THE HU_NTINGDON GLOBE, A DEMOCRATIC FAMILY JOURNAL, DEVOTED TO LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS, &C.
TITE i L , ! '-:1 . ,. :,- ...
Circulation—the largest in the county
211.10rEllilD@II. Pn.,.
'Wednesday, May 20, 7.857.
DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION.
FOR GOVERNOR,
lion. W.M. P. PACK.E.R., of laycosning:
FOR CANAL COMMISSIONER,
NIMROD STRICiiILIA.ATD, of Chester;
Shipments of Coal.
The shipments of coal. from the Broad Top
mines for the week ending May 14th, were
2,413 tons ; for the year, 27,098 tons.
Our readers will excuse us for devo
ting so much of our paper to tie small knot
of small, splenetic, vindictive, office-seeking
politicians, who have for months past been
secretly making every effort, not only to in
jure the character of one of our best and most
learned citizens, but also the character and
influence of The Globe. By the time we get
through with them, they will have come to
the conclusion that although we have "kept
dark," we have not been entirely ignorant of
their every movement. Their tools have in
vited open war, and we promise them, it shall
be carried on to the `bitter end.'
THE MAIN LINE ADVERTISED TO BE SOLD.-
The Governor has signed the bill for the sale
of the Main Line, and it is advertised to be
sold at public auction, at the Merchants' Ex
change, Philadelphia, on Thursday evening,
the 25th day of June.
ze-J. M. B. PETRIREN, Esq., Member of
the House of Representatives from Lycoming
county, died at Harrisburg last week, of the
"National _Hotel disease." His remains were
accompabied to Lycoming by committees
from both houses.
A PENNsrtvANT.I NORMAL MUSIC SCHOOL.
—Prof. A. N. Johnson, whae Musical Con
ventions have given such general satisfaction
throughout the State, designs opening a Nor
mal Music School in Lancaster, to qualify
Singing School teachers to teach upon the
plan so successfully pursued by himself. It
will commence about the middle of June
nest, and will occupy each forenoon, after
noon and evening, for one month. Full par
ticulars can be learned by addressing Mur
ray, Young & Co., of Lancaster, Pa. Such
schools have been held each summer in Mas
sachusetts and New York. As this is the
first attempt to establish one in Pennsylva
nia, we hope to see it succeed.
Seir A bill has been introduced into our
Legislature, giving to the cities, boroughs and
townships, the power of establishing public
libraries for the use of their inhabitants, and
of levying, for that purpose, a tam equal in
amount to one dollar for every tamable inhab
itant.
Our Cem6tery.
Twenty or thirty years ago, a traveller in
passing through Huntingdon, took occasion
to communicate to one of the public prints of
the day, his observations of the borough and
Its people. He noticed that the Grave Yard
*as much frequented by citizens. The same
austom prevails now. All people, with the
exception of one religious denomination, inter
their dead in the same Cemetery—there no
distinctions of sect can be observed—thanks
to the wise fore-sight of the proprietor of the
town. We cannot•boast of its improvements,
for they are few. Its pretty location, com
manding a view of the surrounding country,
its forest trees and nice grass plats render it
attractive to our inhabitants, who, by their
daily visits, testify an appreciation of the
place:
AI&'11. Biddle Roberts, Esq., of Pittsburg,
has received the appointment of United States
Attorney, for the Western District of Penn
sylvania, in room of Hon. Charles Shaler, re
signed. Mr. Roberts is a lawyer of consid
erable ability, and will no doubt make a pop
ular arid efficient officer.
THE COMET TO STRIKE TIM EA.R . III NEXT
JUNE.—A writer on this subject in the St.
Louis Republican, says:
I. There are astronomical calculations of
the orbit of the coming comet, that warrant
the prediction that it will touch the earth.
2. Science can calculate the orbit of this
eccentric comet, no matter how long its peri
od, and I predict, unhesitatingly, that the
comet now approaching, will come in contact
with the earth on the morning of the 16th of
June, about 20 minutes after 10 o'clock, and
the point of contact will be in the vicinity of
a place called Vide Pocho or Carondelet.
