The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-03-02
THE RECONSTRUCTED VERDICT.

THE RECONSIDERED VERDICT.
True in substance, though tell from
a memory not very retentive of details
and, though true, probably new to many
of my readers, is the story of the re
| considered verdict. Some sixty autumns
AGO the case was tried at Chester, before
a Judge of great ability and eminence
and a Jury whose intelligence-but you
shall hear. In the preceding spring.
April, / think, was the month-there
had been a case of burglary at farm
house in Cheshire. Three men had tied
down and gagged the farmer and his tive
maid servants, and had rifled the house
at their leisure. The police were told OF
the matter, and pretty accurate descrip-
tions were given Of the men. There
were two other clues. In the struggle
one of the men had lost button from
his coat, which button he had left be.
hind. Also the same man had had his
face so severely scratched by one of the
maids that the girl said she was sure she
had left her mark upon him. Weeks
passed without any arrests being made,
and people began to forget the burglary,
until one day man was taken up in
Liverpool on suspicion of being con-
cerned in quite different matter. He
had with bin bundle containing some
of the plunder of the farm house. More
of the plunder was found at his lodgings.
His face bore traces of scratching, and
to clinch the matter, bis coat wanted a
button, and the buttons on it CORE
sponded exactly with that picked up at
the scene of the burglary. His defense
was very fimsy. "He knew nothing of
the burglary, but had bought the coat
and things very cheap of man in the
street." "Did you know the man p'
"No, never seen him before nor since"
"How about the scratchesp "Well,
he was a sailor and too much accus-
toned to big hurts to take notice of
scratches" or course he was committed,
and the trial, l said, came on at Chester.
1t excited great deal of interest, and
the court was crowded, an invalid stay
ing at the principal inn so far shaking off
touch of tropical fever as to send in his
card to the Judge, and ask for place
behind the bar. And yet, after all, there
was very little to be said.. The circum-
stantial testimony above mentioned was
overwhelming, and, in addition to that,
farmer and servants, with one accord,
swore to the identity of the prisoner
with the burglar. There was no de-
fense; the jury found verdict of guilty
without leaving the box; and, as a
burglary was hanging matter in those
days, it merely remained to pass sentence
of death. Only formula between him
and judgment:
"PrisOner at the bar, you have heard
the verdict of the jury. Have you any
thing to say why sentence of death should
not be passed upon your
Then the prisoner spoke for the first
time. Just brushing his eyes with the
cuff of his coat, be began:
"Well, cap'n, it's hard to be hung for
nothin', but / can see this is no yard arm
business. l know no more O. this ERE
burglary than a baby but these wit
nesses hain't told no lies, I-s'pose. And
what can 1 say again 'em2 When the
thing came of-April, didn't they say
was fghtin' the slavers on the Gold
Coast. But you've got no call to believe
that, and so there's an end TO it."
There was something in the mans
manner that impressed the Judge; so he
said, not unkindly:
"But surely, prisoner, if your story is
true, you must have friends and COM
rades with whom you could have COM
muDicated. If you had thought they
could do you good, you would have done
this. 1t is too late now."
"You're right, cap'n; it's too late.
But it's all very well to say let 'em know,
when a man is locked up in Jail, and
can't write nor read, and don't know
where they are. They may be in America,
they may be at the Cape, and how could
l let 'em know ?-leastways, not in time.
No, it's no use, and you'd better order
me run to the yard arm at once"
"But," urged the judge, "the court
has no wish to hang a man who may be
innocent. Is there no one who could
speak for your
The man looked in a hopeless sort of
way round the court.
mo" he began; but just then his eye
lighted on the strange man from the inn.
eyes" he added, pointing to him,
"there is a gentleman who might speak
for me if he would"
The Judge turned round. "Do you
know the prisoner Y' he asked.
"No, my lord, ;" was the reply, " never
saw him before in my life."
"Well, Captain Sharpe" said the pris'
oner, elf you put the rope round my
neck, l give in. Go on, my lord"
"Stay," said the judge, ais your name
Captain Sharper
ayes, my lord !" and "Captain
Sharpe, r. NJ" was on the card he had
sent in.
"Well, the prisoner seems to recog-
nize you, so will ask you 10 step into
the witness box and be sworn, that he
may ask you questions"
The captain went into the box, and the
following dialogue cnsued:
Are you Captain Sharpe, of His Ma
jesty's ship Vulture p
"Yes."
"Were you in command of her on the
slave coast this spring%
{" was"
"And wasn't one of your crew.
"Most certainly not"
But, Cap'n, don't you know the big
SLAYER that gave you all the trouble
that you had to board?"
Eyes"
"And you yourself led the boardersf'
40, yes; but all that Is nothiDg-you
may easily have heard or read all about
that"
"Well, but, Cap'n, once more; don't
you remember the big nigger that was
almost cutting you downF Don't you
| ramemhor the man who stood between