Year: 1859

traordinary, because of the place where your horrd
deed was done. For at his own tireside-on his
own hearthstone-hisw wife by his side IN the uery line
Of your shot, and at her feet did Robert NJ. Rigdon,
| by your hands fall to rise in the majesty of his
strength no more Extraordinary because of the
orerehetimg strength and mass of the evidence
| against you. From the time YOU were foiled in
your attempt to rescue Henry Gambrill from the
officers OF the law, every step you took-every ac-
tion of your body-whether crouching at the lamp
post, or awning-post, or peeping into the window,
| the deadly and heavily charged weapon you car
RED in your bosom and sometimes in your sleeve,
| and every word you uttered up to the very place
where this deed done-indicated the bloody
purpose OF the soul; and even there at that little
pack window, in that little alley, did YOU leave the
damnlng proof of your guilt, and afterwards, too,
your own lips and your own letters, and your own
witnesses on the stand, spoke trumpet-tongued
| against you.


Ii the jury that tried you had found a different
| verdict it would have shocked the entire State.
believe it would have been felt from the tops of the
Alleghany mountains in Western Maryland, to the
sea shore. | believe it would have reverberated
with deep II not terrible significance. in every val
| ley, from every hill-side-in every city and town
and hamlet and fireside in the State. 1t would have
gone booming over the vast plains bordering the
! chesapeake, away down to where the ocean surf
neve the great tdt by jury itself would have felt the
| shock; and that with a few more such shocks it
would have tottered its foundations, if not have
fallen PROSTATE before them and been trodden un-
der foot as unit for the times and as an unreliable
! faithless and worthless thing


Again. Of all the extraordinary things about
this case the most extraordinary of all, it ap-
pears to me, is yourself. For eight long days YOU
and sat here face to face As the case Progressed
| and was developed-as witness was added to wit
ness-testimony to testmony-facts piled on facts
proof on proof could not help looking into your
countenance to see if there was any emotion there
There was none. The caousness the stoical in
differences, the hxedness, the hardness the immu-
liability of stone, and not of human flesh and blood,
| and fharn oil
| qualled-your brow never fushed-your cheek never
bianched-your head never dropped throughout
those eight days of time, and not at the rend-
ton OF the verdict. 1t is difficult to believe that
| human heart throbs in your BOSOM What con-
| trast you were to the learned, able and eloquent
counsel, and accomplished gentleman, by whom
your defence was with much zeal and ability
conducted L could see, in spite of himself his
countenance vary, and his heart sink with
IN him? And your father too, who stood by
your side, day after day, notwithstanding forced
eomposure, could see that he carried fathers
| heart in his bosom, and thought could almost
see the iron it entered his soul and hone depart
| But, asfor go" throughout the entire case-up to
| the very hour-you seem to have been and now to
De entirely unconscious of the nature of the horri-
| Bile deed you have done, and the terrible punish
! ment that awaits you, not only in this world bnt
In that other world on the threshold of which YOU
| NV stand Would to God, for your o,cn sake. that
| could say something to you in this solemn hour
that might wake you to consciousness and feelinp-
that could make you in some measure, at least,
feel and understand the atrocity of the crime YOU
have committed. feel my utter inability to do so.
| must leave this to other and more eloquent lips
| than mine-to the ministers of God who are an
pointed and accustomed to turn the sinner from The
road to hell to the way to heaven. For


| "There is path that leads to God;


| All others go astray.n


The learned counsel who with so much ability
ana FAIRNESS aided in your prosecution was under
stood by me to say in his address to the iury and
In your hearing, that it impossible for any one
R1ItmDra al pbr;llJs Il -
OF lhgdon's murder, and who was not also a part OF
that community, to understand at all the deep feel
ing OF horror, Indignation and abhorrence with
Wnlch your crime filled every heart in that city, In
TINS incline to think he is mistaken, and will tell
you why But in order to do so must speak of m v
self; OF the effect the news of your crime had on me-
And L shall speak to you frankly and truthfully
+ nad not peen In Baltimore for some months be-
lore Gambrllls trial, nor was | there during that
trial, nor for weeks afterwards. | had read some
| thng, but not much concerning it. | had re-
turned from holding protracted court at Elkton in
Se Seell county, with wearied brain and a wearied
6ody, to enjoy for day two the rest of nv
nome, among the secluded and beautiful hills OF
Deer creek, in Hartford county, far from the tur-
moi OF the great city where this deed of yours was
done. On Saturday evening, the next day after
Friday, the fifth of November, the day of your
crime, was sitting at mine own fireside; my wife
near me; my little children, their faces bright and
oeamlng with JOY and gladness, around me. Ny
own heart was sfull-overfowing-wit the happi
ness of that hour and, trust, with deep gratitude
to God for all His goodness Some one, do moi
! now know who, handed me a package of news
papers from the post office. l picked up the Balt
my little children playfully pulled it away; put
her little hand aside and took it again.


