Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-10-27
The History of n Islander.

We have received a report Of the proceed
incs before Justice Farnsworth, Of st. Al
bans, in a court of inquiry, held for the pur-
pose Of investigating the umors duplicating
| George G.. Smith as the murderer of Mari.
| eta " Ball We venture to say that it is
one Of the most singular documents that
ever issued from aprcss. II deserves place
among the curosities Of literature, as show
ing the origin and history of one of the most
malignant ISLANDERS that was ever conceived
or circulated.
The suspicion OF Mr. Smith as the guilty
person seems first 10 have been whispered
into the ears Of half.crazy physician, and
then fostcred in his brain by malicious enc
mics of the Smith family. II was at the
outset q simple suggestion but a suggestion
composed Of the deepest and bluest gall It
was at once met by Nh Smith with the
most ample and satisfactory proof that he
was not connected with the transaction in
any way It was both physically and NOR
ally impossible for him to have committed
the crime. Nevertheless, interested parties
blew the flames in the ashes of the fire which
he had so summarily stamped out They
limited at the possibility Of his guilt from
oblique directions, with devious aud serpent
like motion, approaching the probability of
this great crime by the suggestion of
another, Of less infamy, Of which he was
equally innocent The mght-bird call was
heard and repeated all through the air.
Every body spoke that which nobody would
own. The shameless and shameful libel be-
came a flips popdi every bodys child and
nobodys child. 1t wandered through st.
Adams through the state, into other states
turned ont Of all honest doors-but invisibly
supplied with means to travel on its devilish
crraud.
After a year, in which thecalumny came up
again and again, to disturb the happiness Of
an honorable family and an innocent man,
its authors, abettors and fomentors were
summoned before a court Of inquiry to tell
what they knew. They knew nothing. They
surmised everything. Here aud there, in
their testimony, the eleven heel-track is re-
vealed and the source of the sulphurous
smell is evident but the owner Of the heel
and the scent keeps out OF sight. There was
absolutely not q sciutilla Of evidence of the
guilt Of Mr. Smith, nor of any remotest con
necton with a crime, which so large a public
sentiment had fastened to him And the
testimony for him, showing the utter impos-
siblty Of his guilt, was so conclusive that,
for once, at least, base public libel was APP
parenty completely aunihilated How long
it would have remained extinct can only be
conjcctured, had not a similar crime in
another state turned public attention to the
probably real murderer. ltcertainly must be
a source Of bitter and constant modification
to those who originated, circulated or be-
lieyed the SANDER at st. Adams, to have at.
tributed to an innocent and honorable man,
incapable Of the crime an oifcnse Of such
atrocity. The wickeduess of attaching to
an innocent man. persstently, against all
reason and evidence. from empty or maig-
nant motives, so black crime is only less
infamous than the preparation of the crime
itself. To charge murder falsely-to speak
evil of this sort, without cause and malevo-
lently-is hardly less atrociou, than the muir
der itself To suffer as Miss Ball did, will
doubtless be compensated to her by merci-
full God. To suffer as Mr. Smith has done,
viii not fail to render harmless forever the
spirit and the words Of those who have sought
his destruction. They have exalted him and
debased themselves.