Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1888-02-10

prisoner cried hoars0ly Not guilty, m
lord, not guilty before heaven and mar
| am innocent of this crime. | never SC
my eyes on the murdered man; did II
murder. Oh Captain, Captain, i
his vchemence no addressed the Judg
AS if he was his fficer--I mn as inno
cent of this crime as the babe unborn
He paused; then suddenly, in vote
choking with feeling, he exclaimed
Yes, yes only one man can save M
now; but he can do. it, swear what yOl
may The Lord be thanked that maj
is here !
"a buzz Of establishment ran aroun,
the court; the feeling of awe that ha,
held the audience changed into one 0
amaZement.
"'Pont him out to me, said the Judge
"'The man who can save me, replicC
the prisoner, sits there beside you, point
ing to the astonished Captain Forsyth
"The Judge turned to Capt. Forsyth
and said This man appears to know
you Is it the case 2
Certainly not, he replied much sur
prised Il never saw hin, before in my
life.
"Oh, Captain, broke in the prisoner
yes, You need't start. know you Cap.
tain Forsyth You are never going to
swear away an innocent mans life like
that 7
cit is curious. my man, thu Cap
tain replied, that you know my name ;
but repeat that | never saw you be-
fore in my life !?
What? Not know John Williams,
of the Neptune The c9xswain of the
Captains cutter 2
Yes, | know John Williams but
you are not he. John Williams was the
smartest man that ever served under
me, and never likely to stand where you
are now
Captain, replied the prisoner, I
tell you am John Williams. A long
sickness, hard bout of drinking and this
cursed Imprisonment has made me what
am. will prove it, Captain, | will
prove it if you will only listen.
The sensation caused by this dia-
logue was immense. The Judge, the
members of the bar and tho spectators
were equally astonished at the curious
turn affairs had taken. and though believ-
ing the man to be guilty of desperate de-
ceit to save his life, we're eagerly await
ing what would come.
Captain continued tho prisoner, Il
am accused of numbering man here
on the Goth of June, more than nine
months ago. Now, tell me, sir, was not
John Williams--your coxswain, invalid
cd home from the West African station
on the last day of that month 2
"'What the man says, remarked Cap
tain Forsyth to the Judge is perfectly
true. His Majesty's ship, the Invinci-
BILE, sailed with our invalided men for
England on the Both of June
"The prisoner went on. Yes, and |
arrived in England at tho end Of July,
weak aud i'll, and, getting my prize
money, went and drank il all away.
And that's how it was that was found
at Bristol, where had gone for another
ship, and ever since then have boen in
this accursed jail
1.-The fellow is plausible enough
again remarked Captain Forsyth. 'Ho
is certainly about the height of Will
liams. Well, my man, | suppose you
can prove what you say
"'Ay, ay, Captain DO you remem-
Der on the 10th of last June, giving or
ders for night raid on the native town
off which we lay looking out for savers ?
"Yes, [ do, to be sure
"And that we were five boats in all.
And the first to beach was the Captains
cutter. And the first man to jump out
of it was you, Captain?'
"'Well that is the most extraordinary
thing | ever heard ? And, turning to the
Judge, the Captain said Every word
of this poor fellows narrative is true.
my Lord. He may have picked it up
somewhere; but | cant help beginning
to think there is something behind. My
ship is still on foreign service, and
have only returned to take charge Of an
other one
a. Well, 60 on, man.
Zone word more, Captain, and may
be you will believe me. AS we were
fighting in the town, great native came
behind you with his axe and would have
cut you in half before you saw him, had
not man rushed between and stopped
him with his cutlass; and yet not quite
stopped him, for that natives axe slip
ped down the cutlas5 and gashed the
mans head open. Who was that man,
Captain? 2
John Williams, was the reply. the
coxswain of my cutter
'Ay, ay, Captain. and here is the
cut which that axe made, and bending
down, he lifted with one band his long,
untidy hair, and with tue other pointed
to a huge and fearful scar running for
several inches along the side Of his head
Captain Forsyth lcaped from his seat.
'GooI heavens. you are right! But
how you have changed My Lord, this
poor fellow had not sailed from the Afri-
can coast when the murder was com
mitted il j. impossible that he could he
guilty of it. Williams, you sivei my
life thank God have been able t,
save yoprs !!
"At these words everyb ,Iy in n
court stood up an cheered tn prisoner
with widest excitement aud enthusiasm
the Judge said that in discharging him
he must at the same time compliment |
him on his gallantry and tho foreman
of the jury then and there started sub
scription for him which came up to some
thing near $50. Captain Forsyth or
dered chaise to take post-haste to Lon
don for the purpose Of removing Will
liams from place with such horrible
associations, and of getting him an APP
pointment from the admiralty The peo-
pie Insisted on dragging the chaise out
Of the town with their hands. the horses