Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-09-01
FIR AN K EN- STEIN
DR.
THE MODERN PRoMETHEUs
BY MRS. M. w. SHELLEY.
CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VII.
We passed Il few sad hours, until
| eleven O'Clock, when the trial was
to commence. My father and the
rest of the family being Obliged to
attend as witnesses. accompanied
them to the court. During the
whole of this wretched mOckery OF
Justice, suffered living torture. 1t
was to be decided, whether the re-
suit of my curiosity ana lawless de-
| vices would cause the death of two
of my fellow beings; one smiling
| babe, full OF Joy and innocent; the
other Tar more dreadfuiiy murderer
with every aggYavation of iniamy
that could make the murder men,
orabIe in horrors. Justine also WAS
girl of merit, and possessed quali-
ties which promised to render her
life happy; now all was to be Oblit-
Grated in an ignominOusg grave; and
the causei A thousand times rather
would / have confessed myself
guilty of the crime aScribed to J US
tine: but | was absent when it was
committed, and such declaration
would have been considered as the
rawlings of madmany and would
not have eXculpated her who suffer-
ed through me.
The appearance of Justine was
calm. She was dressed in mourn
ing: and her conntenance, always
engaging. was rendered, by the
sOlemnity of her feelings, exquisite
Of oh
fident in innocence, and did not
tremble, although gazed on and ex-
ercrated by thousands; Tor all the
kindness which her beauty might
otherwise have excited, was Oblit-
Grated in the minds of the specta-
tors by the imagination OF the enor-
nifty she was supposed to have
committed. She was tranquil, yet
her tranquility, was evidently con-
strained and as her confusion had
before been adduced RS Il proof OF
her guilt, she worked up her mind
to an appearance of courage. When
che entered the court, she threw her
eyes round it, and quickly ulscOV-
cred where we were seated a tear
seemed to dim her eye when she
saw us; but she quickly recovered
herself, and look of s0rrOWful al
fection seemed TO attest her utter
outlines.
The trial began; and after the
advocate against her had stated the
charge, several witnesses were call
ed. Several strange facts cOmhln-
ed against her, which might have
staggered any one who had not
such proof of her innocence as ! had.
She had been out the whole of the
night on which the murder had
been committed, and toward morn
ing had been perceived by mar
kel-wOman not far from the spot
where the body OF the murdered
child had been i0unnd. The woman
asked her what she did there; but
she looked very strangely, and only
returned a confused and unIntelllgl-
BILE answer. She returned to the
house about eight O'Clock; and
when one inquired where she had
passed the night, 2he replied, that
She had been looking for the child,
and demanded earnestly, if any
thing had been heard concerning
him, When shown the body, she
fell into violent mysteries, and kept
her bed for several days. Ihe PIC
ture was then produced, which the
servant had found i'll her pocket
and when Elizabeth, in falterIng
voice, proved that it was the same
which, an hour before the child had
been missed, she had placed round
his neck, a murmur or horror and
Indignation filled the court. |
Justine Was called on for her de-
Tense. As the Irial had proceeded,
her cOuntenance had altered. Sur
prise. sorrow and misery, were |
strongly EXPRESSED. Sometimes she
struggled with her tears but when |
she was desired to plead, she col |
lected her powers, and spoke IN an |
audible although variable voice.
"God knows" she said, show |
entirely am innocent. But do |
not pretend that my protestations |
should acquit me: 1 rest my lnno- |
cence on a plain and simple explain
alton of the facts which have been !
adduced against me; and hope the |
character have always borne will
incline my judges to a favorable in
depreciation, where any clrcum-
stance appears doubtful or suspic-
ious."
She then related that, by the per-
mission of Elizabeth, she had passed |
the evening of the night of which |
the murder had been committed, at |
the house of an aunt at Ghene, a |
village situated at about league |
from Geneva. On her return, ut |
about nine o'clock, she met Il man,
who asked her if she had seen any |
thing of the child who was lost.
She was alarmed by this account,
and passed several hours looking |
for him, when the gates of Geneva |
were shut, and she was forced to re-
main several hours of the night in
barn belonging to a cottage, being |
unwilling to call up the inhabitants
to whom she was well known.
Unable to rest or sleep, she quilted
her asylum early, that she might |
endeaVor to find my brother. If |
she had gone near the spot where |
his body lay, it was without her
knowledge. That she had been be- |
wildered when questioned by the |
market was not surprising |
since she had passed a sleepless |
night, and the fate of poor William
was yet uncertain. Concerning the /
picture she could give no account. |
~ know" continued the unhap-
py victim, show heavily and fatal |
iy this one circumstance weighs
against me, but have no power of
explaining it and when / have ex-
pressed my utter ignorance, 4 am
only left to conjecture concerning
the probabilities by which it might
Fave been placed in my pocket.
But here also I am checked. be-
lieve that have no enemy on earth
and none surely would. have been
80 wicked as to destroy me wanton-
ly. Did the murderer place it there?
/ know of no opportunity afforded
him for so doing; or if had, why