15011.11 i 5=20
TOW A N D A:
L i fitontittp, September 4, 1852.
:1 - ITIL2IO
OR OF " LEISURE HOURS' AT BEA." .4.
.• roul deeds will rise,
carh o'erwhelin them to men's eyes."
MIXDED FROM LAST WEER
Wage in which the cession o f the
:ere held, and which, for the sake of
will call Edgarton, contained about fit.
:Fres, most of them constructed with
was an open space in the midst of it,
lb;IC square,' in which stood a building
he purpose of a court-house during the
id of a meeting-house when an occas
„ n ary passed throngh that part of the
fronted out on the public road. The
a corner of the same place. Ityrati.o
story edifice, about twelve feet square,
to court-house built of large hewn logs,
izether with iron bolts at the corners—
apartment contained but one door and a
both secured by strong bolts and bars—
uk
house, the only one an the town, was
the rear of the square, and was occupi.
uel, as the traveler was informed by a
suspended from a post at the road side,
is conspicuously written in great yellow
:der a burlesque likeness of Gen. Wash
enter.ainment for man and horse." A
er up the road, or Main street, as it was
ugh there was but one in the village, on
, re side was another tavern of more hum
:raace than the first. It was around these
Ps rd public entertainment that a numer
urNaae of persons collected on the morn.
ea ihe important trial was to lake place, all
y cnnversin2 on the crime of which the pris.
As gipposeil to be ; and many of them
a cry n:nderate anathemas against the
ashen 'hey pretended to consider en mas
and cheats, and who, at last, were
:!,e country to break up their old man-
J c1) , ..:( , m!. The women, as ho were plenti
,,- • Vc,l amnrig them seemed very willing
clamor
m114 , 70uc fidgety people, to say
••=., , rh:erved the large lat wife of
7e-, an.' !!i:r -leepy eyes and unmeaning lace
.mei•omethur.; like vivacity as she spoke.—
T.r Tan' a of waiting on ; and don't gii
cr Now, there was old Went
•ait . c,! with yon know, Carlock, on
•..r• , 'lei; lar,ar, s lien he first came out
1; r a% as'nt good etiongh for 'em ;
- . tea to be sure. So I sent
~; r-eulement to gil some; and 1
1.1 . • in cook the truck—and, what
' t! , e) ‘‘ould'ut eat a bit on't alter all.
‘•-•, neither ; 'twas hitter nasty
eve , 1 . .! a odt to taste. But it's at an ays
.1 tern . Nays make a trouLle for
-f !It^ in lignant woman were fully
' I ) tt. her simple and unrophis
'llPre was one of them who
t-u , .1 .; InCigne into hie cheek,
In prevent-the dame from seeing
'or lie as-the merchant'v clerk and had
The fact waft, that never
ar . .cle of tea in her tile, the poor
'man had caused a pound of it to be
1. a• 1• '2, it r,li in a large kettle, serv-
^'• her 211P.iS ac greens for dinner.
Tr.. } ;e:i sa:d a firmer who had the reputa•
a nil among his fellows, and whose
nr , kev coat contrasted strangely was a
snlri, the collar of which was oaten
di,pia) ed. " They tell that old Silver
i' a p «er of money when he was killed.
w h *Esse Yankee doctors, any
lAA` , queerest pill to give a pa
-IrP es•er Learn of ; and he took the trouble
3^ 's. railick, and paid the bill himself
itad man's pocket hey ?"
a 4 sp.cimen of the idle talk with which
i amused themselves, until at length the
and after the preliminaries, the
al commenced. The prisoner had been
un anxious and affectionate parent,
* ;e lI 1 ,, comforts which the narrow apart
'''reed of, except fire and candles ; they
.;:arbidd en on account of the material of which
4,, was constructed. But the coldness of the
o'er had besn excessive, during a part of the
"' t ';'a was the occupant of that dreary abode
'boundaries of his cell not allowing of
Pterciae, a sickness fastened upon him,
'hough nm dangerous in its nature, had ren
!akt him thin and vety pale. He ,came into the
' . ""4 , 10 and arm with the attorney ;who was em
'n plead his cause ; and slightly bowing to
ts:use friendly salute indicated that they be.