3. The nucleus of this comet is very large,
and composed of the bisulphuretted carbon
ate of the protozide of manganese. The tail
is chlorine, and although you cannot see stars
through it, they will probably be seen by
many individuals at the time of the collision.
The world should be grateful to this writer
for the certainty with which he predicts the
" collision," and the exactness with which he
describes the component parts of the expected
visitor. But we should not forget that Ile
who made and governs the boundless Uni
verse,-controls the movements of these and
all other heavenly bodies, and Science fails
wherever it comes in opposition to the known
laws of Divine Providence.
Mir The steady 'increase of customers at
Lose & DECKER'S store has compelled them
to enlarge their room. They keep a general
assortment of everything in•the grocery way
—Dive them a call.
Ae- Governor Pollock has signed the bill
to incorporate the Central Bank _of Pennsyl
vania, at Hollidaysburg.
J. S. Barr's Ranting
The American of last week labors in dis
tress to make the impression that we are not
loyal to the educational interests now in prog
ress—or that this paper has wronged some of
the teachers who are engaged in that honora
ble profession. The Globe is the only paper
in this place that is truly interested in educa
tion; and it has the highest regard for all
true teachers. In answUr to Mr. Barr we
give place to the following communication
from &gentleman who feels a deep interest in
the complete success of the school system :
James S. Barr, antecedently, an immoral
school teacher of a low grade, but now, a
swindling book-agent and ale-house politician,
has done the School System of this county
more harm than the most skillful hands can
correct for years. While a teacher in this
borough,. his salary was lessened, in order to
rid the schools of him ; but like the horse
leech, he hung on. Then by publishing a
libel on the Shirleysburg Academy, and by
low trickery, he succeeded to the Superin
tendency. The directors of this borough vo
ted for him to rid our public schools of this
ale-house nuisance. Ile filled the office two
years, before being compelled to resign, and
during those two years he visited more ale
houses and bar-rooms than schools, and croak
ed more about Know-Nothingism and Wor
cester's Dictionary than he did about educa
tion or the common schools.
During the last year, Mr. Barr has been en
gaged as a book-agent for a firm of Yankee
speculators in Boston. Ile is paid a large
salary to introduce school books into our com
mon schools. And here we ask the special
attention of directors :—This book business
is one of the most lucrative traffics now car
ried on. These renegade agents are authori
zed to effect by bribery and deception what
cannot be accomplished otherwise. Books
are given to teachers, and to influential direc
tors, to secure their sanction to the traffic,
which adds new confusion in the school and
expense to the parent. And this is only one
of the tricks of the trade. Mr. Barr was
asked a few weeks ago, what were his objec
tions to Mr. Owen ? lie answered that "Owen
had not favored his book concern." The stern
integrity of our present Superintendent is
above this low trickery which we have shown
only in part. Therefore this mean and envi
ous attack must be made by the American.
Again : John Williamson was to rival Col.
Wharton for a nominatkn this fall. M. F.
Campbell said he " could not ask with a very
good grace," and he must have a tool to se
cure his re-nomination. F. 11. Lane was to
spend the summer in combing his hair and
securing his nomination to the County Treas
ury. Robert McDivitt was to be the tool of
this conspiracy, and hearer of despatches
through the fall campaign. This combina
tion made their grand rally on Court week ;
not on any merit of their candidate, but they
boasted they would make a political issue of
the election, and defeat the present Superin
tendent. Everywhere with noses together,
they could be seen " like geese around a pud
dle in a barn-yard rioting over their liquor."
They wrote slanderous letters to every dis
trict in the county and entreated their per
sonal and political friends to get up a crusade
against the present incumbent who was ar
dently devoted to the cause of education and
know no political or party schemes. The po
litical. issue was all their own. It was an in
sult to their own party, and. it met its just re
buke. If all democrats had staid at home,
Mr. Owen would have beaten them in their
own ranks.
