2
(l)c Sttmc0, Nctu Bloomftclir, )a.
CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
TIIIIE following strange narrative np
I pcared in a volume called the " The
ory of Presumptive Proof," published
some sixty years since, and now not olteu
met with :
A gentleman traveling to Hull was
stopped late in the evening, about seven
miles short of that town, by a single
highwayman, with a mask on. who robbed
him of a purse containing twenty guineas,
The highwayman rode oil' by a different
road, full speed, and tho gentleman per
sucd his journey. It, however, growing
late, and being already much frightened
and agitated at what hud passed, he rode
only two miles further, and stopped at the
Bell, a road-side inn, kept by Jamc3 Biu
ncll. He went into the kitchen to give
directions for his supper, wheu he related
to several persons his having been robbed
to which he added this peculiar circum
stance, that when he traveled he always
gave his gold a particular mark; that
every guinea in the purse he was robbed
of was so specially marked, and that
probably the robber, by that means, would
be detected. Supper being ready, ho
retired, lie had not long finished his
repast when Mr. Brunell name into the
parlor. After the usual inquiries of land
lords of hoping the supper and every
thing was to his liking, etc., " Sir," says
he, " I understand that you have been
robbed not far hence this evening." " 1
have, sir." " And that your money was
marked ?" " It was." " A circumstance
has arisen which Lads mo to think that I
can point out the robber." ''Indeed!"
" Pray sir, what time in the evening was
it?" ' It was just setting in to be dark."
The time confirms suspicions." Mr.
Brunell then informed tho gentleman that
he had a waiter, one John Jennings, who
had of late been so very full of money he
had had many words with him about it,
and had determined to part with him on
account of his conduct being so suspicious';
that long before dark that day he had
sent him out to change a guinea for lain,
and that he had ouly come back since he,
the gentleman, was in the house, saying
he could not get change; and that Jenn
ings being in liquor, he had sent him to
bed, resolving to discharge him in the
morning. That at the time ho returned
him the guinea, ho, Mr. Brunell, did not
think it was the same which he had given
him to get silver for, having perceived a
mark upon this which he was very clear
was not upon tho other j but that never
theless, he should have thought no more
of the matter, as Jennings had so fre
quently gold of his own in his pocket,
had he not afterwards heard for he
was not present when the gentleman was
in his kitchen relating it tho particulars
(if the robbery, and that tho guineas
which the highwayman had taken were
all marked; that, however, a few minutes
previously to his having heard this, he
had unluckily paid away the guineas
which Jennings returned him to the man
who lived some distance off and was gone ;
but the circumstance r.truek him so very
strongly that ho should not, as an honest
man, refrain from giving this informa
tion. Mr. Brunell was thanked fir his atten
tion and public spirit. There was the
strongest reason for suspecting Jennings
and if, on searching him any of tho mark
ed guineas should be found, as tho gentle
man could swear to them, thcro would
then remain no doubt. It was now
agreed to go softly up to his room; Jen
nings was last asleep; his pockets were
searched, and from one of then was drawn
forth a purse containing exactly nineteen
guineas. Suspicion became domonstra
liui, for the gentleman declared them to
bo identically thoso of which ho had been
robbed. Assistance was called, Jennings
was awakened, dragged out of bed, ami
charged with tho robbery. lie denied
it firmly, but circumstances were too
strong to gain him belief. lie was so
cured that night, and the next day carried
before a neighboring J ustieo of the Peace.
Tho gentleman and Mr. Brunell deposed
to tho factsonoath; and Jennings, having
no proofs.but mere assertions of innocence
u oppose them, which obtained no credit,
was committed to take his trial at the
assizes.
So strong were the circumstances known
to be against him, that several of his
friends advised him to plead guilty on
his trial, and to throw himself on tho
mercy of tho Court. This advieo ho re
jected, and when arraigned, pleaded not
guilty. The prosecutor swore to his being
robbed ; but tht, it being nearly dark,
the highwayman in a mask, and himself
greatly terrified he could not swear to tho
prisouer'8 person, though lie thought him
uf orach tho same staturo as tho man
who robbed him. To tho purso and
guineas which wero produced in Court,
he swore as to tho purse positively, and
as to tho marked guiueas, to tho best of
his belief, and that they wero found in tho
prisoner's pocket.