4il him innocent, he passed through the crowd
3 / 4 a seat beside the lawyers within the bar.
.:1 , •%e high and exemplar); character which he
`',isvoined invariably from his first settling in
'race, un'd the present back suspicion rested on
1 . a certain degree of intuitive respect was.
Oil that must have, been most gratifying
:‘ le elint" A plea of not guilty' was entered
"r e examinatio n of witnesses commenced.
Car lock was the nephew of the deceits
,. 1 ' 'he oiltht.of the 16th of December, he was
fel to see die horse of his uncle arrive, with
.e and bridle on, but without a rider. He
7
'hat the deceased had stopped, perhaps, for
~ e at Buckhom's who lived a mile or so fur
:own the timber ; Vol as the night passed
r t
rn Y Without his turning home, he started early in
ming with the intention of trailing the horse.
'celle d lot Bockhorn, and they got upon the trail
"'men
it until they found the dead body. Two
men that had joined them at Buckhorn's
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THEI F
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returned with the body they continume - on the trail.
It led them to Mr. Wentworth's. They inquiredif
any body had been there that crossed over l .from
the other side of the stream. - They were answered
that Dr. Rivington had crossed the stream, and re•
mained the night with them. That Mr. Burnley,
the depntysheriff, had also remained the night, but
that he had carne from farther up, on the same side.
They followed on the trail, arid found that there
was a track from farther up, most likely Mr. Rum.
ley's. They continued on the track till they arriv
ed in town. Being informed by Mr. Drill,the gun.
smith, that Dr. Rivington had takenA3nckhorn's
rifle out with him, they immediately procured a
warrant for his apprehensitine They found him
employed in counting the identical money which
had been taken rrom Silversight.
James Buckhorn's evidence was in lull corrobo-
ration of the preceding. He mentioned, in' addi
tion, that he examined the lock and barrel of his
rifle, on 'finding it lying near the murdered man,
and discovered that it hid certainly been discharg
ed but a short time before.
" Mr. Drill," said lawyer Blundley, who was
counsel for our hero, " you mention having given
the gun to Dr. Rivington ;:did you also give him a
bullet that would fit the bore 1"
" I did not"
" Did he exhibit any anxiety to obtain the weark.
on 1" again asked the lawyer.
• " By no means," replied the gunsmith, " I con
sidered at the time that the Doctor's offer was one
of mere kindness, and he had previously mention
ed he was a going out that way to visit some of
his patients."
" The bore of this rifle, Mr. Drill," continued the
sagacious lawyer, "is very small. I presume
that you are familiar with the size and qualities of
all that are owned on the road out to Buckbom's.
Is there any house rst which Dr. Rivington could
have stopped and procured a ball of sufficient small
ness V' •
"John Guntry'e rifle," answered Mr. Drill
" eighty•seven or eight to the pound ; and one of
his bullets, with a thick patch, would suit Buck
horn's pretty well. This is the only one anywhere
near the size."
The attorney for the people here asked the wit
ness another question:
" For what pa-pose, sir, did the prisoner go into
your shop, on the morning of the 16th of last De
cember
" I was employed in repairing a pair. of pocket
pistols for him, and filling a bullet mould to them
He came in I believe, to inquire if they were fin
fished."
" Please to note that answer, gentlemen of the
Jury," said the prosecuting attemey. " Mr. Drill,
you may stand aside."
Samuel Cochrane was next called. He was one
of the young men who had returned with the body
of Silversight. On his way back, and about two.
hundred yards froth the place where the' murder
was committed he found a copper powder•ffank,
(which was shown to him, and he identified it,)
the letters C. R., M. D., being, cut upon one of its
sides, apparently with a knife.
There was but one more witness on the part of
the• pecple—Mr. Lawson, the magistrate before
whom the unfortunate prisoner had been examin
ed. lle testified as is the facts which were despos.
ed before him, together with the acknowledgment
of Dr. Iliiington that he had been in Company
with Silversight, But we may pass over these
circumstances, as the reader is already acquainted
with them.