We regret to see our educational interests
scourged with this political prostitution, and
were it not so plain that a fool can see, we
should regret to know that these tricksters
aro so willing to stultify themselves before
the public. Famine and pestilence have their
time to visit the land, blight and mildew to
visit its products, but these leeches of envy
have all times and all seasons fer their pesti
lential touch.
Mr. Owen now has a fair field before him,
and he - will win fame from that field of labor ;
and these stultifiers will see that they have
sharpened Shylock's knife in vain. Mr.
Owen has the esteem of all the eminent, high
minded teachers in this county, and they
scorn the idea that J. S. Barr should put in
his mercenary meddling. We congratulate
them and their Superintendent, knowing that
they will co-operate with him, and that the
system will be raised out of that scourge
where it was found one year ago. The asser
tion that the teachers are opposed to Mr.
Owen is a wilful and deliberate falsehood and
need not be refuted. 0.
TILE NEW CENT.—After the 25th of May,
the new cent is to be issued from the Mint.—
By that time at least three millions will be
ready for circulation. It is to be hoped that
the " chunks" of copper now called money
will rapidly .disappear. Since the' establish
ment of the U. S. Mint eighteen hundred tons
of copper have been coined, making in distinct
pieces one hundred and fifty millions. Of
these a large number have been lost, conver
ted into various kinds of machinery and oth
erwise taken out of circulation. The quan
tity of Spanish coin still in circulation is esti
mated at two and a half millions of dollars.—
We anticipate with pleasure the good time
coming, when what properly should be used
for machinery, kettles, &c., will not be recog
nized as money.
Vir• A rnan named Aaron Bedbug, of Mont
gomery county, Ky., intends petitioning the
Legislature to change his name. He says
that his sweetheart, whose name is Oliva, is
unwilling that he should be called A. Bedbug,
she 0. Bedbug, and the little ones little Bed
bugs.
Had not a friend called our attention to an
article in the last Huntingdon American,
signed "R. MeDitur," Poor Robert and his
bombastic production might have passed, un
observed, into oblivion. The aforesaid scribe,
highly indignant at the action of the recent
convention of School Directors, and taking
umbrage at certain remarks in a late issue of
the Globe, " yielding to the urgent solicita
tion of a large number of friends," loaded
his blunderbuss to its utmost capacity and,
at a single discharge, expected to obliterate
from existence everybody but himself and
friends. Somehow there were but few to be
numbered as killed and wounded, considering
the wide range of his shot, intending the
County Superintendent, the School Directors,
certain office holders and prominent politi
cians to be killed or mortally wounded by his
ball.
For The Globe
Robert McDivit has been reckoned a good
teacher; as such we always esteemed him.
Viewing him in this light we noticed his de
feat for the Superintendency as softly as pos
sible—without even mentioning his name in
our remarks. Not satisfied, he belches forth
a tirade of abuse of ourself and the Globe
which adds greatly to the character of a de
vout christian, under which we cannot remain
silent, lest the fool should be wise in his own
conceit. Ile has made the onslaught, thrown
out the challenge, and in the excess of his
egotism presumes with his pop gun to floor
us at once. Boys are often mistaken.
"Not that I consider my character in danger."
No, Nobert, it is well established; as proph
ets have no reputation in their own country,
so here, where your foibles are known, it is
needless to make "statements any plainer"
than they are. Vide the proceedings of the
convention of School Directors. Those gen
tlemen, who we presume know as much about
their business as you do, have emphatically
declined availing themselves of your services.
This is sufficient for you to know. Your
claims have been submitted to an intelligent
community which through i ts representatives,
preferred to pitch you into the ditch and
leave you there to soak until, perchance, by
the ides of October, your sympathetic politi
cal. party, in consideration of the submissive
martyrdom you have endured fur its sake,
may elevate you to an office in the eastern
wing of our Court House.