The prisoner's master Mr. Brunell, de
posed to the fact, as to sending the prison
er to change a guinea, and of his having
brought hin Inck a marked one in the
room of the one he had given him un
marked. Ho also gave evidence as to
the finding of the purse, and the nineteen
marked guineas in the prisoner's pocket.
And what consummated the proof, tho
man to whom Mr. Brunell paid the
guinea produced the same, and gave tes
timony to his having taken it that, night
in payment from tho prisoner's master.
Mr. Biunnel gave evidence to his bavins
received of the prisoner that guinea which
he afterwards paid to this last witness.
Ami the prosecutor, comparing it with
the other nineteen found in tho pocket of
the prisoner, swore to its being, to the
best of his belief, one of the twenty guineas
of which he had been robbed by the
highwayman.
The Judge, on summing up tho evi
dence, remarked to the jury on all the
concurring circumstances against the pris
oner; and the jury, on this strong circum
stantial evidence, without going out of
the court, brought in tho prisoner guilty.
Jennings was executed some time after,
at Hull repeatedly declaring his innocence
to the very nnmient of being turned off.
This happened in the year 1742.
Vv'ithin a twelvemonth after, lo ! Bru
nell. Jonning's master, was himself taken
up for a robbery done on a guest in his
own house ; and tlvj fact being proven on
his trial, he was convicted, and ordered
for execution. The approach of death
brought on repentance, and repentance
confession. Brunell not only acknowl
edged the committing of many highway
robberies for some years past, but tho
very one for which poor Jennings had
sunercu.
The account he gave, was that he ar
rived at home by a nearer way and swifter
riding, some time before the gentleman
got in who had been robbed. That he
fouud a man waiting to whom he owed a
little bill, and that not' having quite
enough loose money in his pocket, he took
out of the purse one guinea, from the
twenty he had just got possession of, to
make up the sum, which he paid, and the
man went away. Presently came in the
robbed gentleman, who, while Brunell
was gone in to the stables, and not know
ing of his arrival, told his tale, as before
related, in the kitchen. The gentleman
had only just left tho kitchen when Bru
nell entered it and being there informed,
amongst other circumstances, of the
marked guineas, lie was thunderstruck !
Having paid one of them away, and not
daring to apply for it again, as the affair
of the robbery and marked money would
soon becomo publicly known detection,
disgrace and ruin appeared inevitable.
Turning in his mind every way to escape,
the thought of accusing and sacrificing
poor Jennings at last struck him. The
rest the reader knows.
Xusby's Domestic Experience.
When torn from my peaceful home to
fito our friends of the South, I bed a wife
wich I loved. Life was a peeccfulstrceni
and wc noted calmly along. She took in
washin' and I talked politics at a neigh
borin grocery, investin' the proceeds of
her labor in the sustenance afforded tit
tho bar. AVhen I returned, wat met me?
The killin' of men out-rite wins not the
most heartrendiu' incidiuts of that fra
trisidlo struggle. It wuz the sevcriu' of
domestic ties, the teariu' down of domes
tic altars, and the separatin' of families.
When I returned I wuz coldly met.
Moozicr Jane wuz at home. 1 askt her
in my own familyer way for a dollar and
a J, ez I wanted to to go down the street.
" That's played !" she remarkt.
" llevn't you got it ?" I askt
" I hcv," she replied, and I propose to
keep it. I hev diskivered soniethiu'
since yoove bin gone. I hev found that
its easy enuff to support myself and chil
dren washin' at a dollar a dozen, but add
to that a hulkin' man. with a noso liko
yoors, and it's harder than I keep. This
house is mine you kin vacate."
And she calmly rung out a shirt cz
though wat she said was a common placo
remark insted ov ix practical divorce.
