Huntingdon journal. (Huntingdon, Pa.) 1835-1839, November 28, 1838, Image 1
,: ..,,,, ~,,,..:, ,„,. ....._ .... 7 ---. _.,,, INGDON JOUR 4 - ': - ,-- , ,k 7 n rut , . ‘. NI . 4 r i pi. .1.„, .., _ : WHOLE No. 163. i TERIVIS OF TITS ETTNTINGDON :017RMIZa. The "Journal" will be published every Wednesday morning, at two dollars a year if paid IN ADVANCE, and if not paid within six months, two dollars and a half. Eva y person who obtains five suhscribert, and forwards price of subscription, Shall be f trinshed with a sixth copy gratuitiously for one year. . . . . . .• . . . . subscription received tor a less period thin six months, nor any paper discontinued n•iti I arrearages are paid. All commuhications must be addressed to tit, Editor, post paid, or they will not be itenclA to. Advertisments not ekteeding one square b ill be inserted three times for one dollar for every subsequent insertion, 25 ficents per quare will be charged:--if no detnite orclerd are given as to the time an adverisment is to ae continued, it will be kept in till ordeed; but, and charge accordingly. TH E GARLAND. -"With sweetest flowers enricli'd From various gardens cull'd xith care." In order to show the , signe of the Tiihe' we copy the following lines from the Boston Atlas; Harrison and Liberty Bring festive wreaths and rosy wine— Bring flowers to gem the minstrel lyre— A nation's pledge at freedom's shrine Is breathing fi om its strings of fire; Bid music tones of gladness tell To the sild winds o'er earth and sea; The song that every bosom swells, To "HAaaisux and RIBERTY?" Strike! strike the festal harp of fame! Awake its triumph tones prefuund— The “guardian hero's" deathless name Shall in their magic chorus sound And while her banner floats unfu r'd. America the proud and free, Shall greet the echo through the wet la, For "HARRISON and LIBERTY." When freedom from her starry sky Look'd down upon the battle's gloom, 'she saw the charms of conquest fly, And smile above the invader's plume;— The valiant warrior of the 'L'ham es Then led the brave to victory: Now with a country's proudest names, Rank "HARRISON and LIBERTY!" Joy let the floating signal fly, For freedom's standard guarls tli braVe! its ti °phi sulks arc streannng high— 'Tis planted on the spoiler's grave! Let crouching vessalm, nursed in fear, , To tyranats bend:the subject knee— We give a welcome t ml a cheer, To ''HARRISON and I..4IKRTY!" FROM i'RE,ISXAMII42:R. FATE! I have ask'd few ;tangs of thee, And fewer have to ask. Shortly, thou knowest, I shall be No more . . . then con thy task It one be left on earth so late Whose love is like the past, Tell her, in whispers, gentle Fate; Not even love must last. Tell her, I leave the noisy feast Of life, a little tired, Amidst its pleasures few possest And many undesired. Tell her with steady pace to come And, where my laurels lie, To throw the freshest on my totrili When it has caught her sigh. Tell her to stand some steps apart From others on that day, And check the tear (if tear should start) Too precious for dull clay. Beauty and Liberty. From the Italian of De Rossi. Round in Love's oppressive chain, Beauty, captive, groan'd with pain, Hoary Time at length drew nigh, Saw her weep, and heard her sigh; Then, with his all-conquering hand, Severed every golden band— Beauty joyful—Beauty tree— Tasted now swtet Liberty, Love on purple pinions came, Held a glass before the dame, Whispering, 'Mark thy charms are lost' Dearly bath thy freedom cost.' SELECT TALE. From the Diary of a Philadelphia Latoyer. TILE REPRIEVE. "Audi Natio unto . = de morte liominis cunctatin longa est." Juvenal. "When man's life is in debate, The' udge can ne'er too long deliberate." Dryden. "Aan may God have mercy on your soul !" There is an appalling and mourn ful feeling that commies over the bystaiiaer in a Court of Justice, when, after a period of intense interest and breathless atten tion from the crowded audience, the judge concludes the sentence of death upon a fellow being who has incurred the highest penalties of the law, with the quaint and simple supplication above. But at such a time, who, without the experience, can imagine the feelings of a young man—the counsel fur the condemned, who sits be• side his client after every energy has been slier tin vain, and beholds the final seal thus impressed upon the destinies which had been cOnfided to his care and protection. All that ingenuity, all that iesearch,' all that the midnight toil could accom• plish has been fruitlessly exerted—every hope, every chance has been concluded, there is no error, no informality, no ap- peal, and the hope and anxiety which has animated every particle fin• some period back with its intensity, has flickered its last gleam upon the case. The prisoner stands condemned to clic, by the sentence of the law, wiiich he has violated. Oh! it is a thrilling and a painful moment, and ore which, though more than once expe rienced, I would pray ever to avoid again. _ . John wastried for murder. He was one of several brothers who had emi grated early in lire to this country, and who had left behind them every thing that they had esteemed dear in kindred or in friendship, to meet their fortunes in the new country of the free. They had been here for many years, and by thrifty in• dustry had amassed a comfortable little property for their security in time of need, or in the decline of life. John was the twin brother of another who had been left at !mini to gather for the did people the crops that were grdwn upon the home stead. He was in the midst of his pros perity--every thing around began to wear the assurance of success of his honest and upright career among his co-laborers, and those with whom he was associated —his house became the asylum of the des titute of his countrymen, and his counsel, the guide and support of the distressed, In short, he was among his own class and among his countryman, no common When