"The course of the Huntingdon Globe, for some time
past, however disguised, has been that of decided hostility
to the public schools. Wilful and malicious falsehoods
have been used when speaking of teachers; wholly unac
countable, unless it be, indeed, as has been insinuated, not
very darkly, in league with Jesuitism, and opposed to
open schools, as well as an open Bible"
How fond hypocrites and the self-righteous
are of proclaiming abroad their own profes
sed humility and goodness, and abusing with
out stint all who may differ from them in
sentiment. And how fond some of the mem
bers of the dark lantern party, among whom
we recognize Robert the Scribe, are of pra
ting about an "open Bible," thinking thereby
to conceal their own hideous deformity. In
uttering these sentiments, Poor Robert know
ingly gave currency to falsehoods. The Globe
never has taken, and never *ill take, a stand
against the Common Schools, let the child
insinuate and prevaricate as he will.
It comes with ill grace from the Scribe to
charge intelligent Directors with being gov
erned by political feeling, when he, at a, pop
ular election, BABE NOT vote for a member of
an opposite party ; and to charge Directors
with being BOUGHT ; further, that Directors
supported Mr. OWEN because they were avow
edly and notoriously opposed to the Common
School system ! Will the Scribe please name
them ? Because the Directors of Huntingdon
county, who do not need to be taught by Rob
ert the Scribe, or need the dictation of him
self and his keepers, in the faithful discharge
of their duties failed to recognize his "humble
abilities," receive, through him, asevere cas
tigation, as a consideration for their services.
Probably his ranting is the effect of disap
pointed ambition; in such a case, we must
permit him to blow off the extra steam.—
Failing to reach the goal which he earnestly
desired to gain, with such a decided majority
against him, almost two to one, we must not
be surprised at the abundant inuendoes plen
tifully hurled at the Directors, and at the
successful candidate, Mr. OWEN, whom the
refined writer in the last American, styles a
"supercilious Yankee Locofoco Superintend
ent." Howly Jewsharp!
In conclusion, expecting to be told of an
other discharge from the pop-gun battery,
laliCh is to shake all Huntingdon and the
mountains round about, we would advise Rob
ert the Scribe to copy into his diary, the fol
lowing lines which were current in our school
boy days, and commit the same to memory:
Let dogs delight to bark and bite,
For this they mostly do ;
Let bears and lions growl and fight,
For God has made them so.
FATAL ACCIDENT.-At Bastrop, La., a few
days since, Dr. Armstrong, assisted by a ser
vant, dissected the body of one of his negroes
who died of a singular disease. The doctor
had a scratch on one of his hands, and the
servant a totter on his. They were both poi
soned, and died in a few hours—in ten min
utes of each other.
EDUCATION AND OCCUPATION.—It is stated
that of the 606 convicts who now occupy the
Ohio Penitentiary, 544 cannot read or write,
and 400, or nearly 60 per cent. of the number,
have no trades. This brief return is full of
m eaning. It at once admonishes and instructs.
There are two great essentials for success in
life—education and regular occupation.
Poor Robert the Scribe.
But children, you should never let,
Such angry passions rise ;
Your little hands were never made,
To tear each others eyes.
The Main Line.
It will be seen by the following extract
from the Harrisburg correspondence of the
Pennsylvanian, that the sale of the Main Line
will probably be made an issue among the
parties at the coming election.. It is very ev
ident to our mind, that any party arraying
itself against the proposed sale, will meet
with utter defeat, no matter what other issues
are at stake. It is no new question, but one
which has been agitated and discussed for
several years past ; and it argues a great de
gree of sanguinity on the part of those who
pretend to oppose the sale on purely patriot
ic principles, to suppose that it can be defeat
ed in the way intimated. The people have
willed the sale, and it must come, sooner or
later. The " injunction" talked of, will be
very popular with the office-holders, as it will
doubtless have the effect of defeating the will
of the people, and retaining them in office
another year:
HARRISBURG, May 18.—The Main Line bill
has been signed by the Governor, and the
works are already advertised for sale.: The
announcement of this hasty action on the part
of the Executive, caused some excitement in
town on Saturday evening, and it is general
ly believed that a sale to be of any effect,
cannot be made. lam informed that an ap
plication for an injunction against the trans
fer of the line will be made to the Supreme
Court, and some of the Judges have express
ed the opinion in private, that any property
holder, on the portions of the line proposed
to be abandoned, has the right to make such
application, and the application once made
will be granted, and will effectually bar a
transfer for the present. If this is correct,
the public will observe that there are yet
great difficulties in the way of the consum
mation of the objects of this bill.