ME
PUBLISHED EVERY . SATURDAY AT TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., BY E. O'MEARA GOODRICH.
.The prisoner was now put on his defence : and
all that talent and ingenuity could devise was done
by; his skillful counsel. The witnesses were cross
examined, and re-cross-examined, but their ans
wers were uniformly the same. A large number
of respectable persons came forward to testify to
the excellence of our hero's general character, but
their evidence was.rendered unnecessary by the at
torney for the people ad m itting in unequivocal terms
that previous to this;horrid occurrence,jt had been
exemplary in , a high degree. At length, wearied
by his exertions, and distressed at their result, Mr
Blandly discontinued his examination ; he had one
more weapon to try in behalf of his client—the
powerful one of eloquence, and ft was used by a
master of the art, but alas I was used in vain. He
dwelt much on the lact that his unfortunate client
had wished his route to be trailed from the village,
and that Buckhorn haJ started for the purpose, when
the disastrous snow storm occurred, and took away
the only hope he had to prove his innocence. He
cited many cases to the jury, in which circumstan
ces, even ptronger than these, had been falsified,
when their victim, murdered by the laws, was a
slumbering in his grave. He appealed to them as
parents, to know if they would believe, that a son
who had been so filial, whose character had previ.
crusty been without, a stein or blemish, could sud
denly turn aside from the path of rectitude and hon•.
or, to commit such an atrocious crime l But it
were useless to recapitulate the arguments that
were made use of on this interesting occasion—
they were ineffectual. The attorney for the prose
cution summoned up very briefly. He assured the
jury that the evidence was so clear in its nature, so
concatenated, so incontrovertible, as to amount to
moral certainty. Near the body of the murdered
man, a powder flask, such as the eastern people
principally use, had been found with the initials of
the prisoners name and medical degree, engraved
upon it—C. It, M. D.—Charles Rivington, Doctor
of Medicine. The trail is pursued, and leads them
to the house of Wentworth, where the prisoner
arrived on the evening of the blood deed, and re
mained all night. They continued on the trail, till
at last they found him, with greedy eyes, bending
over the plunder he had torn from his grey.haired
victim. " Such," concluded he, is a rapid outline
of the facts ; and deeply as I deplore the wretched
young man's guilt, yet, believing him guilty, it is
my sacred duty to display hts enormity ; but farther
than the imperious call of justice requires, I will
not—l cannot go."
I=
'The charge of the Judge, who was evidently
much affected, occupied but a few minutes; and
the jury retired to make up their verdict. We have
alreadytold the reader that the pristiner was pale,
in consequence of sickness produced by his expos-
ed sittiation in prison, but the appalling events of
the trial had caused no alteration in his appearance.
He eat firm and collected ; and there was a mel
ancholy sweetness in the expression of hie counte-
nance which told that all was calm within. Indeed
the awful coincidence of the circumstances had
been fully made known to him before he came
into court ; he was convinced, unless the interpo-
sing arm of heaven should prevent the blow, that
death and ignominy must - fall upon him. After a
severe internal conflict, he had become enabled to
say, " Thy will be done !"
His mother, by the assistance of that never-failing
comforter in sorrow, religion, had hitherto support
ed, with something resignation to the divine will,
this greatest calamity. In compliance with the
earnest request of her son, who was fearful that the
feelings of nature might become too strong for con
trol, and who wished to behave with calmness and
equanimity throughout the trying period, she re
frained from going to court on a day that was to
decide, in a great measure, her mortal destiny.
Seated in 'he little parlor of their dwelling, togeth
er with the :weeping Catharine, the strength of
whose love had drawn her to the spot, and awaiting
with intense anxiety the issue of the laggard hour,
was the mother of Charles Rivington, at the time
to which we have brought our narrative. She start-
ed at each noise that reached her ear, and every
breeze that shook the casement seemed laden with
the awful sentence of the law against her son. And
yet that noble won an, though torn by the deep and
awful solicitude which only a mother's heart can
.know, strove to speak words of comfort to the love
ly being beside her, whose affectionate bosom
seemed bursting with affliction.
