Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-01-26
THEcOLONEGS TALE.

1t was late-after midnight-and as
we got up from the whist table and. gath
cred around the fire, Colonel Thorton
said: IF you men are not too tired, and
don't mind sitting up for another half
hour, think l can tell you story"
We protested we were never less tired
and could sit up all night if necessary.
So the Colonel began:
"My father, as you know, was a par
son; but he took orders late in life, after
having been fifteen years at the bar, and
the events 1 am going to tell you he,
himself, told me as having come direct
ly under his eye when he was barrister.
at was at the Monmouth assizes, in
18-, that case was tried which became
the talk of the neighborhOod and coun-
try for years after. My father was sit
ting in the court of the assistant judge
when note was brought to him from
the adjoining court asking him to come
and hear a case of more than usual in
terest, the facts of which were these:
"Some time before farmers house,
near Monmouth, had been broken into
and robbed by men disguised and mask
ed, the farmer murdered and his serv-
ant shockingly i'll treated. Among other
things which were stolen were two old
fashioned silver brooches, curiOusly in
laid with malachite, heirloOms of the
family, and although unremitting search
was made and the description of the lost
articles made widely known, no trace Of
the murderer could be found.
"a month or two after the murder,
however, police officer, in going through
a common lodging house in Bristol, no
ticed a dissipated-looking sailor lying
on a pallet and resting his head on
small bundle He asked him what it
contained and was told that it was only
his kit The officer not satisfied, open
ed 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 be-
come possessed of them, he suddenly re-
membered the advertisement and de-
scription of the stolen articles.
"'How did you come by these?' he in
quired.
''The sailor replied: by chance. When
l came ashore some time ago, with plenty
of money in my pocket, | met an old sea-
man who was down on his luck, and he
offered to sell me these things, which had
belonged to his mother. l was pretty
flush, and gave him a good price for
them, although they were useless to me.
And that's all about it.
'The police officer, still unsatisfed,
took him into custody. He was sent to
Monmouth jail, the brooches were iden-
titled, and he was committed for trial
at the assizes on the charge of theft and
murder. And" continued the colonel,
impreSsively, "as my father entered the
court this man was being placed in the
dock.
''Tall beyond the then average height
of men, gaunt, with an unkempt beard
and an evil, yellow eye, and though evil
IDENTIFY suffering from his long imprison-
ment, he yet presented a powerful and
imposing front. The trial had begun,
and he had been asked the question: Are
you guilty or not guilty2' and had an
swered in hollow voice: Not guilty,
my lord when the entrance of the court
officials with a gentleman stopped the
proceedings for awhile. And here l
must explain this interruption.
"A few days before, quiet, gentle
manly man, Captain Forsyth, of His
Majesty's Navy, had arrived at the chief
hotel of the town on fishing excursion;
but the weather had been so adverse that
he had to look elsewhere for amusement.
Turning to the landlord for information,
he was told of this trial as exciting con-
siderable interest; and so it came to pass,
that as the prisoner took his place at the
bar, Captain Forsyth sent his card to the
judge who gladly allowed him, as was
then the custom, seat on the bench.
"The case proceeded; the witnesses
were called to identify the brooches, the
servants swOre to the figure Of the pris-
oner as resembling that of the murderer;
no witnesses were called for his defense
no one defended him; everything point
ed to his guilt, and the jury retired to
their room. In few minutes they re-
turned, and, amid the breathless expec-
tation of the crowded court room, the
foreman announced their opinion that
the man was guilty
'Directly this word was uttered, the
prisoner, who had been leaning as if for
support against the side of the dock,
raised himself to his full height. stretch
ed out both his hands above his head, and
looking up, exclaimed in broken voice,
Not guilty, not guiltyr
'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 l am innocent of this crime! |
never setmy eyes on the murdered man;
l did no murder. Oh, Captain, Captain
> in his vehemence he addressed the
judge as if he were his ofllcer-I am as
inDn0aOf Of th;o nY,irna the hahn nm