If the court issues an injunction a g ainst
the transfer of these works, the whole sub
ject will naturally come before the next Leg
islature, and therefore the sale of the Main
Line bids fair to become an important ques
tion in the approaching political campaign.
For the sake of peace and quietness it is to
be hoped that this subject will soon be set
tled on principles of justice.
COMMUNICATION
To Robert McDivitt:
SIR : A communication appeared in the
"Huntingdon American" of last week, over
your signature ; and I heard a portion of it
read which did not surprise me. You seem
to invite a controversy, by asserting your
"ability to draw the bow with any one," and
the readers of the American ought to be fa
vored with an exhibition of your capacity.—
In throwing out this unusual invitation, you
no doubt fancied yourself an undeveloped
genius, and from your past conduct, I fear
that you will be a genius of very difficult de
velopement. low is it, my friend, that you
deride directors for not voting for you ? That
you should snivel about a defeat is just con
sistent with your reputation. But that you
should have the impertinence to aspire to an
office of high responsibility is truly ridiculous.
I am a director, and wish to act understand
ingly. Let us review your claims and see
what your qualifications are for that station
which your impertinence and the folly of
your friends sought for you. The qualifica
tions requisite for a Superintendent have been
shown already. Educated by the slow pro
cess of rubbing against your fellows, can you
claim any attainments above that of a scut-.
lion ? You have a smattering of the primary
studies, and have frequently failed in teach
ing an ordinary school. The higher branches
you never studied and they are as Greek to
you. How then would you superintend a
school that you could not teach? During all
your past life have you not lived the life of a
sniveller, and aped a borrowed part to gain
notoriety? A terrible disease, that itching
after notoriety ! lam not at all surprised at
your uneasiness. An undeveloped genius
longs to see his unfledged wings soaring aloft.
I can sympathize with you, but I shall re
prove your twaddle against the directors who
knew your parts too well to vote for you. As
a literary man you have written silly verses
and scribbled for the newspapers, but has it
not been all plagiarism ? Or rather have
you not tortured your own faculties and other
men's productions, to gain notoriety? You
know best. If you turn back to the Hunting
don Journal, as edited by Mr. Clark, you will
be able to see his opinion of your plagiarism.
You allege that you have the teachers on your
side. In that you are positively mistaken,
and you will save your credit by with-holding
such nonsense: for nobody but a rascal would
report it, and nobody but an ass would be
lieve it. The teachers laugh at your pre
sumption and your snivelling: both are in
keeping with yourself. What ! the teachers
desire to have a Superintendent who has
abandoned their profession and taken a clerk
ship in a grocery? Bah! what nonsense!—
You must conjure up some more plausible
tale before you find relief from your unfledged
aspirations.
Are you not aware that it vas quite disrep
utable for you to give free dinners at Corn
propst's to those who would vote for you?—
Or did the firm of Lane, Barr, Campbell &
Co. share the expense with you? That sort
of work will do for a confectioner, but rest
assured that our educational men will be
ashamed of their delinquents in the profes
sion. Let me give you a word of advice, Rob
ert. Do not attack the school directors for
refusing to support you. Tell no tales that
you do not yourself believe. That is not con
sistent with a "c7tristian gentleman!" Keep
out of bad .company, and if you have lived
the life of a sniveller, try and avoid the course
of a hypocrite.
