The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-07-25

From, the st. Louis Globe. Democrat.
Law reports of the sixteenth and se7.
enteenth centuries contain numerous
references to supernatural occurrences in
Court and on the scafold. One of the
most remarkable records of this kind is
connected with a murder trial which
took place in England, early in the
reign of the first Charles. Sir John
Maynard, one of the first lawyers of the
century, is the authority for the super.
natural events of the trial, and in his
quaint preface to his notes he says he
| thought good to report the evidence
which was given, which many did hear,
that the memory thereof might not be
lost by miscarriage of papers or other.
wise." One John Norkett, farmers
| wife, had died, and at the coroner's
quest evidence was given proving that
the woman's throat had been cut from
ear to ear. At first the jury favored q
| verdict of felo de Sc, and the body was
inferred. But rumors became general
pointing to foul play, and the body was
| exhumed.
Thirty days after the death the jury
assembled before the body and four sus.
| pected persons were brought in. The
| only evidence against the prisoners WAS
| that they had slept in an adjoining room j;
therefore, if she did not murder herself,
they must be the murderers." What
! took place at the remarkable post-mor-
| tenn inquiry may best be described in the
words of a witness at the subsequent
trial, who was described as "an ancient
/ and grave person, minister to the parish
where this murder was committed"
This estimable gentleman said: "They
(the prisoners) did touch the dead body,
whereupon the brow of the dead, which
was before a livid and carrion color,
began to have dew or gentle sweet arise
upon it, which increased by degrees ILL
the sweat ran down in drops upon the
face, the brow turned and changed to 8
lively color and the dead opened and
| shut one Of her eyes, and shut it again,
4 which she did three several times. She
likewise thrust out the ring or marriage
finger three times and pulled it in again,
and the finger dropped blood on the
ground"
| Naturally enough, such remarkable
| evidence as this was received with suspi-
cion by the Court, although the witness,
to again quote Sir John Maynard, "was a
reverend person, about 70 years of age.
as could be guessed. His testimony was
delivered gravely and temperately, but to
the great admiration of the auditory"
I Ample confirmation Of an obviously i'm.
partial character was, however, forthcom-
ing, and the "admiration" changed tc
horror, 80 much 80 that the prisoners
were convicted and two of them suffered
death az the hand of the common hang
man. Neither of the victims, one Of
t whom was an aged woman, could ever be
/ prevailed upon to confess any completely
in the crime.
THE RED BARN MURDER.
I Of much more recent date was tht
record of the cred Barn Murder" re-
markable for the fact that the murder
WAS discovered through the means O.
| information impaired in a dream. Tht
| victim of the murder was rustic beauty
named Maria Marten, who was source
| of perpetual jealously among the young
: men in the village near the English cas-
coast. Maria's father was mole
catcher, but the girl was educated beyon
the average of village maidens Her frs
accepted lover was rich man named
John Corden, who led the girl from th'
paths of virtue and then abandoned her
a still more wealthy suitor appeared
who in turn, was displaced by William
Corden, brother of John. Under prom
ise of marriage Miss Marten was agail
led astray, and when she found hersel
soon to- become mother, she importunet
her betrayer to fulfill his promise. Cor
den tired of this, and going to the hous
one evening, arranged with great detail
to run off with the girl to neighborini
city, where they we're to be secretly mar
ried. The girl gladly consented, ant
agreed to meet her lover at q red barn OF
his mothers farm. Corden met he
there, and, in compliance with pre-
arranged scheme, shot and buried her.
he then disappeared, returning after
few days, and explaining to the mole
catcher that the marriage had taken plac
and that his bride was in lodgings a
Ipgwich. Months passed away, the barr
under which the body lay was filed witl