the news of the arrest was made public, there was, as might be expected, great excitement anteng his friends. Ev ery deteriiiinatiori vas Set for his service —every heart beat with a quick pulse in his regard, and a hundred hands were ready to lend their aid in securing hiS de fence. The services of a senior counsel & myself, were retained for the accused. The exparte hearing was had, and upon a positive accusation confirmed by some circumstantial . evidence, the unfortunate prisoner was remanded, to await his trial at the next session of the Oyer and Ter miner• The day fixed for the trial arrived. The Court House was crowded in every part, and amidst all the assemblage there was not perhaps one being unconnected ~iith the issue, that did not feel a lively and fervent desire for the acquitsl of the prisoner. He had just arrived at the full development of the man—he was about thirty, and his well squared frame, his healthy glow which stood upon the cheek unchanged by the prison's dew or the mind's distress, and his good humored smile that was stamped by nature upon his face in the hour of his birth—all made him an object of interest; and his fate a subject of solicitude to every one who looked upon him. The trial occupied several days, during which every assidui ty and attention' which professional expe- "ONE COUNTRY, ONH CONSTITUTION, ONE DESTINY." A. W. BENEDICT PUBLISHER AND PROPRIETOR. HUNTINGDON, PENNSYLVANIA, WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 28, 1838 Hence Lnd skill at the hands of those 're tained for him could give, was bestowed upon Hs case. All that Wends could do, or means could command in his behalf *as expended in the establishment of his defence, Yet all could avail nothing against the effective and effecting pawer 'of the prosecution. The widow of the deceased, and the orphdfis of the murder ed man, dressed in the sad habiliments of mourning, came in the presence of the prisoner, and when called upon to desig nate the murderer of the husband and the father, pointed with unerring certainty and equal promptitude to the accused. Tie evidence detailed a must foul and deliberate deed. The deceased had been watched on his way home to his residence, which was some distance from the habit ation of any fellow being. In a moment of fancied security and quiet, when his wife was busied in the preparation of the plain and homely fare of the evening board, and the children were clambering around their father's knees, to hear his account of the doings of the day with the Out-door world, and manifesting their joy at the return of their lab,,r-worn paretit —at such a sacred moment, the assassin Cad entered the door of the solitary 'ionic, and with a demoniac fierceness, before their eyes, and in the very drowning of their' ries for mercy and for heap—had slain their only support and protector, in a strange, wide world; and with a nierci less instrument with which he was pre pared, had beaten the body of the deceas ed until it presented behire them a loath some gory mass, scarcely distinguishable t.s halting been the habitation of the spirit that had but a moment before enlivened and Warmed: them with the ardor of its affection. In addition to this evidence, the prisouer, though residing several miles from the place where the deed had been committed, was seen in that neigh borhood, by several persons who knew him, but a short time previous to the hour in which it was alleged the murder had been perpetrated, . To all this the priso ner could say nothing, but the unvarying expression of the surprise in which lie was overwhelmed at the character of the charge, rind the evidence, and the reiter ated pi otestations of his perfect and en tire innocence of the crime alledged. I• • There was no chance of proving an alibi. It was true he had been in the neighbor hood of the place where the deed was committed, abOtit the time of its transac tion; he was there in search of a person on some business, but at what precise time he was at any particular place, he was as unable to prove, as it was impossi ble for him to give evidence of his entire ignorance of the existence of such a being as the deceased, prior to the time of his accusation. The trial was concluded, and the jury, with every desire and disposition to re. ceive and to cherish every shadow that ►night oppose the glare of evidence in which the guilt of the prisoner was exhibi ted to them, were soleinnly compelled to seal their verdict of condemnation, and to place the prisoner tipim the mercy of a higher tribunal, for the numbering of his days upon earth.• The day of sentence was one of such impressive character, as to leave its remembrance deep in the heart, alter a lapse of many years. There sat the three judges congrega led together, to witness the imposing and solemn disLharge of the last act of the court, in pronouncing sentence. COll. fronting them in the centre of the long dock sat the convicted prisoner. On each side was marshalled a small body or the officers of the peae, with their staffs et office, holding off the eager crowd that pressed on all sides to obtains p look at the unfortunate victim of the law. In the centre of the forum sat the Members of the bar, who had been attracted on this sad and unusual occasion, each bearing iti his countenance the deep Impression of .the high authority which they were about to witness, exercised by man over his fellow man. Every corner and every nook, ev ery window and door that commanded an inview to the court-room was thronged with spectators. And yet, with all this crowded assemblage, not a whisper was heard to disturb the silence .that reigned around. After a little while the prisoner was ordered to stand up. He roe from his seat and firmly took his position at the bar. As he rose, hoivever, and expo sed his manly features, his unwrinkled brow and noble figure to the bystanders, an int oluntary sigh heaved from the