Year: 1869

even lead the jury to imagine that the door had
been locked after the murder, and that some per.
son had unknowingy let the key drop in the cof'
fee room. But it was Of no avail whatever. Ii
was clearly proved that the key had been inside Of
the door when went up to bed, and that it had
never been seen again until it was found in the
coffee room. My defence tried hard to make out
; that some person likely to commit the murder
might have been in the house on that day, but all
of no use. AS the trial went on, even /, who
knew my own innocence, could not help allowing
myself that the evidence, though purely cir
cumstantial, was very strong against me. The on
" points in my favor were that, on the day OF the
murder was supposed to haye committed, ira
yelled up to London and had not the least appear
ance of man who had anything on his mind. -.


aAgain, Strange was known to have had on his
person gold watch and purse containing few
sovereigns and twenty-five pound notes, the num-
bers of which latter were aseertained at the bank
at Southampton, where he had procured them III
exchange for bank.post bill. The watch had
been taken and was never traced; the soyereigns
had also disappeared, but the bank notes had been
exchanged at the Bank of England on the day OF
the murder, and before I, as fully proved, had
any communication with any one in London. Ut
this last point my counsel made the most, but it
| did not help me much, if anything. The jury re-
tired, and after celebrating about half an hour,
returned into court and declared, through their
foreman, that was guilty of the wilful murder OF
Edward Strange. ,


ssGentlemen, man who has gone through that
ordeal-who has heard the jury pronounce him
guilty of capital crime and heard the judge
pass sentence of death upon him-a man, say,
gentlemen, who has gone through that ordeal and
still lives to tell the tale, may Tor am Ipresumptu-
GUS p be looked upon as man who has really
gone through what, in these days, would be called
sensational time I heard every word the fore
man said, and found myself wondering what the
Judges black cap-of which every one has heard
i but few have seen-would be like. Then was
| in kind of dream for time until heard the
words condemning me to be hanged by the neck
until was dead A sensational effect upon me,
gentlemen, or am I presumptuous? ?@And will you
favor me, sir, with light?


'sIn spite of appearances, said this little old
gentleman, smoking with exceeding relish, my
friends did not believe me to be guilty Of the fear
full crime for which was to be hanged by the
neck until was dead, in ten days after the trial.
They moved heaven and earth to obtain commu-
tation of my sentence, and, after great deal OF
trouble they succeeded. At the time of which l
speak, there was in England temporary but
strong reaction against capital punishment. can
not recollect all the circumstances Of the case, but
lin trial for murder two men had been condemned
to death and duly executed and shortly after they
had been hanged by the neck until they were
dead, their supposed victim made his appearance,
well and hearty The public took up the question
Of not hanging upon circumstantial evidence, and
benefited to the extent of my life, BY the tempo
rary excitement. was respited, and condemned
to transportation for life, and very shortly after
wards in those days transportation was in full
playground myself on my way out to Van Die
mems land, a convict lifer.


"For seven long years, gentlemen, did l under
20 this punishment, for crime Of which was
perfectly innocent Curiously enough, the man
who had really murdered poor Strange, as he at:
terwards confessed, went out in the same ship with
me, condemned to seven years transportation for
burglary. he must have heard me tell my story
and declare my innocence over and over again; tor
in the colony we worked together in the same gang.
He was afterwards assigned to master who lived
near the prison where I had to slave out my time,
as in those days 'lifers' whose sentence had been
commuted from capital punishment, were never
allowed to leave the chain-gang. But after three
years in Van Diemen's Land, this real murderer
took to his trade of fburglary. T0avoid being cap
tured he fled to the bush, and on party Of police
being sent after the band to which be belonged he
shot constable in cold blood. He was captured,
sentenced to be hanged by the neck until he was
dead, and two days before his execution confessed
that he had murdered at Southampton, man
named Strange, for which another person had
been sentenced to death.


ssHis statement was taken down, and it was ex-
act 1t appeared that he had been hidden for
several hours in the inn, intending to steal what,
ever be could lay his hands on. Early in the
morning he found his. way into poor Strange
room, hoping to pick up something before the
house was astir. But his entrance awoke Strange,
who struggled for few minutes with him, and he
kept hold of him The razor which I had lent
Strange being still lying on the bed, he murdered
his victim with it, and then put it into Stranges
hand, in order to make it appear that he had com,
mitted suicide. He secured the watch, the purse
and the bank notes of the murdered man, and stole
out of the house, locking the door Of the bedroom,
on the outside, and hiding the key. He declared
that he had got into Strange's room before l lett
the house, and that for some time after, his feal
was lest should come back. Had done so, the
murder would, in all probability, have been pre-
vented.


'sWhen the statement made by this convict had
been duly verified, and when certain references
had been made to the home authorities was libe'
rated. That is to say, gentlemen, [ obtained the
royal pardon for having committed a crime which
I never committed. And very sensible am, gen.
tlemen, of the royal clemency. Though it seems
odd"


"All tickets, gentlemen, all tickets ready"


The train had reached the ticket platform al
Vauxhall.


"Ah! yes!' said the little old gentleman, pro-
ducing his; "mines return ticket; but it had
very nearly been otherwise!'


i <~-<--


WEDDINGS A HUNDRED YEARS Aao.-lt may
be of interest to know how they arranged maria
ges hundred years ago. An old paper has the
following description bearing upon the subject
Married in June, 1850, Mr.. William Doukin, Q
considerable farmer, of Great Lassin (near Roth
bury), in the county of Cumberland, to Miss Flea
l.. ~