The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1878-09-19

kuew We bad separated. WAS The last
person kBown to be With him, and ! was
uow arrested on suspicion Of belug his
murderer. A search of The premises was
Immediately instituted. The watch WAS
found in The drawer 10 which ] had
placed It, aud was Identified as The prop.
erty Of The murdered man. His horse,
toe, was foand iB my stable, for the AMI
mai bad iusi put there was none other.
! recognized him myself when J saw him
IN TIE light What | said know not.
My confusion was taken as additional
evidence, and when did command lan-
gusge to give an Ineligible statement 1t
was received with the sneers Of lnered-
ulily.
The mob spirit is inherent 10 men- at
least 10 crowds Of men. Il may not al
ways manifest itself IN physical violence,
Il sometimes contents itself with lynch.
log q character; but Whatever its form il
is always relentless, pliless, cruel
As the proofs Of my guilt. one after
another, csme to light. dow muueripgs
gradually grew into elsmor for ven
geance, aud but ior the firmness OF one
man--the officer who had me iu charge
would doubtless have paid the penalty
Of my supposed offence on The spot. 1t
was not sympathy for the that actuated
my protector, his heart was as hard as
bis office; but he represented the majesty
o. the law aud took sort OF grim pride
ia the position. AS much under the
glance Of bis eyes as before the muzzle OF
his pistol, the cowardly clamorers drew
back. Perhaps they were not sufficient
ly numerous to feel the full effect ofthat
mysterious reflex influence which makes
a crowd OF men so much worse, and at
times so much better than any one Of
them singy.
AT the end OF some months my trial
came. II could not have bot one result.
Circumstances too plainly declared my
guilt. | alone knew they lied The
absence OF the jury was very brief To
their verdict paid but little heed. 1t
was u single hideous word, but | had
long anticipated it, aud it made no inn
preston. As little impression was made
by the words OF the judge which follow
ed IL, and his solemn invocation that God
might have that mercy upon me which
man was too just TO youchsaie, sounded
like the holowest Of hollow mockerie j.
II may be hard for the condemned crimi-
nal to meet his death; it is still harder
for him who is innocent. The one, when
the first shock is over, acquiesces in his
doom, and gives himself to repentance !;
the heart Of the other filled with rebellion
against mans injustice can scarce bring
itself TO ask pardon of God. had grsdu-
ally overcome this feeling ia spite Of the
good clergymsn's irritating efforts, which
were mainly directed towards extracting
confession, without which, he assured
me, lac bad no hope to offer. On the
morning Of the day fixed for my execu-
tion | felt measureably resigned. ! had
SO long stood face to face with death, had
so accustomed myself TO look upon II as
merely momentsry paug, that no ]
longer felt solicitous save that my memo.
ry should one day be vindcated. She
for whom | had gone to prepare home
had already found one in heaven. The
tidings of my calamity had broken her
heart. She alone of all the world be-
lieved me innocent; and she died with a
prayer upon her lips that the truth might
yet be brought to light. All this / had
heard, and it had soothed as with sweet
incense my troubled spirit. Death, how
ever unwelcome the shape, was now a
portal, beyond which | could see one
angel waiting to receive me. heard the
sound of approaching footsteps aud
neryed myself 10 meet the expected sum
mons. The door of my cell opened and
the sheriff aud his attendants entered.
He held Ia his hands u paper. II was
doubtless my death warrant. lie began
10 read it. My thoughts were busted
elsewhere. The words full aud tree
pardon were the first 10 strike my preoc-
cupied senses. They Affected the by.
ISLANDERS more lhau myself. Yet 50 II
was; | Was pardUned for III offence had
never committed.
The real culprit, none other, ii is need.
less 10 say, than be who sought aud
abused my hospitality, had been mortal
ly wounded in recent ailray in dis.
tant city, but had lived long enough Ia
make u disclosure, which bad been laid
before the governor barely Ia time to save
me from a shameful death aud condemn
me 10 cherries aud burdensome life
This is my experience. My judgment,
as you're, in the case before US, leads tc
but one conclusion, that OF the prisoner,
guilt! bat not less confident and appar
entity unerrIDg was the judgment thai
falsely pronounced my own.
We no longer importuned our fellow
juror, but patiently awaited our discharge
on the ground Of inability to agree, which
came at last.
The prisoner was tried aud convicted al
a subsequent term, ald a. the last mo.
ment confessed bis crime on the scsnold
From Jurymaa's Diary.
The most enterprising colonist OF lh,
period is the baboon ofindia. A band o
200 or 800 baboons has suddenly appeared
near the village OF Augurpara. They ar,