, the presiding judge, stripped the gliding off my speech by repeating, in his charge, the usual platitudes about the impossibili- ty of circumstances lying. True, he told the jury that the prisoner was en. titled to tho benefit of all reasonable doubts: but then he emphasized the word reasonable in such way as tc Indicate, plainly enough, that in his opinion, in the present case, 0ny doubts would be wholly unreasonable.
 ," When the jury brought him ir guilty, Obed turned pale, for moment though, on the whole, I think he bore it better than I did.
 "' What have you to say,' asked tho judge, 'why the sentence of the law should not be pronounced upon you P
 Nothin',' Obed answered 'onlJ you're goin' to send me, jedge, afort I court as has got more sense, hope