" Weep not so bitterly," she said, "Catharine,
my dear child ; alas, I soon may have no other
child but you. What sound is that! lam wrong
to distrust his goodness ; yet this is a heavy, heavy
hour. I have knelt Catharine at the bedside of
hree lovely chik!ren, three little human blossoms
that death untimely cropt, and was enabled to bow
with resignation to the inscrutable decree. But
this, 0 my Father," groaned the tortured parent,
" stiller this bitterest cup to pass from me. Catha
rine, dry your tears; He whose powerful hand led
forth unharmed from the fiery furnace the three that
would not renounce his name, will yet deliver my
boy from the toils that are around him."
At this moment Judy was seen from the window
running rapidly towards the house, and directly af
ter, pale and breathless, entered the apartment.
Judy faintly cried the agonized parent, trem
bling in every nerve, but unable to otter more.
" Ah, madam," responded the servant, 0 I know
what you'd be asking nie—lak' comfort, it's not de
cided yet ; the juries has jist gone up stairs to talk
it over among themselves; and bless their swate
souls, they cried amost as fast as 1 did myself, when
Mr. Blandly spoke to 'em. Ah, he's a nice gentle
man, and lie knows exactly what kind of a body
Mr. Charles is. He described him jist for all the
would as I would, only I couldn't usp such ilegant
words."
" The jury wept—there is hope, then, Judy r ,
inquired the parent, In a faltering voice.
t‘ Wept, did they? Yes; and the judge, and Mr.
Wentworth could scarce give in his evidence for
crying ; and they all cried, except Mr. Charles him
self. He looked pale and sorrowful, but there was
no blubbering about him. 1 niver seed him look
so ilegant before. But 1 jist rin here to tell ye how
things was going on. go back, and find what
them juries says. 1 hope they may niver be able
to open their ugly mouths till its jist to spike the
word hinocent.'"
" Stop, Judy," said Mrs. Rivington, feeling una
tile to endure the horrors of another period at sus
pense, "I will go with you. I trust that heaven
will give me strength to bear the issue, even should
it be the worst that can befall."
Ye had bitter not, my dear mistress, for there'
are hard.her rted people about the place that Where
he's guilty, because he's a Yankee—ode rot their
saucy tongues—and they moot jeer at ye, because
ye're his mother"
" They cannot. At any rate I will go forth,"
said the afflicted mother ; " he's my own, true and
noble-hearted boy ; and his mother will be by to
whisper consolation in his ear, though every other
tongue were loud in mockery and reviling'.
" And I will go with you mother," said Catha
rine, rising from her chair and drying her tears;
I know he is innocent—and should the worst come
it is better to hear it at once than linger here in
such anguish." •
The assembled crowd was still anxiously await
ing the return of the verdict, when the mother of
Rivington, leaning on the arm of Catharine entered
the court house of Edgerton. A passage was inst
antly opened for them, with that intuitive respect al.
most all men are ready to yield to misfortune, even
when accompanied by guilt. They bad not been
long seated, in the part of the room where they
could be most screened from observation, when the
Jury returned, and handing a seal verdict to the
clerk, resumed their places. The clerk arose, and
read in a faltering voice, "we find the prisonor
Charles Rivington, guilty." The words bad scarce
ly left his lips when a piercing shriek rang through
the apartment, and Catharine Wentworth fell life
less on the floor. Not so with that Christian moth
er,--with unwonted strength she darted through the
assembly until she reached her child ; " my boy !"
she cried," my boy !be of cheer. Your heavenly
father knows yont inmost soul ; and sees that you
are guiltless. We shall ;lie down together, for
think not f can survive you—ive shalt. lie down to
gether to awake with the Lord—my,boy ! little did
I think to see this bitter day ;" exhausted nature
could endure no morn, and the mother tainted in
the arms of her child.
We shall not attempt to describe the situation of
RESARDLESS OF DENUNCIATION FROM ANY QUARTER."
our unhappy hero, for words are inadequate to the
ask. The insensible forms of his mother and be
owed Catharine were conveyed from the scene ;
and when some degree of silence was restored
among the sympathizing multitude, the judge pro
ceeded to pronounce death upon him. He had
nothing to say to avert it except a reiterated declar
ation of his innocence and he besought the court,
that the time previous to his execution might be
made as brief as possible, in mercy to his bereaved
parent, who would be dying a continnal death
while he survived. It was accordingly fixed to take
place on that day three weeks.
