The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-09-11
THE DEAD ALIVE.

On the 9th of August, in the year 1860,
William Harrison, the steward of a wealthy
lady in Worcestershire, my steriously dsap-
peared. He had left home in order to col
le6t rents; so, when days and weeks past
without his returning, or anything being
heard of him, siispicions Of robbery and
murder became rife among his friends. In
the neighborhood there lived poor family,
consisting of mother and two sODs-Perry
by name-of whom the mother bore but an
indifferent character, and one of the sons
was half-witted. 1t is supposed that the
numerous reports which were in circulation
with regard to Harrison unsettled what
brain this poor idiot had, for he actually
went before a justice of the peace and de-
posed to the murder of Harrison by his
brother, while his mother and himself
looked ON and afterward joined in robbing
him. On this testimony the three were ar
rested, and, at the following assi1es, doubly
indicted for robbery and murder. The
presiding judge, Sir Charles Turner; re-
fused to try them on the murder indictment
as the body had not been found; they were,
however, aTraigned on the charge Of rob-
berg, and pleaded guilty, on vague inn
preston that their lives would be spared.
While in prison, John (the half witt persist
ed in the charge he had made, adding that
his mother and brother had attempted to
poison him for peaching. At the pent as
sizes, Sir Robert Hyde, in consideration of
the enon-appearance of Harrison, tried them
for murder. On this trial John retracted
the accusation, declaring that he was mad
when he made it, and knew not what he
said. Those were however, the good old
days" when stealing a penny-loaf, or the
presumption of having stolen penny loaf,
was a capital ofFen-e in England, and when
"wretches hanged that jurymen might dine
Tie mother and both the sons were SEN
fenced to death, and died protesting their
innocence.
After these poor victims of ignorance had
lain in the grave for three years the muir
dered Harrison suddenly reappe ared on the
streets of Gloucester ~ letter TO SIR
Thomas Overbury, he accounted for his
long absence by stating that, on returning
home after the receipt of the rents, he was
set upon by gang of crimps, who forced
him to the seashore, where they hurried
him on ship board and carried him off to
Turkey. There they sold him as slave
to physician, with whom he lived for
nearly two years, when, his master dying,
he made his escape in a Hamburg vessel
to Lisbon, and was thence conveyed to
England.
Blame in this instance could not posi-
bly, attach to the missing steward but
what can we think of the heroine Of anUtb-
er story-an hsitess whose uncle was at
once her guardian and her heir at-law
One day. when he was carrecting her fof
-yme offense, she was heard to say, Good
uncle, do not kill me-" after which she
could not be found ; whereupon the uncle
was committed upon suspicion of murder,
and admonislIed by the justices of the as
size to find out the child by the next as
sizes. Against this time, having failed to
find her, lie brought another child like her
i'm years and person, and appareled like
the missing heiress but on examination,
she was found no. to be the true child
Upon these presumptions (Which were con-
sidered to be as strong as facts tha: ap-
pear in the broad face of day, he was
found gully and executed. But the truth
was that the child, having been beaten,
had run away, and afterward, when she
came of age to have her land, appeared
and demanded it, and was directly proved
to be the true heir.
Nothing is more remarkable in these
cases than the facility with which juries
convicted and judges condemned on the
slightest possible grounds of evidence.
One sickens as one reads, for we cannot for
get that, in the agony of degradation which
accompanies judicial murder, it is far more
terrible than that which leaves reputation
stainless, though it takes life. How much
innocent blood cries to God from scaffo Ids
which have been erected in the name OF
Justice we can never know ''till the secrets
of all hearts shall be revealed and those
who have condemned shall stand before
that mighty Judge whom no influence eau
corrupt, nor prejudice mislead. -Apptet0n.