Ex-Hon. David R. Porter was in Wash
ington City at last advises.
Death of Rev. John A. Collins.
Rev. John A. Collins, one of the most able
and popular of the Methodist clergy, died at
the residence of Mr. James H. Wood, No. 57
Lee Street, at twenty minutes before two o'-
clock on Thursday afternoon, in the 57th
year of his age. John A., son of Mr. Joseph
Collins, now residing in this city, was born
near Seaford, Sussex county, Delaware, on
the sth of May, 1801. His mother, an ac
complished lady, died while he was quite
young, and his father subsequently removed
to Georgetown, D. C., where the son was
educated by Dr. Carnahan, afterwards Presi
dent of Princeton College. Before he reach
ed his eighteenth year he was appointed to a
clerkship in the General Land Office, which
he held for a year or two. He then taught
school for four or five years, and married,
when he was appointed to a clerkship in the
General Post Office. This position he held
until 1830, when he became a member of
the Baltimore Annual Conference. His earli
est efforts in the pulpit showed a strongly de
velopedditind, and the following year he was
appointed to the Baltimore station, the most
important within the bounds of the confer
ence. In 1836, though but young in the
ministry he was chosen by the conference to
represent that body in the general conference
then held in Cincinnati. He filled with suc
cess all the principal appointments within
the bounds of the conference. In 1844 he
was chosen by the bishop as the presiding
elder of the Baltimore district, in which he
continued until 1848. He then took a super
numerary relation in the conference, and
was appointed to a, clerkship in the Indian
bureau, but resigned it before the close of
the yeaf, and was chosen as the presiding
elder of the North Baltimore district. In
1854 he was chosen presiding elder, which
continued until his death. During his min
isterial career he was elected by the general
conference as the assistant editor of the
Christian Advocate and Journal; but that
field did not suit his taste, and he soon re
turned to the itinerant work. Since 1830 he
has always been chosen a delegate to the
General Conference of the Methodist Episco
pal Church, and his action at the late meet
ing of that body, in restoring order when dis
solution threatened, Lecause of the agitation
of the slavery question, is still fresh in the
memory of those who felt an interest in the
unity and prosperity of the church. With
views strictly conservative, a quick percep
tion and strong reasoning faculties, with de
cided oratorical powers, he succeeded almost
invariably in carrying his point, and restor
ing harmony whenever discord presented it
self. In the Baltimore Conference, where
his whole clerical life was spent, he occupied
a high position, and took the front on all im
portant questions affecting the interests of
the church. At the late session of the con
ference, when the question of the division of
the body, which had agitated it for fifteen
years, was brought up, and when there seem
ed no possibility of the accomplishment of
the object, John A. Collins came forward
with a compromise that at once settled the
difficulty and consummated the separation.
Immediately after the adjournment of the
conference lie was attacked with illness and
prostrated for several days, but he recovered
and resumed his duties. On Friday last he
left his home, about two miles from the city
on the Calverton rcal, and came to the city,
intending to take the cars for Bedford, Pa.,
on the following morning, where he had an
appointment to hold a quarterly* meeting.—
He then was troubled with a cough, and
during the night was attacked with pneumo
nia, which terminated his existence. As he
had lived a faithful minister of the church
so he died. His funeral took place at half
past three o'clock yesterday afternoon, when
Rev. Henry Slicer officiated. His remains
were interred in Mount Olivet Cemetery.—
Baltimore Sun.
The Health of President Buchanan.
The Washington Star alluding to therecent
indisposition of Mr. Buchanan, says that it
did not continue twelve hours, and that he is
now as well and strong as ever.
The editor adds:— .
A peculiar feature of the National Hotel dis
ease is, that it affects the patients by parox
ysms. When at its height, they are almost
continuous. When commencing to recover,
the patient has respites from their operation
on his system; first of a day, then of two days
until, as the disease is evidently wearing off,
the paroxysms are the exceptions in the con
dition of his health. The President was en
tirely free from the action of the disease for
three or four weeks up to the night before last,
we hear, when he was somewhat affected by
it until yesterday forenoon. It then vanish
ed. Our own experience with it, which has
been dearly purchased, indeed, teaches that
in the President's case the disease is at its
very last stage, and that, hereafter, he will
be entirely free from it.
