St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-12-08

them, prisoner at the bar, for as such
| must now regard You, have sat on
this bench till | have almost worn IA
hole III 1t, and yet in all these years
have never had Il case come up before
me that at all resembled yours. have
fined many man s. for killing his
mOther-in-law, but can recall nothing
in the annals of jurisprudence which
warrants Il doubt that Won, in asking
credence for this unparalleled story. are
making game of this court. 1t is hard
to sentence a man who applies to me
for relief, but what other cOuIse is open
to me. Why could you not have other
wise accounted for those mourning OPP
ticsP Why did YOU not tell me that
Peter Cooper had thrown il paving stone
at you? Why did you not explain to
me that you had stumbled over the
habeas corpus act or that the tottering
constitution of the United States had
fallen on youP | would have believed
you. | would have seen to it that YOU
obtained Justice. But no, nothing would
do but the tale with which YOU have
twice offended the ears of this court.
and you have thus placed yourself in ii
double barreled dilemma If us is most
probable, you have perjured yourself,
the States prison yawns to receive YOU :;
and If not, then, i'll my opinion. con
siderably worse fate should he yours"
Here the applause which throughout
this brief and pointed address had man
lfcSted itself i'll gentle murmurs became
general and vOciftrOus, showing how
deeply his HOnOr's concluding point had
been appreciated 10y large proportion
of the audience. When order was again
restored the judge feebly added, Il
shall take the papers and reserve my
decision. Take the prisoner away and
adjourn the court. | can do no more
his present attack of brain fever may
learn the final result. RADIx.
Governor Palmer on the Pinkston Case.
We give on the outside the tele-
graphic report of Gov. Palmer's indig-
nation. Below is another report of his
views of the same case
1t is umqueStionable that the PinkSton
murder had no connection with politics.
he testimony shows conclusively that
the assault was prompted by purely
personal motives; that the man was
well esteemed among his white neigh
hors: WAS i'll no sense an active politician
and had never given any cause for re-
sentiment against him on the part of the
whites. The probabilities. as indicated
10y the testimony. are that the murder
was committed 10y Alex Brooks and his
/ friends. Brooks being Il negro betwccu
7 l1.,,, t,,l a. |, 4
existed. | did say that the question
presented 10y this case was one entirely
disconnected with the presidency. from
| lildcn, from HAYES and from political
controversies. that II was IL question
which appealed to humanity. and that
/ | did not wish To live where such things
could happen without being made the
subject of investigation. aud where the
/ authorities took no measures to punish
! the guilty perpetrators. declared and
still declare. that it WAS the duty oi
that board To east aside all political
considerations and to make a thorough
/ Investigation of this case. | suggested
that they ought Ia designate. one mem
her To sit III private. if necessary. t,
hear the testimony. To fix the guilt
where 1t belongs. and To give the az
cuSed persons an opportunity To eNcul-
pate themselves. One of the worst f.a-
lures of the affair WAS the refusal of TIA,
board To permit this thorough invt>ti-
CATION. and the strenuous attempt t,
exclude all testimony on the Democrat,
side. 50 determined WAS this ,tfOlt
that II necessarily led to the inferenc,
that the PERSONS who put forward til,
story ,lisbp lieNel II Themselves az f.,l
a. It's political aspects were concerned
think that Grow. Wells himself Ice
lIeNes 1t to he false. am thoroughly
convinced that the white men accuse,
10y the negroes had nothing At all to d,
with the affair. and that. as to them
the story Is pure fiction.