It wait near midnight of that important day. The
busy throng which the trial had collected together
were die parsed, and the moon, high in heaven,
was wading on her silent course through the clouds
of a wintry sky, when Charles Rivington, started
from a unquiet slumber, by a fancied noise at the
door of his prison, and sitting up in bed that he
might more intently listen, he heard his own name
whispered trom the enter dcor.
" Will you awake Mr. Charles !" was softly ut
tered in the sweet accents of our little sit acquait
,ance, Judy. " Was there ivor the like , '"' continued
she, " and he sleeping at that rate when his friends
are opening the door for him."
" Be quiet Judy," responded a masculine voice,
but modulated to ifs softest tone, and stand more in
the shadow. The doctor will wake fast enough,
as soon as I get this bolt sawed out ; but if ye git
that tavern-keepers dog a barking there's no telling
but it may wake the jailor instead of the doctor.
" And you're right Jimmy dear„' responded Judy
" here, leave go with your fingers, man ; you can't
poll it oft that 'ere way. Here, take this bit of a
slake for a pry—and now that's your sorts, " con
tinued she, adding her strength to his, and a large
end of the log, to wjiich the fastenings of the door
were appended, fell to the ground. " Now, one
more pull, Jimmy and the day is onr own."
They accordingly made another exertion of uni
ted strength, when the prison door flying open,
Bockhorn and Judy stood before our prisoner.
There, Mister Charles, say nothing at all about
it, but just take Jimmy's nag that's down in the hol
low, and git clam as soon as you can. There's a
steamboat, Jirnmy says at St. Louis, going tight
down the river, and here's all the money that we
could get, but it is enough to pay your passage ar.y
how," said the affectionate girl, tears standing in
her eyes, as she reached to her respected, and, as
she believed guiltless master, all her own hoard
ings, together with the sum which Bockhorn had
been accumulating ever since ho became a suitor
for her hand.
" You are a kind and excellent girl," answered
Riving,ton, sensibly affected by the heroism and at
tachment of his domestic, " and you are a noble
fellow Buckhorn ; but you forget that by. flying 1
should only confirm those in the belief of my guilt
who are wavering now : besides, I could hardly
expect to escape ; fur, my life being forfeited to the
laws. a proclamation would be immediately issued,
and aprrehension and death, then as now would
be my doom. No, no, my good friends, you mean
me well, but 1 cannot consent to live, unless I can
live with an unsullied fame."
" A h, dear doctor," sobbed out poor Judy, whose
heart seemed almost broken, " what's the use uf
speaking about it. If you stay, you've but a few
(lays to live, and take Your chance now, who
knows bnt the rail munlerr may be found out and
then you might come back Charles, and all would
go well agin."
"That is a powerful argument, Judy ; but my
trust is in him who beholds all our actions," return.
our hero, " and 1 must conless that 1 cannot divest
myself of the hope that the truth will yet be brought
to light, before I (lie the death of a felon."
"Doctor Rivington," said Buckhon, going up to
him, and taking him warmly by the hand, " I've
been wavering all along about you—but I'm sartain
now. The man that murdered Silversight in cold
blood, wouldn't be standing shilly-shally, and the
jail don! wide open. I always was dub'ous about
it, tho' the proof seemed so sure. My nag is down
in the hollow, with saddle-bags on him, and Judy
filled 'em full of your clothes; you may take him,
doctor, if ye will; you may take the money in
welcome—but I, that come here to set you clear,
advise you to stay, and if I don't find out somethin'
to turn the tables before hanging day, it shan't be
because I don't try."
Our hero exchanged with the honest hunter, one
of those warm pressures of the hand, which may
be termed the language of the sonl , and conveyed
to him, by the eloquent action, more than he could
readily have found words to express. They were
now alarmed by the report of two rifles near them,
fired in quick succession, and two persons issuing
from the shadow of a neighboring horse-shed at
the same moment, made directly towards the door
of the jail, crying out in a load voice, " the prison
ers has broke out ! the prisoners ha broke out !"
