The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1888-08-16
HOAX

II uA late alter midnishs sod a. "
80, op from the vh., table snd esihere'
srouni The fsfe Col Thornton said. ~
you usn are not too tired. sod don't min
sittios up sroibes ball hour, ! thiai
can tell you ) good story"
We protested ve we're never less tired
aud could eli mp I'LL morning II necessary
Ny father. % yon kpow. was . psrsou
but be took orders late in lite. after hav
ing been u years 81 tho bar, and The ersnt
Of which an goieg ten Jon be himself
told me ~ having come directly under hi
eye wbro he was . bsrris,er.
Il ws. st the Monmouth sssiz $. IL
is y, tha, case Vas tried which became
the talk OF neigbborbood and country fo
years after. Ny father was sitting 10 th'
court OF the assistant Judge, when nos'
vas brought him from friend 10 the ad-
joining court, ssking him TO come Anc
hear case Of more than usual interes
The facts OF which we're these:
Soma time before farmers house neal
Monmouth hsd been broken into and rob
bed by men disguised and masked. ths
farmer murdered aud his servant shock.
ingly III treated. Auong other tbingi
which we're stolen were two old fashioned
silver brooches. euriously inlaid with
malachite. heirIooms ot the family; and
although unremittipg search Was made,
aud the description Of the lost articles
made widely known. no trace Of the muir
derers could be found.
A month or two after the murder, how
ever, police officer. in going through .
common lodging house 10 Bristol, noticed
. dissipated looking sailor lying on PAL
let and resting his head on ssmall bundle.
He asked him what II contained. and was
told thst IL was "ouly bis kit" The Off
Ger Was not satisfied, opened the bundle,
and almost the first thing TO fall out were
two brooches made Of silver and malachite
Struck by their curious beauty, and won
dering how such wretched looking fel-
low could have become possessed OF them.
be suddenly remembered the advertise
ment and description OF the stolen articles.
How did you come by thesep be in
quired.
The sailor replied. BY chance. When
| came ashore some time ago, with plenty
OF money in my pocket, met an old sea-
man who was down on bis luck, aud he
offered 10 sell me these things, which had
belonged to bis mother. l was pretty
ausb, and gave him pretty good price
for them. although they were useless to
me. And that's oil about it.
The police officer still dissatisfied. took
him into custody. Be was sent to the
gaol, the brooches were identified, and he
was committed for trial at the assize on
the charge OF theft and murder. And,
continued the colonel. impressiyely, ss
my father entered the court this man was
being placed 10 the dock.
Tall beyond the then average hight Of
men. and gsuut, with an unkempt beard
and an evil, yellow eye, and though evi-
denily suffering from his long imprison-
ment. he yet presented powerful and
imposing front. The trial had begun,
and be had just been asked the usual ques.
ion: Are you guilty or not guilty? and
had answered 10 hollow voice: Not
guilty, my lord. when the enterance OF one
OF the court officials with gentleman
stopped the proceedings for awhile. And
here must explain this interruption.
A few days before quiet, gentlemanly
man, Capt. Forsyth, Of bis majesty's navy,
bad arrived At the chief hotel Of the town
on fishing excursion; but the weather
had been so adverse that he was obliged
to look elsewhere for amusement Turn
,ng to the landlord for information, hc WAS
told OF this trial as exciting considerable
interest. and so II came TO pass thst. as
the prisoner took bis place at the bar
Capt. Forsyth sent bis card to the Judge,
who gladly allowed him. ss was then the
custom. seat on the bench.
The case proceeded witnesses were
called to identify the brooches, the SER
wants swore TO the figure Of the prisoner
that Of the murderer. no
witnesses were called for bis defence no
one defended him; everything pointed TO
his guilt, and the jury retired to their room.
10 few minutes they returned, aod, amid
the breathless expectation Of the crowded
court, the foreman announced their opin-
ion that the man was guilty
Directly NJ this word was uttered. the
prisoner, who hsd been lesniog s II for
against the side of the dock.
raised himself to his full height, stretched
ont both bis hsnd above bis bead, and
looking mp. exclaimed in broken voice.
Not guilty, not guilty
The Judge then asked him. rs was usual.
4 he had anything TO say before the SEN
tence should be pronounced. and the pri
souer cried borsely Not guilty my lord.
not guilty: before heaven sni man am
innocent oi the crime. never set eyes
% the murdered man; ] did no murder
Obi captain. captain in bis vehemence
be addressed the Judge as II be were his
officer sm a. innocent Of this crime as
The babe unborn. He paused, then sudden
y. 10 : voice checking with feeling, be eI-
Stained: Yes. yes, only one man can save
me nos; bu. be can do 1t. swear what you
may. The Lord be thanked. that man is