Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1877-10-10

wHetnef the people cOuiu, OUT Oh me |
circumstances relied upon, convict
him. ale must not be hung; you
must prevent that, ifpossible. That
would-would-but it must not be"
said the man with. deep feeling. Al |
ter an hours further conversation on
the subject the stranger handed the
counsel a liberal fee and departed
as he came-a mystery. In that
conversation something was ,liscloS
to the lawyer which touched him
heart and soul. turning his sympa.
thies strongly toward his client; but
what this was has ever remained
and will always remain Il profound
secret. The arguments Ill the ease
were closed for few moments before
the adjournment of the court for the
day. The jury, under the usual ad
mouitions ofthe court, retired, the
jud &c deciding not te give his charge
until morning. 1t happened that
the foreman and the counsel for the
defeuse occupied adjoining sleeping.
rooms. Early the next morning the
, lawyer was awakened by voice in
, the Jurors roO;u. Listening, he as
contained that the juror WAS engag'
/ ed in prayer. In deep edrupstness
/ he was pctitioning the Judge ofrarth
and heaven to guide him Alright in
the awful duty that WAS committed
to him aud his fellow jurors. 1t was
not prayer to be heard of men-nOt
one OF those supplications So often
heard, where the speaker is too stu
dious of fine words, but it was a
PRAYER breathed out under the ,lirec
tions of Christ himself-secret
prayer-"man in audience with
Deity, The lawyer heard it all; for
he could not avoid it. He had been
. educated 10 believe in "icr>ent, eifec-
tual prayer and he was deeply i'm.
pressed with the solcmnity OF this
iuryman's prayer. When it WAS
ended, he opened his door and walk
ed into the room where the lawyer
lay, that being the only way he could
reach the outer hall. AS he did this
he saw that the counsel was awake.
Pausing a moment, he approached
his bed. "You have, doubtless,
heard my morning prayer. You
have heard me refer To the man
, your client, whose fate is soon to bc
committed to me and my fellow
Jurors. The case hangs so heavy Oh
my mind that | have asked God tc
assist us After another pause, il
which he seemed debating with him
self, he concluded. IL desire to ash
You a single question. don't wan
YOU to answer me as Il lawyer, but
want yOu to answer me as "A maj
standing in the presence of Hin
unto whom all hearts are open, ant
from whom no secrets are hid. lo'
have labored hard aud ably for You
client. You doubtless know all hi
secrets. You know his guilt or innc
cence. Now tell me, do you believ,
him innoccntv There WAS nothing
the lawyer 80 much desired ut tina
moment as the acqnittal of his client
He knew from the character, intell
= I EtIlcc anu WI INV D'ibt W"
T. he would be q controlling spirit wit
:, his fellows; and he believed that If h
u could cmphatically assert then an
$ there that his client was an innWcn
r man. he would be acquitted Bu
& the eye of the juror was fastened al
C most sternly upon him; he had bee
p summoned to answer before Il "higho
A. law For "a moment he hcsita;ed
e for a moment he esSaycd To shou
l. the one controlling word, innocent
s. but he could not. He was ont ,
j. the court room now, where zeal oftr
gets the best of truth. Hehesitale,
1, the eye of the juror still fixed ulo
lie him. At length he said, IN
n c., you have listened to my arg
le ment in behalf of my client; you Ia,
T. heard all that have said in regar
C. to his guilt or innocence. said the
rs | say now, that the evidence dot
ct not convict him. | can say no noI
&c except that | deeply appreciate Il
" purity of your motives i'll addresSir
II me, though it is against the la"
1t "Tberc is sacred confidence in tn
w. interview that | feel will never
re broken. may have erred in see
as ing it, but, as you say, my moiir
a, we're pure. l could have wish'
ed that you-you"-the sentence "
er not finished. The juror left tae roo
't- ere it was completed. AT the ols
er- ing of the court on that mOrnii
or after an able and impartial char
he from the judge, the jurors retire
es- After an absence of an hour and
IN, half they came into court with
ed verdict of guilty, and Joseph Ro
Try was sentenced to death. But
IN indefatigable counsel, after movi
tn' for a new trial, which was feni,
les applied to the Governor for "A CO
lg. mutation of the death sentence