Our friend, Judy and Buckhornn were enabled to
make good their retreat, as the object of the alarm
seemed more to secure the prisoners than the arrest
of his intended deliverers. It was not many min
utes before a considerable number of the idle and
curious were collected by thiaclamor around the in
sufficient place of confinement, and effectual means
were devised to prevent any danger of a farther at
tempt at rescue.
The glimmering hope which had been lighted
up in out hero's heart by the last words of Buck.
horn, and the cor fldent manner in which they were
uttered, gradually declined, as day atter (lay rolled
by, and no trace could he discovered of the real
perpetrator of crime. To add to the anguish of his
situation, he learned that his lovely Catharine was
confined by a wasting fever to her bed ; and that
his mother, though she still bore up, murmured not
against the Almighty's will, was fast sinking of a
broken heart into the grave. The evening previ
ous to the _fatal daywhich was to - terminate :his
earthly career, at length arrived, but brought no
cheering promise with it, and the unhappy young
man, therefore, humbling, himself before the throne
'~=r ~:f/.~~"-.A~.~ td~:w s', ~rl'. :,:Ki: C,iti.~F~l:A».:=~ `.`, ti`.%fir.~"
of heaven, and beseeching that mercy there which
he could no longer hope for on earth, devoted the
greater part of the night to prayer.
It was on the same evening, a little. mean look.
ins cabin, called " Brown's Tavern," in the place
which we have before bad occasion to speak of
as the New Settlement, that two persons were set.
ting at a table, with a bottle of whisky between
them, conversing on the general topio,, the execu
tion that twas to take place on the morrow : when
a third one entered and calling for a dram, took a
seat some distance from them. He was a
tall dark man, dressed in a hunting frock and buck
skin leggings, and held in his hand one of those
mongrel weapons, which, partaking of the charac
ters both of rifle and musket, are called smooth.
bores by the bunters of our WeAtem frontier, who,
generally speaking, bold them in great contempt.
The apartment of the little grocery or tavern, where
these three persons were assembled, was lighted,
in addition to the blaze of a large wood fire, by a
single long dipped tallow candle, held in an iron
candle stick ; and its only furniture consisted of the
aforementioned table, with the rude benches on
which the guests were seated. The conversation
had been interrupted by the entry of the third per
son, but was now resumed.
" For my part as I was saying," observed one of
the persons, in continuation of some remark he bad
previously made," I think the thing has been too
hasty altogether."
" The doctor's character, which every body re
spected, should have made them more cautious
bow they acted; especially ache wanted them to
go right out on his trail, and they'd find that he had
kept straight on to Mr. Wentwonh's. Now he
wouldn't a-toltMem that, if it wasn't so: and I'm
half a•mind to a believe that he's not guilty after
all."
"That's damned unlikely," said the stranger, in
a grnff voice.
" Why, bless me, Mr. Rimier," continued the
first speaker, " I didn't know it was you, you set
PO in the dark. How have yon been this long
time. Let me see—why yes, bless me, so it was
—you and me that was talking with poor Silver
sight the day he started from here with the money.
I havn't seen you since. Why, ain't you a-going
to be over in Edgarton, to see the doctor hung to
morrow ?"
" I don't know whether I shall go or not," repli-
ed Rumley.
" Well, I've a great notion to ride over there, tho'
I'm monstrous sorry for the poor man "
" Sorry, the devil !—hang all the cursed Yankees
I say," responded the amiable deputy-sheriff
" Come, that's too bad—though I like to see you
angry on account of the old man's murder, becase
ye was not very gond friends when he was alive—
but bless me, Mr. Runley, that powder•horn looks
mighty like old Silversight's," taking hold of it to
examine it as he said so.
"Stand off !" cried Ramley, " what do you 'vase
I'd be doing with the old• scoundrel's powder-horn!
It's not his—it never was his—he has never seen
it."
