Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1876-04-27

are you sure you did not send Thomas
to the bank the night Of the murder.
q know very well, / did not, was
her answer.
"Then," replied, either the keeper
of the cigar store is mistaken or yonr
servant Thomas is the murderer Of your
father
She did not look as much surprised
az l expected at this assertion.
"ar G -, said she, "tbe night en-
which poor papa was murdered Thomas
came through the hall and started 10 go
up stairs. | wanted him to mend the
| fire, and ] called him into thu sitting
room. ne entered | noticed large
dark spot on his cheek and one on his
collar. / halt suspected him when /
heard hcx anxioas lie was to tell about
that unfortunate little difficulty between
papa and Howard Burton, but j did NOT
say anything about it to any one they
were all 50 sure Howard was guilty.
| t4ld her to treat Thomas Us usual,
and not to speak of our conversation 20
any one. After receiving letter she
wished to send to Burton. took my
departure for -. Immediately on my
arrival there I went to my client and
communicated to him all had learned
and delivered the letter. The poor fell
low was happy and invited me to take
tea with him in bis cell. He ate heart
lily and smoked cigar with evident en-
joyment. took the first real nights
rest that night had since the death OF
MIR. Richards. The day Of the trial at
last arrived. bad previously sworn
out warrant for the arrest of Thomas
to be served as soon as the jury should
pronounce my client not guilty. The
District Attorney opened for the people
IN an elaborate and very able speech,
giving the details OF the case, and then
proceeded to examine the witnesses.
Thomas the servant was the first cali
ed. He swore to the quarrel between
Mr.. Richards. and Burton threatened to
take Mr. Richards life. Northumberland
ing ! closely cross-examiDed him fails
ed to make him contradict himself, and
vixen he retired nearly every one in tho
court room was douptless certain that
Howard Burton was guilty. The next
witness was the hotel clerk, who testi-
fed that Burton came into the hotel
while he was attending to the guests
from the train that arrived in c. at
6 clock and that traiu passed Kat
about half past six. Then followed tha
examination of the bank cashier, who
swore that the package of $4,000 found
on Burton at the time OF bis arrest was
deposited in his bank on the afternoon
of the murder. After calling several
other witnesses whose testimony was Of
minor import, the prosecution rested. l
then followed and after brief opening
address, called the German painter who
swore to seeing Mr.. Richards send
Barton on the errand, also TO seeing Mr.
Richards in she cigar store after six
o'clock on the night Of the murder.
When had finished with in, he was
SUI iect to q very severe cross exanain2-
ton in which he acquitted himself very
creditably. Then | called the condpc-
tor who swore to seeing Burton on the
train the night OF the murder; he also
swore that the train left on time six
o'clock The cigar store man was ex-
amined next, who swore to talking with
Mr.. Richards at els P. Il, also to see-
ing him leave the store with Thomas.
NY witnesses were all thoroughly cross
examined but did not contradict them
selves in any particular. then closed
my case, and after a few remarks from
the prosecution, the Judge charged the
Jury, who retired, aud in fifteen minutes
returned with the verdict NOT GUILTY.
NV client and | were oyerpowered with
congratulations, and never since in my
professional life have felt as proud anu
triumphant as | did then.
las soon as quiet was restored, the
sheriff approached Thomas, the servant,
and SAID in loud voice, Thomas BeGlg
I arrest you for the n'W'der of Mr.
Il chardS The excitement in the court
caused by this unlocked for aud sudden
proceeding was most intense. The prs
oner was Immediately taken to jail, fol-
lowed by crowd that were loud in their
expressions of denunciation-the same
crowd that a little before had marked
Burton as the murderer.
s'W ell, TO finish this story, have Its
tie to adj. | was retained by the bank
officers to prosecute Thomas Healy and
ne was convicted of the crime. He pro-
tested his innocence to the last, but the
night before he was executed he made
full confession, stating that he was
to- rob the bank some even
ing when Dir. Richards was t,.~-.. all
alone. Ii was Mr.. Richards custom, he
explained, to 90 to the bank in the even
ing, and when he aud young Burton
quarreled. he, Thomas, saw his oppor-
unity. His determination was siren gth-
enet by hearing Mr. Richards remark
on the dav of the murder, as he sat at
dinner, that there VAS an unusually large
amount of cash on hand The note in
the case was the one Miss Clara had
gwen him to take to her father some
DAYS before, but Mr.. Richards coming
home before Thomas found him, it had
not been delivered az intended. By the
aid of the note he got Mr.. Richards in.
TO the bank, and while be was reading
1t he struck him with the stove poker,
and then cut his throat lie got no
money as the reward Of his crime as the
vaults had been locked.
The night Thomas made his confess
sion he committed suicide, thus cheat
ing the gallows tree Of its just due.
Howard Burton was made cashier of
the bank and married Clara Richards
within year, and they are both still
living Their Oldest son, a practicing
lawyer, is named for your humble ser.
want, and my law library, which is said
to be the finest 10 the State, was press