We sincerely trust that this may prove true.
The death of the President would be a nation
al calamity, and it would be deplored by all
parties. The New York Commercial says that
the remarks of the Washington Star, respec
ting the periodical return of the disease, are
confirmed by , the experience of other gentle
men. The Hon. Mr. Latrobe, President of
the American Colonization Society, who with
other delegates to the annual colonization
meeting were guests of the National Hotel,
and sufferers by the disease, to this day re
main subject to its attacks. There is a mys
tery about the origin of this matter that is far
from being cleared up by any investigation
that has yet been made. A mystery that
should be explained, if possible, especially as
the most contradictory stories are in circula
tion upon the subject. According to a cotem
porary, at least seven hundred persons have
been affected, and about thirty deaths have
taken place. The almost universal opinion
is, that the real source of the malady was poi
son; but of what nature, how administered, or
whether by accident or design, has not yet
been ascertained. Ever and anon, some new
victim is added to the list, and the periodical
return of the disease constitutes another fear
ful feature.
A Damai.—On Sunday night 10th inst., an
accident occurred to a young man, a resident
of West Chester, which was somewhat sin
gular, and happened in this wise::---On the
night in question, he retired to bed at the
usual hour, and fell asleep; about 12 o'clock
he dreamed that he was standing on the rail
road track, in Chestnut street, and that two
trains were rapidly approaching the spot
where he stood; in greatterror he sprang from
the bed to "clear the track," (as he thought)
and struck his head against the sharp edge
of a door, which knocked him senseless, and
cut a large gash on his forehead and over his
eye. Ho was laid up for several days.
ISlcKim's Speech.
The following is the speech of McKim to
the Court, err Judge' Taylor's asking him if
he had anything to say why sentence of death
should not be pronounced upon him:
PRISONER.—Yes sir ! Honored Judge, and
all of you gentlemen, I am charged with a
crime, which, before my God, and before you
all, lam innocent! I am charged with the
murder of Samuel T. Norcross, by killing him
with a club and cutting his throat with a
razor. Before my God, and before you all, I
aminnocent. I got out of the cars fifteen or
twenty miles west of Altoona, at a stopping
place, I do not remember the name, and a
man named Robinson, I don't know his first
name, I was introduced to him on the cars,
went on with Norcross. I am charged with
killing Samuel T. Norcross with a club, and
cutting his throat with a razor, which before
all you, gentlemen, (turning round to the au
dience,) and before my • God, I am innocent !.
There has been men here who swore falser
against me. There has been a man here who
sit there (pointing to the witness stand) who
said I was there when Mr. Norcross got his
money. Honored sir, this is not so; before
my God he :was not there, it was another man.
There has been a man here who said I took
breakfast at Altoona, and before my God I
did not. I was in Altoona, and saw Norcross
there. He was my friend, and I treated him
as a brother. I have been charged with a
crime for which I am to suffer, which, before
my God, and you, Honored sir, of which I am
not guilty. There has been a man here,
who sit there, and said that he saw me shave
Norcross with a razor. I never shaved Nor
cross, nor 1 never shaved myself since I left
home; before my God I did not. I had a
black-handled razor, but that one found beside
Norcross, which they abused me about, was
not mine. He never saw me shave Norcross
nor myself, and he swore to what was not
true. Honored Judge, they say that I killed
Norcross by beating his brains out with a
club, and cutting his throat with a razor,
when I did not. Honored Judge, and all you
here now, I am to be hung for a crime I did
not do. There has been a man here, sitting
there, who said I had no money, when I lent
that man thirty-five dollars in gold, and he
never paid me back to this day. They say I
had no money when I had, and witnesses
have come to this Court House to have me
hung for something I did not do. The crime
lam charged with, murdering Samuel T.