" It's a lie!" cried a person who had glided in
and obtained a view of the horn' in question, as the
deputy-sheriff jerked it away from the eight of the
others; " its a lie! I know it well—l've hunted .
with the old man often, and I know it as well as I
do my own. Bill Brown, and you, John Gilman,
addressing himself to the one who first recognized
the powder-horn, " I accuse Cale Burnley of old
Stiversight's murder—help me to secure him !"
"The deputy-sheriff moo d motionless tor a mo
ment, and turning as pale as death, (from surprise
perhaps.) then, suddenly recovering his powers,
he darted across the room, and seizing his gun, be
fore any one was aware of the intention, levelled
and fired at his accuser. The apartment became
instantly filled with smoke, which, as it slowly
rolled away, discovered to the astonishe.4beholders,
the stifl and bleeding form of Caleb Burnley,
streatehed at full length on the floor. As soon as
he discharged his piece, the idforiated men had
sprung towards the door, designing to make an im
mediate escape; but the motion was anticipated by
oar friend Jimmy Bockhorn; (for it was he who
charged his fallen antagonist with murder, and
who luckily was not touched by the ball that was
ment to destroy him,) and with one blow of his
powerful arm, he felled the scoundrel to the earth.
He now rapidly explained to the wondering
trio, the nature of the proof he hail obtained o
Rum ley's guilt; and succeeded in satisfying them
that he ought to be made prisoner, and immediate
ly conveyed to Edgerton.
The morning which our hero believe) was to be
the last of his earthly existence ; arosejwith unwont
ed brightness ; and throngs of males and females
came pouring into the little village, impelled by
the mysterious principle of onr natures, which in
cite us to look on that we nevertheless shudder to
behold. But no sounds of obstreperous merriment,
no untimely jokes were uttered as they passed
along the road to grate upon the ear of the unfortu
nate Charles, and break him off frontElis commu
nion with heaven; on the contrary, many a tear
was shed that morning by the bright eyes of rus
tic maidens, who were " all unused to the melting
mood ;" and many a manly breast heaved a sigh
for sympathy for the culprit, who was that day to
make expiration to the oflended laws. Indeed
since the sentence of the court was passed, a won
derful change had been wrought among the ever
changing multitude, by various rumors that were
whispered from one part of those wide prairies to
another, and spread with almost increitble velocity.
A thousand acts of unasked for benevolence were
now remembered, in favor of him who was to suf
fer. Here was a Aged and afflicted woman whom
he had not only visited without hope of reward,
but upon whom he had conferred pecuniary as
well as medicinal comforts. There was an indus
trious cripple who had received a receipt in full
from the young physician, when creditors to a less
amount were levying upon his farm. And many
similar acts of bounty were proclaimed abroarl,tb)
i%. -
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MEI
the grateful bearer on which they hati.been coefir
red, all helping to produce a change of sentiment
which was manifestly
,wronght. Still the general
impression seemed to be unshaken, (so strong had
been the proofs) that, in an evil hour, he had yiel
ded to temptation, and imbrued iris hands in a fel
low creature's blood.
The hour at last arrived when Charles Rivingten
was to sutler the sentence 01 the law, A rude
,gallows was erected - at about' a quarter •et a mile
from the public square, and thither the procession
moved. lie was decently dressed in a black suit,
and walked to the fatal place with a firm step. lie
was very pale; but from no other outward sign
might the spectators guess that he shrunk from the
horrors of such
.a death, for his eye had - a calm ex
pression, and the muscles of his face were as mo•
tionless as an infant's slumber. They reached the
spot. A prayer, a solemn prayer i was offered rpto
heaven for the murderer's seal, in which eve-y
hearer joined with unaccostomed fever. The sher
iff's attendant stood in waiting with the fatal cord,
while the agonized mother, vainly endeavoring to
emulate the firmness of her heroic boy, approach
ed, with trembling steps, to bid a last farewell—
when, bark ! a shout was heared—all eyes was
were turned to catch its meaning—another shout
and words, " stop ! stop the execution I," were dis
tinctly audible. In less than on instant slier, the
death-pale form of Jimmy Buckhorn tumbled from
his horse, with just sufficient strength remaining to
reach towards the sheriff an order from the judge to
stay the execution.
