, 1876-09-16
Dcuth.Ised Accusations.

IN the elements VI tHIlCHIC h''S"''
iv the courts, none is more grave and
conclusive than that OF the dCath.bcd ac-
cusation OF IA victim of foul play. One
naturally supposes that such II person
with the near prospect of eternity before
him, will not lastGn the crime upon an
innocent man; and his deposition is
accorded weight which is rarely gwen
even to credible cyc-wilncsscs OF crime
Especially strong does this sort Of eyi
GenCe become when the accused is
brought face to face with his supposed
victim Mt the bedside, and Is thcu and
there sworn to rs the real criminal. Yet
judicial annals abound with instances in
which persons have been thus accused,
and have suffered the dread results Of
such accusation, who have atterward
been proved clearly guilt!ess. It need
scarcely he remarked that innocent per
soas often confess TO having committed
crimes sometimes to mitigaCc II punish
ment which they think certain To be in
dcted upon them. AS to dcatn'bcd nc.
cusations, the case of Saran Green, in
London, is 10 be the point. One night
this girl was attacked 10y three men, who
had the appearance OF being brewers
apprentices She was taken to the hos
pital, and while she was lying there she
was confronted bya man named Cole.
man, brewers assistant, whom stran,
ger, in quarrel at an ale.houSe. had
charged with being concerned in the AS
sault She at first declined to swear
that he was one Of her assailants, though
she expressed decided opinion that he
was. Being brought TO her second
'time, however, she swore that Coleman
was one of her assassins. Coleman was,
however, set free on bail; whcreupon he
hastened to conceal himself. Soon after
the girls death he was found. He was
indicted, convicted and executed. Two
years after it was discovered that he was
wholly innocent, the real criminals being
apprehended, and contessing that they
did not so much as know Coleman by
sight
A singular though yet more tragic in.
stance of condemnation on account ut
an accusation in drticulo mOrtis wa. that
of the Shaws of Keith. William Shaw,
laborer, had daughter who Was in
love with young man of whom the
father strenuously disapproved. One
day loud words were heard in the room
where they lived, After quarrel be.
tween father and daughter, Shaw left
the house, locking the girl in the room.
Not long after, the sound of groans
caused the neighbOrs to break open the
door, when the girl was found wrthing
in agony on the floor, bloody knife
lying at her side. When asked If her
father had done the deed, she nodded
family, and Immediately drew her last
breath. Shaw just then returned, and
seemed overcome at the sight OF his
dead child. He was arrested; blood
was found on his shirt sleeves, which he
accounted for as caused by his having
bled himself several days before; but
circumstances weighed too heavily
against him, and he was condemned and
executed. Some time after, letter
written by the girl was found in the
chimney Of the room, stating that she
was about to commit suicide, and also
containing the words: My cruel father
is the cause ofmy DEATH" This gave
the clew to the fatal gesture she had
made at the moment OF expiring, and
clearly proved her own guilt and her
fathers innocence.
The jsdges OF certain old German
town were sadly perplexed over case
which it became their duty to solve, and
which at first glance seemed simple
enough. A rich but ill-tempered and
truculent fellow named Ruprecht, a
goldsmith, on going one night to a low
og.shop, was assaied at the door, and
fell at the foot of the stairs with u loud
groan. The cronies OF the den hastened
down, to find him IN great distress from
a deep wound on his head He STAN
mered out, The villain with the ak
My daughter, my daughter y This