In looking over the paper, the first thing that at
tracted my notice, was editorial article which
| appeared in the paper of that dav announcing the
murder of Rigdon. [ had been familiar with the
details of crime of every hue but this article rvet
ed my attention As read, held my breath.
| felt thrill through every nerve. NV right arm
grew hard and strong. 1t was with an effort that
| L prevented myself from springing to my feet
was never before so moved by the recital of deed
Oh crime. 1t was not fear, it was not terror-no
nothing like it. will frankly tell you what it was
l felt that dark spirit of rengeance had uninyted,
entered my soul. To be sure, in moment it was
gone but shodow was left behind-a dark shado,o,
as from the wing of raven, and the happiness and
brightness which had just filled my heart were
changed as by the wand of enchanter into sad
ness and gloom.


think, therefore, although afar off, that then
feit and understood something of the deep feeling
which pervaded that city. You may thank your
| God that this deed of yours was not done in some
communities in this land. Had it been, Lynch law
that very hour, and at the very next lamp post,
| would have been your certain doom.


rejoice to know that the people of Baltimore at
that trying moment, although greatly excited and
deeply stricken with horror at your crime did not
lose their presence of mind, their reverence TO
| the law of the land. | rejoice to know that won
| had ample time to prepare for your defence, and
that you have had patient, separate, impartial
and legal trial.


believe that thousands of people in this State,
out of the city of Baltimore felt as did-irst the
dark spirit of wrath and vengeance, and then
gloomy sadness shroud the soul For it is truly and
! expressibly sad to know that such a cold blooded
and brutal murder could have been done bv one
reared in a christian land-among a christian peo-
pie, and in the city of Baltimore too-the centre of
the civilization of the State-where public schools
and Sunday schools abound, and churches without
number, from the humble and unpretendng little
chapel or meeting house to the lofty Cathedral


If you had never entered the threshold of one of
those sacred edices, heard the preachers voice
nor the deep tones of the organ nor the solemn
chant, nor the simple hymn of praise vet you must
have seen the outside of these church structures
their lofty spires pointing to the Skies and ever in
| Vltlng you to tJt your eyes-to look uDiCards. And
you must also have oftentimes seen your fellow
creatures crowdng the courts of these sanctuaries
and must have known their object and purpose
| This fact alone might, one would suppose have
been sufficient to arrest your attention, and cause
you to stop and think. And on Gods holy day, il
at no other time, you must have heard the church
bells, resounding from every steeple and reverbe-
| rating throughout every street, alley and house
In that city, summoning al to worship hiu-to
oer the sacrifice OF praise and Of prayer and thanks
giving.


You must have heard these church bells In your
"boozing den" you must have heard them-in your
| .gaa6ttng heN, you must have heard them-in the
| filthy brOthel, in the harlot's embrace YOU must





them-summoning you from the road to hell to the
way to heaven! And that human heart of yours
Tor IN spite OF all contrary appearances, you
least hare a human heart in your bosom. NV reason
tells me So 1t cannot be of stonefor YOU could not
| live if it were. This human heart of yours must
have felt and often, too, at different periods of your


life, the "stings and arrows of guilty conscience "
| And the spirit Of God, too, must have time and
again. made its power felt in the deepest recesses OF
that heart OF yours. To be sure, God has said "My
spirit shall not otrays strive with man. whose breath
is in his nostrils." He does sometimes say, "Let
him alone! He is joined to his dols-let HIN, alonep
| This may be your case-it may be that this is the
| secret OF the whole matter-the KEY that unlocks
the mystery of your iniquty, and that we have al
last found ''the true theory of this case" Goo
grant that it may not be so!


You and are now about to part to meet no more
until we both shall stand at the last day before the
same judgment seat-the throne of God And be
fore we part | would say to you one thing more
you need not expect mercy in this world, YOU will
not receive it; do not hope for it. The sooner you
abandon all hope expectation of it, the better for
you. ou mustturn for mercy from man to God and
you cannot even expect there till that IRON heart OF
yours melts the iron which melts in the furnace
| of fire.


Apropheto tof God once spake to king these words:


Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die, and
| not live. And we are told, the king ''turned his
face to the wall and prayed" These words Marion
Crops, now solemnly speak to you "Set thine
house IN order, for thou shalt die, and not live
And let me beg you, for your own sake, to do as
that king did, "turn your face to the wall and pray
unto God. would entreat you, would iinpiore
you. o, do not for your fathers sake, whose gray
hairs are now bowed in sorrow-for your mother 8
| sake, whose heart is now rent with anpuisb-for