Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1877-05-03

Il
while the .su0efse kxeds 1Was
III. Upon the ninistration anc-
I'dyne the patient recovered 6eeh,
snd lived several minutes ID 6t5o6s
state, during which he msdG Duafe6-
sion, and acalledzthe ldsstq Rthey
aeighbors who had, come = ujpees
the facts as above stated. Gv-
Ten was held, and vertict [&1Uy
the coroners Jury in aecoa - NJ
THE confession Of the dying loeAfte
testimony Of che .physicia1 1lrg
Witnesses. The facts are d y -
cord in Judge M,ckey' codf 1&leJ
had been put 10 the form off pl6t5Grois
| nance, eriti6ss Woal1 hasS 1ecl1
tksU.ssss Ai6ess1is1e q. be made Tie
basis Of . fiction protesting to represent
the possibilities OF poetic justice in real
lie. IT, rva' r.
Another incident was even more re.
markable. One morning, said the judge.
As was opening court, Col. Ingraham,
planter whom had known for many
years, stepped up to the bar, accompan-
led by hrs nephew, boy Of thirteen.
This boy vas the son Of Maj. Crawford.
of the Confederate army, who fell at
Gettysburg. He was pale, slender
little fellow. quite effeminate and unus-
ually bashful. Indeed, said the Judge,
he acted more like a girl than boy.
Col. Ingraham addressed the court and
said: 81 am here for the purpose Of sur
rendering this boy into the custody of
the officers of the law. He shot and
killed his step-father last night"
The judge then proceeded to state the
circumstances as follows: Some time
after the close Of the war Mrs. Craw-
ford, the boys mother, married for her
second husband a man named Legge.
She had daughter two or three years
older than the boy was before the court.
They lived pleasantly enough on the
plantation owned by Mrs. Crawford un-
til the girl became about fourteen. when
Legge effected her rum. 10
After the intimacy had continued
some time Mrs. Legge discovered that
her husband had seduced her daughter,
but, to prevent scandal. the affair was
hushed up, on condition that Legse
should leave the State and never return.
He left, and after he had been gone
some time Judge Mackey granted d.
vorce upon petition Of the lady, who re-
sumed her widowed name of Crawford.
About year and a half after these
events Legge returned and presented
himself to Mrs. Crawford's residence
just after dark. The house stood at
some distance from any other dwelling,
and on the occasion Of Legge return
Mrs. Crawford had no one with her ex-
oept this boy. the unfortunass girl and
| an old negress. Legge said taat he had
come to get the girl and take her away
with him. He displayed re volver, and
commanded the negro servant to pack
up the girls trunk Immediately, as he
intended to take her away with him that
night, he having brought carriage for
that purpose. - u
Lcgge paid no attention to the boy,
who. while his mother swas expostulat-
ing with the wretch, quietly went into
his mothers room. On a shelf IN an
old secretary in that room were several
mementoes Of Major Crawford. Among
them was his old revolver, which had
been preserved Just as il was unbuckled
from the body Of the dead officer upon
the field where he fell. Three barrels
had been discharged at Gettysburg, and
the other three renamed loaded with
the same charges and capped with the
same caps that had been put there by
Crawford before he went into battle.
In this condition the revolver had lain
thirteen years. and now il was in the
hands OF the dead soldiers son-who,
believe Judge Mackey said, had been
born after Crawford left his home for
the last tirne-to avenge The wrong that
had been done his little girl. The boy
crept out Of his mothers room, and as
soon as he saw Legge, shot him through
the head, killing him instantly. ;.s.
Judge Mackey y heard the boys state
ment and then said: - r y#.. ses-.
"Ny child, the Jail at Chester is very
strong. The walls are thick. the doors
are Of solid iron and the windows are
strongly grated. II has secured many
bad and dangerous men. Il has defied
many attempts az escape from within
and some efforts at trescue from Without
1t is said TO be the strongest county jail
in South Carolina. Bat il is not strong
enough to hold you. would not dare
risk its walls 10 restrain you from your
liberty. You may go back to your moth
er, who needs your protection. You
will be- indicted by the grand Jury, and
when your trial occurs Will let You
know, because it is necessary that
prisoner on trial for homicide should be
present during the trialr'aw set. 90
The Judge then directed the di,tric,
attorney to prepare the indictment in the
usual form upon information, and the
day was set for trial. The boy appe sred /.
accompanied by Col lngraham and his
mother. Alter the usual formalities of
arrangement the Judge sand to the boy {:
Please write upon piece Of paper the
words mot guifsy.i" The boz did ss
directed, and the piece of pauer eas
handed to the judge. The distsiet at
torney then ASKED the mother of The bow
. few questions relative 10 the cireum.
stsnces q the shooting, aads annossced
that the cssea On the part Of the State
was closed. TIE Fesolver which had
done de work vss then preaueea by
Col. ligsahao, and Mrs. Cnw ford said
Il had hot been losasi in :hirfeea xears.
The trial thsss sosasuneA perkaps,
half "A hour. when aJsdee Maekey rose
TO ehsrEesths isEys Tins change .u an
sfgumSnt Id 6eh1lf of he bsJ .ths forea
and pafhos % which eoula nol % imas-
ined ~ ssy icse vhs .hss s.he,sd