I left her. A feendish ablishnist bed
put this idea intu her bed. and she had
acted ou it. Sinco that tinio I have
wended my way alone, subsistin' by
chanco. Ablishinism owes mo tho lieker
I ought to hev bed out ov what that wo
man bus urnod senco that cruel day, 0,
what a fearful debt to pay.
Why Aunt Sully Never Married.
""VTOWAunt Sally, do please tell
r us why you never married.
You know you said once that when you
were a girl you wero engaged to a minis
ter, and that you would tell us all about
it, sometime. Now, Aunt, pleaso do.-"
" Well, you sec, when I was about sev
enteen years old, I was living in Utica, in
the State of New York. Though I say
it myself, I was quite a good looking girl
then and had several beaux. The one
that took my fancy most was a young
minister, a very promising young man,
and remarkably pious and steady, lie
thought a great deal of inc, and I kind
of took a fancy to him and things ran on
till we were engaged.
" One evening he came to inc I re
member it as well as if it were only yes
terday. When he came into the parlor
where I was sitting alone, ho came up to
me and but now, pshaw ! girls, I don't
like to tell the rest."
" Oh, Aunt Sally, for mercy's sake,
don't stop ; toll ns what he did."
" "Well, as I said, he came to mo and
put his arms around me, and rather hur
jred inc, while I got excited and some
frustrated, and it was a long time ago,
and don't know but what I might have
hugged back a little. Then I felt but
now just clear out every one you, I shan't
tell you any more."
" Goodness, gracious, no, Aunt Sally.
Tell us how you felt. Didn't you i'eel
good, and what did ho do next?"
" Oh, such torments as you are ! -1
was like any other girl, and pretty soon
I pretended to be mad about it, and push
ed him away, though I wasn't mad a bit.
You must know that the house where I
lived was on one of the back streets in
town. There were glass doors in the
parlor, which opened right over the street
and no balcony or anything of the
kind in front of the house. As it was
in the summer season, these doors were
opened and the shutters just drawn to.
1 stepped back a little from him, and
when ho edged up close I pushed him
away again. I pushed harder than I in
tended to, and don't you think girls, the
poor fellow lost his balance, and fell
through one of the doors into the street ?
Yes, it's so. As ho fell I gave a scream
and caught him but declare I won't tell
any thing more. I'm going to leave the
room."
" No, no, Aunt Sally 1 How did you
catch him? Bid it hurt him much '!"
" Well, if I must, I must. lie fell
head first, and as he was going I caught
him by the legs of his trousers. I held
on for a minute and tried to pull him
back, but his suspenders gave way and
the poor young man fell clear out of his
pantaloons into a whole parcel of ladies
and gentlemen passing along the street."
" O ! Aunty, Aunty, Lordy, Lordy 1
He, he, he !"
l; There, that's right, giggle and squeal
as much as you want to. Girls that can't
hear about a little thing like that without
tearing around tho room and hc-ho-ing in
such a way don't know enough to come
home when it rains. A nice time the
man that ever marries you will have,
wont he ? Catch me telling you anything
again."
"But, Aunt Sally, what became of
him ? Bid you ever sec him again?"
(1 No, the moment ho touched the
ground he got up and left the place in a
terrible hurry. I tell you it was a sight
to remember, to see how tho man did
run. Father happened to bo coming up
the street at the time, and he said that he
never saw anything to equal it in his
wholo life. 1 heard others say that he
did the fastest running ever known in
that part of the country, and that he nev
er stopped or looked behind until ho was
two miles out of town, lie sent mo a
note a few days afterward saying that the
engagement must be broken off, as ho
never could look me in tho face, after
what had happened. lie went out West,
and I believe ho is preaching in Illinois.
But ho never married. Ilo was very
modest, and I suppose ho was so badly
frightened that ho never dared to trust
himself near a woman again. That, is
tho reason, girls, 1 never married. I felt
very bad about it for a loug time, for he
was a real good man, and I have often
thought that wo should always have boon
happy if hi uuentlcr hadn't given
wuy."
