The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-10-27

| the two men SOON retired. Brown. however, |
could not Danish fr, m lis mind the impress
| sion that serious crime had been committed. |
! He arose early and visited the spot where
the trrcation took place. and fpnnd An
drew's hat, ana near 1t marks of blood Still
he did not mention his suspicion to any one,
nor make any inquiries concerning the
missing man. 1t appears that he was by
nature exceedingly timid, aud shrank from
the responsibility, of charging man with so
serious a crime, and from the publicity which
the position Of prosecutor would compel
| bim to assume.
The boat proceeded 10 Plattsburg, and
when Andrews relatives made inquiries for
him, the captain rrOfesscd total ignorance of
his whereabouts, saving that he had lett him
at Pike Riycr,without modification, and gone,
he knew not whittier
Matters rested in this condition until eight
or ten days after the occurrence, when
body was taken from the river at the identi
cal place where Captain Weatherwax's boat
had,been moored on the.iatal night.
The.body gave ample evidence of having
met death by violence, as the skull was
crushed as by terrible blow from some
heavy instrument An investigation was
held, and a captain of a vessel lying near to
Captain Weatherwax's, on the night in
question recognized the body as that of a
man he had seen employed on Weatherwax's
boat lie further testified to having heard
Il quarrel on that night. ending with a
scufle and blow, after which all was silent.
The altorcation, he thought, proceeded from
Weatherwax's boat, and he distinctly heard
WeatherwaXs voice in the quarrel.
/ OF course suspicion was at once directed
to Weatherwax, and as he could give no satis-
factory explanation of his cousins disappear
snce he was arrested Tie preliminary ex-
aminainn ~ted tor nine days, aud produced
srent excitement, but resulted IN his being
remandcd to jnil to take his trial at the next
term Of court for the crime of murder.
The Weatherwaxe's then became alarmed.
Few Of them doubted his guilt indeed
nothing seem. d more certain but they were
. not willing that the name should be dis
9 gracel by one of them dying at the hands Of
2 the hangman, so they contributed funds,
employed able counsel. and made the best
: defense possible. Mr.. McMasters then and
now, we believe, leading lawyer of that
| country was engaged to defend him. Mr.
McMasters examined the case, and though
he had no doubt of his guilt, he, like II true
II lawyer, did his best for him. Not daring to
take his trial on the merits of the case, he
: succeeded in establishing the non-jurisdic-
: tion of the court, and locating the crime in
il now believed him to be, was therefore set at
n liberty, when he was threatened with vio-
It lence if he did,not leave the country. He
C refused saying that he was innocent and
r, wonld not stir until he was vndicated.
e While movement was being organized
to put the.thrcats into extcuton,.an officer
y arrived from Canada with II requsition, and
It he was taken across the line for trial.
l. The trial was among the most remarkable
$, ever held IN Canada The ablest counsel
n both of Canadian New York were engaged
); for the prisoner, and by postponing the tra
S; for nearly year. spiriting away some of the
d most important witnesses of the prosecution
l. and other ingenious and questionable devi
y ces, they succeeded in producing a disagree
A. ment in one jury, and finally brought about
I'd an acquittal after eighteen months of i'm
IN prisonment.
&c The community felt greatly outraged b!
the result, and the press teemed with de
ic nunciation of those who thus conspired u
cheat justice. His own counsel, wishing t.
repair as much AS possible the wrong the,
had done society by rescuing criminal from
II just fate, advised him to flee the country
and under another name strive by a bette
= life to repay society for its tolerance il
suffering him to live.
All such adxce the wretched man unheed
'E' ed and returned to his old home, declarin
his purpose to remain there until the clou
was lifted from his former good name. Bu
!, though saved. from the gallows, he did nc
~ escape punishment. The brand of Cain wa
y his Old fr ends and neighbors avoided hin
: he was pointed out AS a murderer, and his SUP
20 posed crime was even hooted in his eaI
=, many times as he passed through crowds |
r the public streets.
~ Thus the unhappy man passed eieve
years of his life, submitting quietly an
i, meekly to the aspersions cast upon him, an
~ waiting patiently for his vindication. Hi
~ loss of character had brought with it los
. of property; business men shunned him, th
-. better avenues of trade and enterprise WEI
- closed against him, and he became reduce
| al ia R,ta oll nj,
~, fortunes he was still hopeful.
Thus matters stood until the early part {
% October, 1867, when man clothed in tn
IN garb of sailor, made his appearance in tn
me village of Plattsburg, and inquired fer Cal
tain John Weatherwax. The latter was jn
~. then entering the post-ofiice, where consiC
4 cradle crowd had collected waiting the di
tor tribution of the mail, and was pointed OF
, 10 the inquirng stranger. lie made his wa
'oL toward him, laid his hand Familiarity upo
40. his shoulder, and exclaimed Glow a
of you, John T'
lie John looked at him moment in bewil'
,rp erment, gave suppressed. scream, and 4
AK piled:
sts "Great Heaven has ii come al last y
NY. Turning to the. e.crowd in the pOst-oihc
tod which by this time had become inteiesle
ira he said:
Gentlemen, my vindication has at la
,u- come For eleven years have borne yo
md reproaches in silence, hoping and prayir
tie. for this hour Ibis is my cousin Andre,
yn. for whose murder have suffered a punis
ery ment many times worse than death"
the The men stared at each other and at Il
md sailor, stupefed with wonder. Andrew w
me equally perplexed, for the actions of bo
AS. parties were to him incomprehensbie.
"A, h..