Reader our tale is nearly at an end. Jimmy Bock.
horn had been faithful to his word. He hail sought
for some clue to the real murderer, with an earnest
ness which nothing but a firm conviction of our he
ro's innocence, superadded to hie love for Judy,
could possibly have enkindled. For some time lip
was unanocessful. At length the thought struck
him that the track on the side of the strea.n where
Mr. Wentworth resided, might have been caused
by a traveler passing along, on the morning alter
the fatal deed, and the deputy-sheriff, in the caws
might be the real culprit. He immediately set out
to visit every cabin above Mr. Wentwortb's to see
if his story that he had been further np the the
stream was correct. This took considerable time,
but the result satisfied him that the tale was false.
He then procured the assistance of a surgeon, im
posing upoti hint screcy, until the proper time for
disclosure, and proceeded to disetiter the body or
Silversight. This was more successful than he ev.
er dared to hope; the ball had lodged in the cavity
of the head, and being produced Buckhorn pro.
nounced at once, from its great size, that it could
have been discharged only from Burnley's smooth
bore. He set out directly for Edgerton, choosing
to go by the way of the New Settlements, for a two
fold reason. He had heard that Burnley was in the
neighborhood, and get possession of him, or of
his gun at any rate, he deemed very essential
Besides, that route would take l im by the house
of the judge, and horn him it would be necessary
to procure an order to delay the proceedings. We
have seen the result. But the chain of evidence
was not yet complete.
A wild and dissipated young mars, by the name
Michael Davis, who had just returned up the river
from New Orleans, entered the office of the clerk
of the county, On his way back to the tarven, from
the place where the execution was to have taken
place, in order to while away an hour coal the
time for dinner should arrive. The powder flask,
which had been brought in evidence against our
hero, was laying on the table with the graven side
downward. There is a restless kind of persons in
the world, who can never be easy, let them be sit.
ting, where they will, without fingering and exam
ining whatever is in their reach—and such a one
was Michael Davis; lie accordingly took op the
in a careless manner, and turning it over in hie
hand, his eyes fell upon the letters.
o ,Why, halo,' what the devil are you doing
with my powder-flask ?- asked he.
" I wish the unlucky article had been your's, or
any body's except the unfortunate Dr. Rivington's"
returned the clerk, who was a firiend of our hero,
amt deeply deplored the circumstances that hail
lately transpired.
" Unfortunate devil's." reiterated Michael ; ri I
tell you it's my flask, or article as von prefer calling
it ; or•ra•her it was mine and Cale Burnley's togeth•
er. We bought it when me and him went down
to Orleans—let's see, that's three years, come
Spring. I ought to know the cursed thing, for I
broke a bran new knife in serarching the letters on
it."
The clerk started from his seat—he snatched the
flask out of the hand of Das is—he gazed at it a
moment intend:, —then, the truth sudden') flash.
ing on his mind, he rushed out into the roatrforget.
mg his hat, forgetting every thing but the letters on
the flask. The magistrate who grieved as much
as any one, at the supposed dereliction of their
young friend, the physician, was amazed to sea
his clerk enter his apartment in snob a plight.
" Tnere !" cried he, as he threw down the flask
on the table, "C. R. M. D. spell something be.
sides Rivington. Send your servant out of the
room." As soon as he was gone, and the door
carefully closed the clerk corttinued in a low coal.
dental tone, " that flask is Caleb Rumley's and
Caleb Rumley is the murderer, (no wonder he has
kept himself awascall this while.) It belongs to
him and that imp of Satan, Michael Davis, togeth.
er; and Michael Davis told me so with his own
month, not three minutes ago—and Charles Riv
ington's an honest man—huzza! huzza! huzza !"
concluded he as be danced and skipped about the
apartment,with delirious joy true friendship inspir.
ed. The magistrate was a man of a middle age,
and very large and corpulent, tint a monntain of
flesh could not have kept him down, whon such a,
thnlling news tingled, in his ears, and he too be.
gan to dance a jig, that shook the tenement to
foundation.
It became the ilit'y of 'he worthy mte¢i•lrate ti,i.
[ritECitrit riGr 1
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