Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-02-10
4 Juryman's Story.

We lld been ont of court twpntv-fOur
hours, and stood eleven t one. T.Ie case
was u very llin One-:tt least we eleven
thought so. \ murder of peculiar atroci-
ty had been committed; IN | though no
eve had witnessed the deed circumstances
pnnre'! to the prisoners guilt with unfl:l-
inc certainty.
The rccus;tnt juror had stool ont from
the first. He acknowledged the corency
of the proofs, confessed his inability to
reconcile the f,cts with the defendants
innocence, and yet, on every vote, went
steadily for acqnital. His conduct was
inrxpicable. 1t could not result from a
lack of intelligence; f"r, while he spoke
bat little, his words were we'll chosen. and
evinced :: thorough understanding of the
c,Se.
Though still in the prime of manhood,
his locks We're prcmaturclv white and his
face wore sin4ululy >a | AMI thoughtful
Icxpre>sion. He might be one Of those
who entertained >crupcs as to the right of
society to intlict the death penalty. Bot
no it was not that; for. in reply to such
suggestion. he frankly admitted that brut i
men like the vicious brutc> they resemble.
must be cont oiled through fear. and that
dread of death, the supreme terror, is i'll
many cases the only adequate restraint.
At the prospect of :nothe; night of
fruit!e>s imprisonment we began to grow
imp tlirnt, and cNpo>tulltrd warmly
:lylinst what seemed IN unreasonable cap
tiuusncss; and some not over Kind re-
marks were ndul yed i'll II To the impro-
prey of trtling with an oath Ike that
under which we We're acting.
And yet, the man answered. ~ though
comnunnr with himself. rather than re-
polling the inputl(iun, 1t j. ron>cI"n'''
that lIindtrs my conrurrrar" in Il verdict
approved by my jidgmcnt.
How can illtt be- qlcricl several at
once.
Conscience may not always dare to
follow julgmrnt.
but here >hr can know no other guide.
/ Il once would have stil tie same.
/ And whit ht> changed vour opinion.
Experience.
The prtkcr manner WAS rl~ihly aTl-
titrd. an we waited IN silence the cAplt-
nation which he -rrmr'i ready to give.
VI steering hi> emo lon. ~ II In answer TO
our looks of inq liry. he continued.
Twenty vc,r> AFRO WAS Il Young III IN.
ju,t beginning life. Few had brigntrr
hopes. An attachment. dating from chill
hood, had rip ned with it, o.l"ct. Iher"
hld b .rn no v,lbll Dccl:,r:,' ion AMI accept
:ulcr OF luvr-n formal pi-h,im- Of
ITO h: hut when took ms d'pttnre T.
seek a home in the lis ant West. It WIS a
II nv understood lhtt when touni i. AMI
u nit in order, >ll. W Is 10 shtlc il. Life IN
he turr-t. thp Igh solitary. i no. ncr.'>s /
rllv lonesome The hini of society afford
rd ~ lturv. DEPENDS much On ones s'l:.
ftl' nan
in the present ana hope j. an ever cheer
tai companion. At length the time came
tor m ,knr the fin Il ptvInvnt on II" home
which hal hou .ht. 1t wollI hrncctor
ward J.. my own: and in i few mUlt
months. my simple dwelling, which | IN,
spared no plius 10 render inviting. woul,
tie .racrd bv il mistress.
At lhr l,nd-uilirr. which WAS some sixty
miles uti, met my old tl.irn &. H.. too.
had come % seek il fortune in Tho West
} md we wrr, hp:h delighted! AT the meet
mr. H. has hrrught with linn, he sad
, sum Of money which lr desired 10 invcS
IN II. 4. IN which il WAS his purpose {
, ..c,tlr. espresso 4 strong a. sire !" have
him fora nd. i.hbor. and .yr nin = cor
liAl invitation to :tcvmplnv me home
riviup il rs INV belief that Ii" could no
: vhcr, make !, ht.tcr select ON than III III I
, vicinitv He readily consented. and ",
st ont to,cthvr We hal not id len man,
mics. wien Gro.gc suddenly rcr"llcctct
4 commission h hll un crtaken tor ;
friend which wou require his attend
. ance Al a public land sale on the follow
inr daN. ENrctlnE 4 promise t!1tt h'
: would not delay his visit longer than nee
, r>>..rv. and ri> ing minu;c directions a> t'
the rurItr rontinuc my WAY homewar>
white he TUNED back.
| wa- about retiring to bed on the nigh
of my return. when 4 sImmon> from with
/ ont called me tp the door. A strange
I asked shelter for himself and his horse 70
4 the nich,. invited him in. 1hou-h
stran.er. his face seemed not unfamiliar
= He Wa, probably one of the men that
h,d Sc. n al the lanl-otlice-t place ut th:l
\ time. much treQurnlcd. Offering him
e seat. went to see. To- his horse. The poo
4 animal. as well a~ could see by the din
< St,riirht. Seemed to have been hrdl
{ used. His ptn,i inc sides bore witness @
;. mercilr>> liuiny: and Il trcmulou> shrink
= inc. at the slightest touch. hetokcnel rcct1
r tri,,ht. On r,.-cnterin- the house. foun
t the stranger WAS not there. His ab>enc
excited no surprise: he would douhIles
$ soon rctun 1t was i little singular. no"
). ever, that he should have lett his watc
II lyin. on the table
IL At the end Of half an hour, my guest n'
l. returning. | went agun /" The s'ahl
I, thinking he might lave found his WI
:. ;hithcr to give personal attention TO II
" wants of his horse. Before gong on
II from mere force of Iabit-fuI We were Y,
1i uninfcsted hv either thieves or p"llceme
le Il took the prccauton ot putting II
II STRANGERS watch in the drawer in which
Is kept nv own v,lu,blrs. tounl the h"rs
sc as | lett him. and T,vc him tie food viii,
oi he was now sufficiently cooled To l.
1t allowed to eat: but his master was n
where to be seen. As | approached Il
a house, a crowd OF men on horseback dash,
ut up, and was commanded. III no gent
~ tones. to stand" In another moment
y wa, in the clutches of those who elaine
rs me as their 'rri>oncr
ut Il was too much stup"iiel AT first To a.
what it all meant. did :" at last aI
ld the explanation camc-lt WAS tetrlbl
u NV friend with whom | had so lately 5
H. out in company, had been found murdcrt
Id and robbed near the spot 1T which |. b
On alone, knew we had separated. W
ds the last person known to be with hll
he and | was now arrested on suspicion
us his murder A search Of the premise
ld was Immediately instituted. The watt
on was found in the drawer IN " "hlch II;
OF placed it. and WAS identified aS the pro-
tn rrtv Of the murdered man. lis hors
Is too, was found in my stable, for the Al
re NIL had Just put there was none olhe
'r- l recognized him myself when | saw hi
IA in the light. What l said. know n'
in NV confusion was aiken rs additional e
1g iIence. And when. at length, | did con
es m md Language to g.ve an lnielii@r
zee st ,t.m'nt. it WAS Received WI II sneeFs
le' increduiity.
~, The mob spirit is inherent in nun
nd least in crowds of men. 1t may not
'as ways manifest itself in phyy>icI vi'lrn,
Ter 1t sometimes contents itself with lynctll
ne Il character But wh,icver is form. Il
at always relentless. pitilcs., cruel
'er As The proofs ol my guilt, one ai'er :
* other. came to lignt. low muiternl