Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-02-01

murdered him and this voice was Miss Ru-
rick's After this | only recall the spectacle
Of some men raising dead body, of Miss Ru-
rick's eyes glaring ut me, and of two persons
riding beside me, scarcely listening to my
vague remonstrances, until we reached the
county town. We stopped in front of for
bidding looking edifce, the men knocked, the
door opened. some words passed between my
escort and the person who opened the door,
and then was ushercd in and the door closed
behind me. was in jail.
V.
''NIy trial for the murder of Girardet, ," con-
tinued Manthorpc. took place month after
wards It is unnecessary TO dwell upon the
details-therc is no time I give you the
prominent points only. The charges against
me were these that there had been an old
and bitter feud between the deceased and my
self that this had led to frequent aterca-
tions that had recently had a quarrel with
the deceased, on which occasion l had eX-
claimed, you shall repent this insolence -
and that, ecting him on the high road, on
the day of the murder, / had attacked him,
struck him upon the temple with the but end
of a heavy riding whip, and that from this
| blow death had ensued.
"You will understand easily that this last
| charge was based upon the testimony of Miss
Rurick, before the examining court She had
either not been ale, then supposed, to make
! out precisely what occurred during the quar-
rel, or she had resolved TO consign me 10 the
| State Prison, possibly to destroy me. On my
trial, which took place in presence Of great
| crowd, she gave the same testimony, and
could see that it had n powerful effect upon
| the Jury. Nothing further remained, besides
the circumstantal evidence of the infant ;
! and this point the Prosecutor, who was a
| personal enemy Of mine, argued claborately.
! OF the fact he said, that the crime was pre-
| neditated and committed with malice pre-
| pense. there could be no doubt whatever.
| The chain Of evidence was complete. / had
| hated the deceased bitterly; we had quarrel
! ed, on more than one occasion l had threat
! cned to attack him when we next met then
we had met while he was peacefully riding
| out with young lady had forced n quarrel
/ upon him: had struck him with a deadly
/ weapon. rs the result itself indicated, causing
/ his death and the Prosecutor concluded by
| demanding of the jury verdict of Guilty OF
murder in the first degree
The jury took the case just at nightfall.
| The candles had been lit, and the courtroom,
with its densely packed crowd, looked funereal
| in the dim light Of the sputtering tallow can
dies. Near one of these, in its tin candle
stick, on the long desk in front of the witness's
| stand. sat Miss Rurick. She was looking at
me, and | never saw an expression of enmity
so bitter. Mixed with it was an utterly obi.
| Gus look of triumph. | think she fully an
tcipated q verdict of murder in the first de
| gree for, in spite Of the most rigid cross-ex-
animation by my counsel, her testimony that
| | had provoked the quarrel on the high road
had not been shaken, and there were reasons
connected with the time and place which told
] ell
| been. since its first settlement, famous fol
lawless encounters in which men had righted
their own wrongs, or fauciod wrongs. with
| the pistol and the bowie knife. No citizen,
| life had been safe Fathers ard husband,
went in daily fear Of falling victims TO the
| bullies and dosperadoes Of the region and
from this had gradually resulted a resolutt
determination in the community to measure
out to offenders of this description the full
penalty Of the law. This sentiment had. al
| the time of my trial, reached its height. The
jury were almost all strangers to me, as the
county-seat was distant from my home.
victim was wanted at the moment, and be
came that victim. Unable TO agree upon
verdict of 'Wilful murder the jury brought
in one Of Homicide and [ was sentenced tC
| confinement for ten years in the State Prison
when this verdict was brought in by the
jury looked at Miss Rurick. | can only de
scribe the expression of her face rs one OF
fierce joy. She hated me, and her hatret
had been gratiiied. She hated me for max
ing her the laughing stock of the gossips; foi
leaving her to love Annie, and for being the
cause of the death of Girardet whose great
wealth had been within her grasp. Such wO
men appear now and then. But the race j.
not perpetuated. Heaven makes them bar
! rcn.
Il was rccouduct,d to Jail My trial ant
conviction nearly brokt Anne's heart, but
she bore up brnyely and cheered me to the
last. You are unmarried, you tell me, friend
Pray to heaven to give you, rs its greatest
blessing, a devoted wife. l saw Annie every
day and had the unspeakable happiness o
reading in her fearful eyes an expression OF
tenderness which showed me that l was fal
dearer to her in my dark days than had evel
been before When the hour of parting came
she clung to me, sobbed upon my breast, ant
tainted, clingng to me even when mcon
scious. ! left her with the motherly wife o.
the iailor, and set out under guard-a convic
on the way to be punished"