The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-07-20
.A9E5NLH1 R1Sm..S

| .AaE5NH1 REn..S
/ once had the extreme felicity of leav
ing my business to serve on "the ju,s:'
/ plead IN aha Aiaifntf of ways for 4 II II:
4ease, but to no effect. I could not swear
that was deaf, nor blind, nor yet non
coa but did tell nthem that | H.
% 1e,s MD RI pE9s| az M 3.k Z re- =
ceiving the testimony in good faith and
| rendering verdict according to it. l re-
| piled that of course, I should weigh the
evidence carefully and be governed by it.
! Twas then informed that "would do
The case to be tried was that of arson
then capital offense-and the prisoner at
the bar was young man named Charles
Ambold, whom I had known from boy
hood, and who was naturally one of the
finest youths of the town where he resided.
He had widowed mother who depended
upon han fer su9pnf, and his- cfEfe q
friends was large and choice. was NOR
tally certain that he did not commit the
fcrime, and hence l am sure those were
| friendly to Hmm gotme ron the panel, and
had rte retaineds - ">'t -: -, -
The trial commenced, and we twelve
men took our seats in the jury box.
had very respectable set with me-only
there was one man whom l didn't like to
see there Ts se Far
low-at least to ME. l knew that young
Ambold had one fault. He bad been adj
! dicted to drink, and had been known to
visit houses of evil resort. 1t was one of
1ahose houses that had been burned, for
sstti setting fire tQ which he 4 had been aRpre
Now l had often tried to persuade
Charles Ambold from the course he was
pursuing. He had repeatedly promised
me that he would reform, and as repeated
ly had he broken away; had often talked
wept like child: but the effect was not
lasting. There was power of temptation
more effective than any influence l could
WELD. He would fall away into evil com
partnership, and for a while his manhood
was going.
And knew that this very man who was
| now on the jury--this Moulton Warren
was one shpria done l1br6 Shhs all
others to lead tie poor youth away. II
was Warren who had drank with him, and
who had led him away to those abomin-
able ha,ints of evil. Why wasshe upon the
jury? I could only account for it upon
the ground that Charles still supposed him
to be his friend. The poor scorched in
sect was stin ignorant Of the flame that
scorched him. He really believed that
Moulton Warren was his friend.
The trial commenced. The Indictment
set forth that Charles Ambold had tf.with
malice aforethought," and with all sorts
of wicked and felonious intents, set fire tC
a certain dwelling house, thereby endah:
gering human life. This dwelling, as
have already intimated, was low sink ot
iniquity, where the abandoned Of both
sexes were wont to congregate, and where
the youthful prisoner had spent much OF
his time.
The evidence for the prosecution came
! on and was startled. One after another
gave in their testimony, some of them very
reluctantly, and l was frightened when |
saw how plainly it all pointed to the pris.
oner as the guilty party. Several credit.
| able witnesses swore that they had heard
him threaten to burn the house donw and
others had repeatedly heard him say that
he wished it was burned down! Then
came several witnesses-threeo of the prom
inent citizens-who saw him lurking
about the premises on the night of the
fire.
With regard to the provocation on the
prisoners part for such deed, it was
proved upon his own admission that he
had been heard to say that his salvation of
soul and body depended upon the destruc.
ton of that house. Next came more ties.
timony stronger still. s >
The fire lad Seen set in d back base.
ment room where shavings and other stuff
for kindling were kept. Entrance had
been gained through back window, which
had been partly pried open with a stout
knife. This basement wall was brick, and
beneath the sash was the blade of knife
which had been broken off in trying to
raise the sash. The blade was recognized
as belonging to the prisoners knife! A
maker Of cutlery had made a knife to Or
der for Ambold only month previous,
and he knew the blade at once, and swore
to it.
But this was not all. The fire was evil
IDENTITY set first to the shavings which lay
upon the stone floor, but piled up against
a wooden partition. The floor was damp,
and some of the outer shavings, even, were
not wholly burned up. But just at the
edge where the fire commenced, lay a
piece of paper, rolled up, and about half
burnt, and from the manner in which it
lay, it was very evident that the fire had
been set with it. This piece of rolled
paper had been ignited with match, a
number of which were scattered around,
and as soon as Il was on fire 1t had been
laid upon the floor with the burning end
just in the shavings. Of course these
shavings we're in blaze instantly; but
the paper torch being on the damp stones,
had not burned wholly up.
And the paper was found to be part of a
letter belonging to the prisoner! A letter
which he had received from friend of
his (and friend of mine) only week be-
fore. That friend had to come forward
and swear that piece Of charred paperwas
part of letter he had written to the
prisoner! This friends name was Stephen
Grant. He was young merchant, and
the letter had been written for the pur-
pose of inducing Ambold to reform.
Stephen tried hard to avoid testifying, for
he knew, as did others, that the fire must
have been set with that identical paper
but he was summoned, and he could not
deny his own chirography.
The case looked dark. Many witnesses
were willing to testify to the prisoner 5
good qualities, but no one could swear
that he was not dissipated and degraded.
The house had been to him, indeed, re-
gion Internal Its, destruction cried out
for his bodily life; and its existence had
long been eating away his soul. Poor
Charley! had before been sure of his in
nocence; but now could only shake my
head and pityshim. : 60, p : =
Finally he was allowed to speak for
himself. He said he was innocent Of the
crime imputed to him. He said he had
threatened to burn that house downfall
he had said about all that had been sworn
to. And, furthermore, he was round the
house on the night of the fire. He was
not ten rods off when the flames burst
forth, and he was one of the first to give
the alarm. He had uttered one cry
of fire when he noticed where the
flames must have originated, and thu
thought came to him if he was found
there he might be suspected of having set
the fire, so he ran away He also said that
three hours before the fire he had been
robbed in that house. His pockets had
been emptied of everything in them, and
his pocketbook, containing forty dollars
in money. and some valuable DaDers. had