J3yA new physiological discovery has
been made by a young man namely ,that
the pulse of tho young ladies generally
beats stronger in tho palm of the hand
than at tho wrist. As to more elderly' fe
males, even little boys know by stern cx
pcrienco that tho palm of the maternal
hand beats awful strong. '
A Good Dog Story.
A CHELSEA man, once on a time,
before the running of horso cars,
came to Boston with his youug wife, tn
attend the opera. The lady was so fac
inatcd that she refused to leave until the
final drop of the curtain. Then, to the
consternation of both, it was found to be
so late as to raise a serious doubt whether
the 12 o'clock Chelsea ferry boat could
not be reached, and that was the last trip
for the night. Nevertheless, they hurried
down Hanover street, but only to find, as
they feared, that the boat had gone.
Thcro was nothing left fur them but to
foot it along commercial street to Char
lestown bridge, and through Charlestown,
over Chelsea bridge, a long dreary walk,
and one which at that time had a bad
reputation, by reason of sonic recent as
saults committed on belated pedestrians
The lady was greatly alarmed and very
unwillingly went forward. But as they
were hurrying along a strange, savage
bull dog accosted them, much to the dis
gust and alarm of the lady, who bid him
" be off," of which, however, he took no
notice, but after smelling around finally,
martc up his mind that they would answer
his purpose and that he would theirs, and
so deliberately trotted along after them.
WJien they reached the long and dreary
Chelsea bridge, nothing induced the lady
to venture forward but the presence of
this strange dog. As they were Hearing
the centre of the bridge, a slouchy man
was discovered ahead leaning against the
rail of the bridge, who immediately, on
discovering tho approaching party, began
to move forward toward them, to the
special consternation of tho trembling
woman. The gentleman spoke in an
undertone to the dog, who seemed to
understand the position and tobe master
of it, too, and left his place in front; and
as they approached tho suspicious man,
greeted him with a savago growl, and ap
peared ready for a spring. The sight
and sound of the dug acted as a charm
on the man, and he slunk away from the
path, and allowed the party to go along
unchallenged.
The trio reached homo in safety; and,
it is hardly necessary to say, the strange,
friendly dog was cordially welcomed into
the house and fed and lodged like nprinco
of dogs, as he had shown himself to be.
The next morning, the dog took his de
parture, without leaving his mime or
residence, aud was never afterwards seen
by the persons whom he had so mysteri
ously and effectively befriended.
Power of Imagination.
A wealthy lady had a tickling in the
throat, and thought a bristle of her tooth
brush had gone down and lodged in her
gullet. Her throat daily grew worse.
It was badly inflamed, aud she sent for the
family doctor, lie examined it carefully,
and assured her that nothing was the
matter it was a nervous delusion, he
said. Still her throat troubled her, and
she became so much alarmed that sho was
sure she should die. A friend suggested
she should call on Dr. Jones, a young
man just commencing practice. She did
not at first like tho idea, but finally as
sented, aud Dr. Jones was called, lie
was a person of good address and polite
manners. He looked carefully at her
throat, asked several questions as to the
sensation at tho seat of the malady, and
finally announced that he could relieve
her in a short time. On his second visit
ho brought delicate pair of forceps,
in the teeth of which ho had inserted u
bristle taken from an ordinary tooth-brush.
The rest can bo imagined. Tho lady
threw back her head ; forceps wero care
fully introduced into her mouth, a pick,
a loud scream, and it was over; the young
physician, with a smiling fuco, was holding
up to tho light and inspecting, with
lively curiosity, the extracted bristle.
Tho patient was in raptures. Sho imme
diately recovered her health aud spirits,
and went about everywhere sounding the
praise of her "saviour," as she persisted
in calling the dexterous operator.
An English clergyman thus ae
oostod a London street-Arab, whom ho
found playing marbles on Sunday; "Do
you know what happens to little boys
who play marbles on Sunday?" "They
must either win or lose," said tho boy.
" No, my littlo man, that's not all; tho
Devil comes and carries them away."
" Oh! but,", saysthoboy, " tho Scriptures
says that, he is chained up." " Yes but
his chains reach all over tho world." said
the clergyman. Quick as lightningcamo
tho answor, " Why if that's tho caso, tho
Devil might as well be louse."
