The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-10-28
A SAD SCENE.
A Child Dyiug in its Mothers Arms While
Its Father is Being Tried for Murder.

Persons who were present in the cour
house last Thursday morning just rs the
case of the State VS.. James Robinson anc
James Lucas, charged with murder, va:
called, witnessed one of the saddest scene:
that ever occurred in this county. The
morning in question had been set for the
trial of the above-named prisoncrs-Jas
Robinson being charged in the indict.
ment with the murder of Moses Lucas
on the 9th of August last, and James
Lucas as the accomplcc. Robinson Is
wife had come to town to be present at
the trial. She brought her four children
along, the youngest of whom was an i'll
fant. This little thing had been quite i'll
for some time but the mother did not
think it was dangerously SO. On the day
stated Mrs. Robinson was present in the
courtroom, and ut her side sat her
three little bare footed children and her
pale faced, sad looking husband, whilst
in her arms, wrapped in a red wooden
shawl, she held close up to her bosom
the frail body of her infant-its face as
pale as chalk and its eyes "set" us if
in death. The woman herself, weighted
down with sorrow and distress for her
infant was dying in her arms and her
husband was about to be tried for his life
presented sad, sad spectacle to those
who looked upon her tear.stained face,
as she sat nursing her dying baby. The
while the Court was unaware of the
scene in its presence. The Judge
turned over the leaves of the calendar
and called the case of "The State against
James Robinson and James Lucas
indictment, murder" The poor mother
looked up agonizingly and heaved the
deepest sigh we ever heard, and her lit
tie children, seated, at her side, sobbed
audibly. 1t was q moment of extreme
sadness. Colonel Wylie, flushed with
emotion, arose and in tones husky and
faltering, stated that he had sad duty
to perform-to ask the indulgence of the
Court for q while, as the infant child Of
one of the prisoners was thoug BIT to be
dying in its mothers arms in the court
room. The Judge leaned from his chair,
and resting his face in his hands, looked
at the mother. We heard not word,
for we had turned our head and walked
off; but the prisoner-father, pale and wan,
with his little three.year old girl in his
arms and his three other children at his
side-led the way from the courtroom,
followed by the stricken wife with her
infant. They were accompanied by
Deputy Sheriff Hunter. They returned
to the Jail, where the child was given
every attention, but at nine o'clock that
night the Pickering spark of the frail lit
tie life went out and the baby passed
from the harro. .ying scenes by which it
had been surrounded that day.
The case had been called after the
recess that morning and the prisoner
having plead "not guilty" to the arraign-
ment, the empanneling of jury was be.
gun. Mrs. Robinson left her dying baby
to the kind attention of others and was
present in the courtroom during the
evening. After adjournment she returned
to her infant and gave it every attention
possible, but to no avail.
Upon the opening of the court the
next morning Mrs. Robinson and her
three children were in their places-the
mother had left the dead body of her
infant in the keeping of friends at the
Jail to be present upon the scenes of the
day-another and strong proof of wo-
mans devotion in the hour of distress.
The bereayed woman sat as near to her
husband US possible all the morning, her
face swollen with grief and her stricken
heart heaving the deepest sighs. At the
hour of adjournment for dinner the re.
cess was prolonged and the father and
mother, followed by few sympathizing
friends, accompanied the dead body of
their baby to the village cemetery and
saw it laid away, safe from the sorrows
and troubles incident to life here. Our
heart never went out in deeper sympa.
thy than to this wofully afflicted mother
and wife, and we certainly hope that God
will pity her in her sorrow and that the
world will treat her most kindly.-Lan-
caster RevieaD.