Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-02-24
4 HOAX


The story of Clever Ruse.
1t was late after midnight-aud as we
got up from the whist table and gathered
around the fire Col. Thornton said "If you
men are not too tired. and don't mind sit
ting up another half hour, l think can
tell you good story
We protested we were never less tired,
and could sit up till morning if necessary.
Ny father as YOU know, was a parson,
but he took orders late in life, after having
| been ii years at the bar, and the events of
/ which | am going to tell you he, himself,
told me as having come directly under his
| eye when he was barrister.
1T was at the Monmouth asszes, in lS-.
/ that a case was tried which became the talk
of the neighborhood and country for years
/ after. My father was sitting in the court
/ of the assistant Judge, when a note was
| brought him from friend in the adjoining
/ court, asking him to come and hear case
! Of more than usual interest. the facts of
| which were these;
Some time before a farmers house near
| Monmouth had been broken into and robbed
| bv men disguised and masked, the farmer
murdered and his servant shockingly ill
treated Among other things which were
| stolen were twoold fashioned silver brooches,
curously iulad with malachite, hcirlooms
Of the family and, although unremitting
/ search was made, and the description of
/ the lost articles made widely known, no
trace Of the murderers could be found.
"A month or two after the murder, how
ever a police officer, in going through a
common lodging house in Bristol, noticed
/ dis,ipated looking sailor lying on pallett
and resting his head on a small bundle. He
asked him what it contained, and was told
7 that it was only his kit The officer, not
satisfied opened the bundle, and almost the
first things To fall out were two brooches
made of silver and malachite. Struck by
their curious beauty, and wondering how
such a wretched looking fellow could have
become possessed Of them, he suddenly re
menbered the advertisement and descrip-
tiou of the stolen articles
How did you come By these 2 he in
quired
The sailor replied BY chance When
came ashore some time ago with plenty of
money in my pocket, met an old seaman
/ who was down on his luck and he offered
10 sell me these things which had belonged
20 hi, mother. | was pretty fush and gave
/ him a good price for them, although they
were useless to me. And that's all about it.
The police officer, still dissatisfied, took
him into custody. He was sent to Monmouth
gaol, the brooches were identified, and he
was committed for trial at the assize on the
charge Of theft and murder. And" con
tinued the colonel, impressively, 'as my
father entered the court this man was be
ing placed in the dock.
Tall beyond the then average height oil
man, and gaunt, with an unkempt beard
and an evil, yellow eve, and though evident
ly suffering from his long Imprisonment, he
yet presented a powerful and imposing
front. The trial had begun, and he had
/ Just been asked the usual question Are
YOU guilty or not guilty and had answer
ed in a hollow voice Not guilty my lord,
when the entrance of one of the court off
cials with gentleman stopped the proceed
ings for a while. And here l must explain
this interruption.
"a few days before a quiet gentlemanly
man. a Capt Forsyth, of his majesty's
navy, had arrived at the chief hotel of the
/ town on fishing excursion but the wealth
/ er had been so adverse that he was obliged
20 look elsewhere for amusement. Turn
ing to the landlord for information, he was
told Of this trial as exciting considerable
interest, and so it came to pass that, as the
/ prisoner took his place at the bar, Capt.
Forsyth sent his card to the Judge, who
| gladly allowed him, as was then the Gus
tom, seat on the bench.
The case proceeded witnesses were
called TO identify the brooches, the servants
swore to the figure of the prisoner as re
sembling that of the murderer no wit
uesses were called for his defence-no one
defended him everything pointed to his
guilt, and the jury retired to their room.
In few minutes they returned, and amid
the breathess expectation of the crowded
court. the foreman announced their opinion
that the man was Guilty
Directly this word was uttered, the
d prisoner, who had been leaning as if for
support against the side of the dock, raised
himself to his full height, stretched out
both his hands above his head, and, looking
up, exclaimed in broken voice, Not gull
ty, not guilty.
The Judge then asked him, as was usual
if he had anything to say before sentence
should be pronounced, and the prisoner
cried hoarsely Not guilty, my lord, not
guilty before heaven and man, | am inno-
cent Of this crime. | never set my eyes
ON the murdered man; | did no murder
oh captain, captain in his vehemence
he addressed the Judge as if he were his of
fcer-1 ann as innocent of this crime as the
babe unborn He paused, then suddenly,
in voice choking with feeling, he exclaim-
ed: Yes, yes. only one man can save ME
now; but he can do it, swear what you
may. The Lord be thanked, that man is
here
"A buzz of astonishment ran round the
court the feeling of awe that had held the
audience changed into one of amazement.
Point him out to me-, said the Judge.
The man who can save me, replied the
prisoner, sits there by you, pointing TO the
astonished Capt. Forsyth.
THE Judge turned to Capt Forsyth and
said This man appears TO know you. Is
it the case :
Certainly not, he replied, much sur
prised II never saw him before in my life.
oh, captain broke in the prisoner
yes, YOU needn't start know you. Capt.
Forsyth You are never going to swear
away an innocent mans life like that Z
1t is curious, my man, the captain re-
piled, that you know my name but l re-
peat that never saw you before in my life.
What Not know John Williams of
the Neptune The coxswain of the cap
tain's cutter
Yes, know John Williams but you
are not he John Williams was the smart
est man that ever served under me, and
never likely to stand whore you are now
Captain. repeated the prisoner, L tell
you | am John Williams A long illness,
hard bout of drinking and this cursed i'm
prisonment have made me what am. And
/ | will prove it, captain, l will prove it if
The sensation caused by this dialogue
was immense. The Judge the members of
the bar, and the spectators were equally
astonished at the curious turn the affairs
had taken, and, though believing the man
to be guilty of a desperate deceit to save
his life, were eagerly awaiting what should
come.
Captain continued the prisoner, 4
am accused of mrrdering a man here on
June %, more than nine months ago, Now
tell me, sir, was not John Williams-your
oxswain-invalided home from the West
African station on the last day of that
month Z
{ what the man says, remarked Capt,
Forsyth to the judge, is perfectly true
His maiestys ship the lnyincible sailed
with our invalided men for England on
June 30
"Ihe prisoner went on Yes, and / ar
rived in England at the end Of July, weak
and i'll, and, getting my prize money, went
and drank it all away. And that's how it
was | was found at Bristol where l had
gone for another ship and ever since then
have been in this accursed jail
E The fellow is plausible enough, again
remarked Capt. Forsyth. He is certainly
about the height of Williams Well, my