The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1876-08-17

AAat At MEs hNt ulael EAtHa Ahu NfNFhuea
The house to him, had been, indeed, q
region Internal Its destruction cried
uui iaf bls bodily lie; aud its existence
bad long been eating away his soal. =
Poor Charley lhsd before been sure Of
bis Innocence bat now ! could only
shake nay bead and pity hin
Finally be was allowed to speak for
himself he said be was innocent Of the
crime imputed to him. lie said he had
threatened to burn that house down
that he bad said about all that had been
sworn to. And, furthermore he was
round The house on the night Of the fife.
Tie was not ten rods of when The flames
burst forth, and lie was one OF the first to
give The alarm. He bad uttered one cry
Of ilre when be noticed where the flames
must have originated, and the thought
came 10 him II be was found there be
might be suspected Of having set the 6re
so be ran away. He also said that three
hours before the fire he had been robbed
in that house, lIis pockets bad been
emplied Of everything 10 tsem, and his
pockeIb0ok, containing forty dollars In
money, and some valuable papers had
been taken. He had gone there on the
night Of the fire to try and persuade
them to give him back his money aud
pspets-or at least get what he could. -
When he got there, he saw man go in
v h0m be did not wish to see, so be bad
hung around waiting for him TO depart.
lie was around by. the back Of the build
ing once--and that was an hour before
the fire broke out. He knew nothing
nothing. lie casped his hands, and
with his fearless eyes raised toward
heaven, be called on God 10 witness that
be was innocent.
have told you that knew him well.
| knew him SO well, that from that mo-
ment knew him TO be innocent! | knew
his very SOUL knew how free and
open ii was--oh, how sinfully sol |
knew there was no falsehood in the story
be told us.
Ny boy is innocent! My boy is In.
nocent.
heard the cry--and | saw an old
woman sink back into the hands of
male companion. 1t was his poor moth
er. Her heart was well nigh broken. Yet
saw that all this had but little effect upon
the mass of spectators. The prisoners
course Of dissipation--his many threats
against the house--and the very fact of
his having been robbed and abused there
was heavy against him.
The counsel for the prisoner made his
Speech, which was labored and hard
lie was foolish enough to intimate that
if his client was around at the back part
Of the house more than once, be must
have been intoxicated. la short, his
ploe bod botter been iaff ont The evi.
denee he could not shake, and be did all
be could to suppose evidence, some of il
most absurd and ridiculous. | after
ward learned that Moulton Warren en-
gagged the lawyer for the youthful prison
oner! The Government attorney made
his plea. 1t was plain, straight forward
aud conclusive.
The judge finally gave his charge. He
was fair and candid. He reviewed the
evidence carefully, and pointed out such
As bore heavily upon the case. lie told
us If there was lingering doubt in our
minds we must give the prisoner the
benefit of It. But could plainly see
there was no doubt in his mind.
We--the jury--were conducted to our
room by an officer, and there locked up.
A silence Of some minutes ensued,-
Moulton Warren was the first man to
'pesk.
Well, he said, s'yose there's no need
Of our bein' here great while. Of
,ourse we all knew that the prisoner
must have set fire TO the house,
There was something in The manner Of
hat man, as he said this, which excited |
my curiosiy--l won't say it was sus.
picion theu--only curiosity. lie spoke |
with forced effort at calmness which |
It once perceived. The more looked at
lim he more | became strongly nervous
and uneasy, and wondered why Le
should be so auxiou. to get rid Of the |
lase, aud have Ambold convicted.
suew that be frequented that evil house,
aud that be had done much toward |
.etnpting Charley TO dissipation. knew |
lie was IN that house on the night on |
y bich tie prisoner was robbed-for |
Charley bad told me go when | visited |
him IN he cell. | bad then asked the
youth ii he was sure Warren ]
was his friend. o, he was sure Of it, /
he should have hunted him up on the 1
light Of the robbery, only they told him /
Warren had gone.
BY aud by, he foreman proposed that |
We should each take up piece Of paper |
4nd write down our opinion, aud then |
compare notes. ! went 10 my bat, which 4
had placed upon a table with number
of Others, aud took out sheet Of paper.
had got about half way back 10 the |
able when found had made mis-
AXE. bad got part Of letter from
luother man's hat. ] was about TO turn
back when the name Of the writer Of the 1
letter arrested my attention. looked /
more closely and read;
stephen Grant.
Next caught this sentence,
aud now dear Charles, II not for your