The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1876-08-17
.crsr II J,nr noos.


nll manner q ways Tor release, but Il
no ctIeci coail ne, swear thar val
deaf, nor blad. nor yet aoa compos, ba.
5i8 tell them shat bad formed an opIu
ion They asked mt II my opinion would
prevent me from receiving the testimony
10 good faith aud rendering a verdict
according loit | replied that q course
| should weigh the evidence carefully and
Be be governed by IT, / was then in'
formed that | would do
The case to be tried was that Of arson
then q capital oflense--and the prisoncl
al The bar was young man named Chas
Amboid, whom had known from boy.
hood, aud who was naturally one Of The
finest youths Of the town where he re,
sided. He bad q widowed mother who
depended upsn him for support and BIZ
circle OF friends was large aud choice.
was morally certain that he did not com
nit the crime, aud hence | am sure those
whowcre friendly 10 him got me on the
panel and bad me retained.
The trial commenced, aud we twelve
men took our seats In the jury box. ]
had very respectable set with ms-only
there was one whom / didn't Ike to see
there. This man was Moultou Warren.
lie was dark, sinister looking fellow -
al least TO me. knew that young Am
bold had one fault He bad been adj
dicied 10 drink, and had been known TO
visit houses Of evil resort. Il was one
Of those houses that had been burned,
for setting fee to which be had been ap.
pretended.
Now | had often tried TO persuade
/ Charles Ambold from the course be was
pursuing lie bad repeatedly promised
me that be would reform, and as repeat
edly had be broken away; | had oflen
talked TO hin OF bis poor mother until he
had wept like child; but the effect was
not lasting. There was power Of temp
tation more effective than any influence
could WELD. lie would fall away into
evil companionship, and for awhile his
ma1hood was going
And knew this very man who was
now on the jury-this Moulton Warren
was one who had done more than all
others TO lead the poor youth away. i
was Warren who had drank with him.
aud who had led him away to those
abominabIe baunts of evil. Why was be
upon the jury? | could only account for
II upon the ground that Charles still sup
posed him TO be his friend. The poor
scorched insect was still ignorant OF the
flame that scorched him. He really be-
lieyed that Moulton Warren was his
friend.
The trial commenced. The indictment
set forth that Charles Ambold had with
malice aforethought; and with all sorts
Of yo iahad S"d rsio"ieu. Infant. snt Gre tn
certain dwelling house, thereby en-
daugering human lie. This dwelling,
as have already intimated, WAS low
sink Of iniquity, where the abandoned
of both sexes we're wont to congregate,
aud where the youthful prisoner had
spent much OF bis time.
The evidence for the prosecution came
on and was startled. One after anoth-
er gave in their testimony, some of them
very reluctantly, and | was frightened
VIXEN saw how plainly it all pointed TO
the prisoner as the guilty party. Several
credilable witnesses swore that be had
threatened TO burn the house down; aud
others had repeatedly heard him say that
he wished it was burned down. Then
came several witnesses-three OF the
prominent citizens-who saw MIN lurk-
ing about the premises on the night OF
the fire,
With regard to the provocatiOn on the
prisoners part for such a deed, il was
proved upon his own admission that
he had been heard TO say that his sal
vation Of soul aud body depended upon
the destruction of that house. Next
came more testimony stronger still.
The fire had been set in back base
meut room where shayings aud other
stuff for kindling were kept Entrance
had been gaiued through back window
which had been partly pried open with
stout knife. This basement wull was
brick, aud beneath the sash was iha
blade Of knifewhich lad been broken
Oft in trying TO raisc the sash. The blade
was recognized as belonging 70 the
prisoners knife a maker OF cutlery
bad made'a knife 10 order for Ambold
only a month previous, and be knew the
blade at once, and swore to Ii
But this was not all The fire was
evidently set first 10 the shaviugs which
lay upon the goue floor, bul piled up
against a wooden partition. The noor
was damp, and some Of The outer shaw
ings, even, were not wholly burned up
But lusi Al the edge where the ire com.
meuced, lay piece OF paper, rolled Up,
aud abont hall buint, aud from tbe man.
ner 10 which Il lay, il was very evident
ihai the FIRE bad been set with il. This
piece oi rolled paper bad been ignltcd
with a match, number Of which were
scattered around, aud as soon .as IT was
Oh fire 4 had been laid upon the floor
with tie burning end just in the shaw
.ugs Of course these shavings we're ia
q blaze instantly; but The paper torch
l,cing on The damp stones, had not burn.
"a wholly up.
Aud tie paper was found 70 be part Of
= letter belonging 10 the pfisoncri a