Life in Germany.
Y
OU enter a German house without
knocking, through a cloor which
rings a bell, and thus announces tho in
gress or egress of some one. At the foot
of the staircase you find a bcll-haudle, bv
ringing at which you call n servant who
conducts you to a parlor or reception-room
on the next floor, which, you enter by
knocks. You will find the parlor and
the best rooms in the house adorned with
beautiful pictures on the walls, and ele
gant lace-curtains at the windows, but
probably without any carpet. Tho floor,
however, is tresseh'ited with beautiful
patterus in various colors, and varnished
or at least, it is scoured till it is its whito
as the driven snow. The amount of fine
linen which a German housekeeper has,
aud which she is not reluctant to show
her guests, is fabulous.
This is partly a mark of gentility and
partly a matter of necessity, for the Ger
mans have but three or four washing days
in tho whole year. And the baking "of
the black bread of the peasants is as in
frequent as their washing. The Germans
in the country, and in such cities as Got
tingen, keep early hours, breakfasting at
eight or earlier, dining at one, and usual
ly going to bed as early as ten. We at
tended a concert of most delightful music,
but it began at five P. M., aud closed at
seven in the evening. In short, tho
child-like virtues of simplicity, candor,
naturalness and heartiness which have al
most died out of fashionable American
society still exist in Germany in all their
primitive perfection. When we parted
from our hostess, she embraced my wile,
and kissed her repeatedly, as if siie had
been a sister or daughter, and did not
even let her husband depart without a,
share in this hearty benediction. l'iu
fessor Tyler.
Well Described.
IT IS described thus by a young man
who tried it : " Wc both bowed to
each of us. and then to t'other; then the
fiddle tuned and the thing started, I
grabbed her female hand, sho squeezed
mine, we both slung each other, then
changed base clear across the room,
jumped up aud down ever so many times,
then my dear and mo dozed-a-doo aud
hop.stocked home again (from a foreign
shorc,)theu we two forwarded, four ladies
changed, wo X over, turned around twice,
shasayed sideways, I backed to place,
she dittoed , side couple turn gentlemen,
side couple turn ladies, ladies turn side
couples, head couples turn side couples,
all hands around, back again. First feller
takes opposite gal, slings her around,
take your own gal and t'other feller's gal
forward and back, twist both gals two
times, sling 'em to opposite feller, let
him do the same as you, and back again
to the places ; light gentleman balance to
heavy lady, heavy lady duplicate, promen
ade all gals to tho centre, fellers catch
hold of each other's hands, bob up and
down, arm over, ladies stop, jump up and
down, each feller takes his lady back to
placo. Bight gentleman spin right lady,
right lady spin lei't gentleman ; twist each
other, do it again' over, repeat, once
more keep it up, all turn t'other back
wards' sideways, each couple swing t'other
couple, cross over, back again to our
seats."
The Lost round.
In a town not a thousand miles from
tho White Mountains lives an old farm
er by the name of Tom P., who is famous
l'or nothing except tho quantity of dirt
that it is always seen upon his person.
Tho following story is told at his expense,
which may be true for aught I know to
the contrary. Ono time he was takcu
sick, and a doctor was called in, who pre
scribed among other things that he should
have a warm bath. Tom rebelled at this,
but upon being told that his life depend
ed upon it, he consented, and a tub of
water was at once prepared by his better
half, into which was thrown a liberal
quantity of soap. A rough towel was
then procured, and tho old lady commen
ced the task of cleaning, for once, at least
her lord and master. After working
away for several minutes, her eyes wero
attracted by something bright that shone
through tho dirt, and sho worked with re
doubled energy. Another bright spot
was soon visible a littlo way from the
other; and, with a light in her eyo that
told of her joy at tho discovery, sho ex
claimed :
" Daddy ! daddy ! I'm glad tho doc
tor told uic to wash you ; for as I live,
hero are them trousers that you lost two
years ago. I can tell 'em by tho but
tons !"
i