Norcross, I did not do, before my God I did
not do it, I am an innocent man, yet I know I
am about to suffer death for it in a few days.
That's all I have to say, sir.
During the delivery of this address, the
prisoner exhibited wonderful calmness and
the most intense energy of manner marked
every idea he uttered. His wrson was erect,
his head thrown back, his eyes restless, but
full of fire. He gesticulated with propriety
and effect. His voice full, clear, firm and so
norous, rang through the Court room, which
was still as death. His tone and manner were
terribly concentrated and impressive. His
very soul seemed struggling to impress its
vivid emotions on the audience. No man who
witnessed this awful scene can ever forget it.
THE SENTENCE
Judge Taylor then proceeded to sentence
the prisoner, prefacing it with the following
remarks:
A jury chosen by yourself, after a full and
patient hearing of your case, and all that the
zeal and ingenuity of your counsel urged in
your behalf, have found you guilty of the wil
ful, deliberate and premeditated murder of
Samuel Townsend Norcross. And although
you still deny it, the finding of the jury fixes
your guilt, and we are constrained to say, not
withstanding your denial, that this court en
tirely approves of that verdict.
Your crime, though perpetrated, and no
doubt supposed by you at that time to be hidden
and covered up in darkness, has been brought
by the evidence against you into clear and un
clouded light. Let your unhappy case serve
as a warning, that crime, and especially the
crime of murder, though committed with the
utmost secresy, and when no human eye sees.
no human ear hears, is still not hidden and
past finding out!
Your guilt has not only been made plainly
manifest, but it has appeared in the hideous
fact of the most deliberate, treacherous, cruel
and unmanly murder. Your victim was a
sickly, delicate youth, who, in unsuspecting
confidence, had placed himself in your charge,
and in your power, on his journey home to
his friends. The shudder—the heartsickness
—as the scene of that morning rises before us,
and we imagine the look and the feelings of
that confiding but betrayed youth, as he sees
the strong arm on which he had leaned, and
to which he looked for assistance and protec
tion, raised against his life ! But we forbear.
We do not thus speak to wound your feelings,
hut to impress on you our solemn conviction
that in view of the clearness with which yonr
guilt has been established, and the aggrava
ted heinousness of your crime, the judgment
now about to be pronounced will certainly be
carried into execution. And we earnestly
exhort you to look, as your only hope, the
only refuge before you, to Infinite Mercy!
Mysterious Disappearance.
Chat les Lefferts, a native of Bucks county,
Pa., has disappeared in a mysteeious man
ner, and has occasioned, we understand, con
siderable anxiety. Mr. L. has for a number
of years past resided below Philadelphia,
where by his industry he has accumulated a
snug little fortune. He. not long since pur
chased a farm of 58 acres in HiMown town
ship, for $4,300, of which sum he had paid
$5OO. The latest known of him was on the
morninc , t' of the 23d of March last, when he
left the house of his brother, Garret C. Lef
ferts residing near Ninth and Franklin Ave
nue, Philadelphia. He had then with him
between $3OOO and $4OOO, to make full pay
ment on his farm, and said he would take
the Northern Pennsylvania Railroad to get
there. Since then his relations and friends
have not been able to get the least trace of
him. He is a single man, of undoubted
character, aged 38 years, about 5 feet 10 in
ches high, weighs about 185 pounds, dark
hair and whiskers. A liberal reward will
be paid for his recovery, or for any informa
tion respecting him, by his brother, Simon
Lefferts, or Thomas Irdell, postmaster, Hor
sham, Montgomery county, Pa. The money
in tho possession of Mr. Lefferts when he
disappeared, consisted of $2OOO in notes on
the Bank of Delaware county in $5OO and
$lOO each—the remainder is supposed to
have been mostly in gold.
In.. Editors of newspapers abroad, would
confer a favor upon the family by publish.
ing the above particulars.