Year: 1859

miles away from the scene Of its commission
but at what place on the particular day in
questionable 5th of March--he could not re-
call to mind This, taken in connection with
strong condemnatory evidence, it was clear,
would go sadly against him with the jury, as a
lame defence indeed; although, as it struck me,
who had only CLEANED this much from by


Stander, nothing was more natural than that
journeyman carpenter, who was not likely to
have kept diary, should not recollect what


place be had tramped through upon any par
ticular date.


Why, where had myself been on the 5th
of March? thought /. 1t took me several
minutes to remember and | only did so by
recollectng that had left DorSetshre on the
day following, partly in consequence of some
alterations going on at home. Dorsetshre, by
the by, did the prisoner say? Why, surely,
| have seen that face somewhere before, which
was now turned anxiously and hnridly around
the court, and now, as if ashamed OF meeting
so many eyes, concealed in his tremulous


hands Robert Moles! No, | certainly never


heard that name and yet | began to watch


the poor fellow with singular interest begot


ten of the increasing conviction that he was


not altogether stranger to me.
The evidence went on and concluded the
council for the prisoner did his best, but his


speech was, of necessity, an appeal of mercy


rather than to justice. All that had been con-
fided to him by his client was this: that the
young man was vagabond, who had deSer-


ted his parents, and run away from his linden


lures, and was, so far, deserving of little pity;


that he had, however, only been vicious, and


not criminaI as for the murder with which he
I oh ba of
bideous outrage had never entered his brain.


Did the lad look like a murderer? Or did he


rather resemble the Prodigal Son, penitent or
his misdeeds, indeed, but not weighed down
/ by the blood of feow-cfeature?"
All this was powerfully enough expressed,


but it was no evidence; and the jury. without


retiring from their box, pronounced the young


man guilty" amid silence which seemed to
! corroborate the verdict Then the Judge put


on the terrible black cap, aud solemnly in
/ quired for the last time whether Robert MoleS
had any reason to urge why sentence should
/ not be passed upon him.


! "My lord" replied the lad, in a singular
/ low, soft voice. which recalled the utterer to
my recollection on the instant 81 am wholly
/ innocent of this dreadful crime of which | am
accused, although | confess | see in the doom
| that is about to be passed upon me fit re-
! compense for my wCkedness and disobedience
| was however until informed of it by the Of
/ fcer who took me into custody as ignorant of
I this poor mans existence as of his death"


My lord,' cried speaking with an ener-
! gy and distnctaeSS that astoniShcd myself.


this young man has spoken the truth, as l
can testify"


There was a tremendous sensation in the
court at this announcement, and it was some


minutes before | was allowed to take my place
in the witness box. The council of the crown
objected to my becoming evidence at that
stage of the proceedings at all, and threw him.
self into the legal question With all the indig-
nation which he had previously exhibited
against the practice of midnight murder but
eventually the court oyerruled him, and was
sworn


! stated that did not know the prisoner


by name, but that | could swear to his identi,
! ". | described how, upon the 5th of March
last, the local builder, being in want of hands,
! had hired the accused to assist in the con.
| StructiOn ofa bow-window in the drawing-room
| of our house in DorSetshire


| The council for the prosecution affecting to
| dlsbelieve my sudden recollection of the pris-
oner, here rcqusted to know whether any par
| ticular circumstance had recalled him to my


mind, or whether had only vague and gen.
! eral recollection of him.


II had only that" confessed, until the
| prisoner spoke his voice is peculiar, aud | re-


member very distinctly to have heard him upon
the occasion spoke of he had the misfortune
to tread upon bis foOt-rule and break it, while


at work upon the window, and overheard


him lamenting that occurrence"
Here the counsel for the accused reminded


the court that broken foot-rule had been
found upon the prisoners person at the time of


his apprehension.


Within some FIVE minutes, in short, the feel
ings of judge, jury and spectators entirely
| changed and the poor young fellow at the bar
! instead of having sentence of death passed
upon him found himself, through my means,
set very soon at liberty. He came over to me


at the inn to express his sense of my prompt
interference, and to beg to know he might
| show his gratitude.


il" am not so mean fellow as I seem. " said
! he a. and hope, by Gods blessing, TO be


credit to the parents to whom l have behaved
! SO ill.,"


What is your real name?" inquired struck
| by sudden impulse.


Ny real name" replied the young man,
! blushing deeply, is Courteney, and my home
where hope to be tonight, is at CowlesS Farm,
! across the Exc"


And so | had not been called so mysteriously
at four o'clock in the morning, without good
and sufficient reason, after all.
Rg 1t is well for the soul to have some