hearts of the multitude, to beh,ld one so fair, so mild and so youthful, aboat to receive the doom of Murderer—the sentence of death. The feeling judge, in a tone that betoken ed the emotion under w.tich he labored, addressed the prisoner by name, and - in a solemn voice asked him if he had any rea• suns, "why sentehce of death should nut be pronounced upon him." He stood a moment as if collecting his energies and his thoughts, and after looking around upon the mobs of fellow beings that sur rounded him, lie answered as follows: "1 I eve been fairly tried and legally conVic ted; fur the purposes of human justice lain guilty—but in the presence of these my fellow mortals, and in the presence of that God I rom whose eye no deed is hidden, and into whose ear no falsehood can en ter, I do now as 1 have always done, most solemnly avow my innocence of the crime of which I stand convicted. AV re liance is t.n Him, who iS the justifier of the just, and the guardian of the innocent —on Him I rely for my safe deliierance from the ignominious death of the murderer:" With these words he took • his seat, and a moment of silence, still as the deadly night of the charnel house, pervaded the room. A cry of grief was heard in a moment afterwards, from a distant corner of the room. It grew more violent until it became necessary to re move the person from whom it proceeded front the court-rootn. A female in a deep swoon, unrecognized by any one, was carried through the crowd, and placed in an adjacent chamber, while assistance w sent for to revive her from her lifeless state. In the meantime the judge pro ' ceeded in his painful duty. The sentence was brief and solemn. The prisoner re ceived it without betraying the slightest emotion, nor seemed to move either mus cle or feature, until the last words 1 Il win his ear—"and natty God have mercy on your soul." He raised his eyes to heaven t nAlie enunciation of the prayer, and spoke from them, the strength of his support. The order was given to clear the court-room, and the asseinbled multi tude dispersed, part speaking their still belief in his innocence, and some regal-• ding his calmness as the assurance of the heartlessness of Cain. In a little time the prison& was remo., veil from the dock, and under a guard of officers was on his way to (he vehicle that was to convey him to the prison front whence it was ordered that he should ne ver return with the spirit of life. As he passed through the hall that faced the en trance of the court, a wild slitiek was heard, and immediately a frantic female rushed into tl e crowd, grasping at the prisoner, and exclaiming, "you cannot, you shall nut take him yet." 'Twits the woman that had swooned away in the court-room. The unhappy man turned around to behold the being, who had thus unexpectedly involved herself in his wo, and in meeting her eye, beheld a sister. They had been seperated for many years, and he had believed himself parted from her by the broad ocean, and had hoped that the tale of his suffering even had not, would not, reach her ears. 6he was with him, locked in his arms, and again help less in the excitement of her feelings. He could withstand no lon o cr the t,.rrent of his anguish, and he anti she were each carried away senseless from the spot of their unexpected meeting. I immediate ly gave directions to have the poor girl removed to a comfortahle and convenient place of repose, where I Could see her and administer to her necessities, and gain from her all the intelligence of her sud den presence. A few days found her, under the care of good attendance, much; revived from the shock it hich had seriously prostrated her. My most industrious and sagacious;l inquiry could elicit nothing, however, that in any degree explained the mystery )1 her sudden appearance, mid her unex 4,cted emigration. I at length sugges ted to her a visit to her brother, in his cell at the prison. The practicamlity of this, which she had nut hoped for, scarcely, io the deep dejection of her privation, %eon ed to inspire a new life and a new vigor to her mind. "Can I tlien see huu, and speak with him agaia—alone tool" She soliloquized and raising her arms towards 111(., seemed as if she would impress upon me with manual force the emphasis of her assurance, when she exclaimed, "lie is then yet sate." With the presence of the sheriff, the next day, I conducted the unhappy gill to the prison, and led her to the cell of tier brother. entered it with a light step, and in one Wend, she entwined bum in her arms - again. But when she looked the the response to her embrace, and saw his helpless arms weighed down with the load of chains that fettered Mtn, and his feet clasped in the iron bands that bound him to a block in the centre of the floor, • her joy fell, and her heart sought the re , lief that is gained when "From tender hearts By strong impulses called, tears burst at once And streim obsequious to the leading eye." The desire to be alone for a few mo ments, that they might converse withciut restraint. The request was granted to. them, and they were left in close and ea ger discourse for some time. V.l . ey were at length seperated, and to our surprise, parted with a smile upon each others countenance, and an ordinary obeisanta; as if they had seperatcd, friend from friend in the ordinary sociality life. To the sheriff in attendance, who had taken the liveliest interest in the lite of my client, as well as to myself, the oc. currences of this visit opened new mys teries and new anxieties for the confi dence of the convict. But with all the regard that he profes sed for us, and all the reliance which he had already placed ih me., our every ef fort proved abortive, by which we endea vored to raise the veil that the appearance and the intercourse of the Sister had thrown around him. Ile was suddenly elevated by her presence, unexpected as tt was, from dejection to cheerfulness, from complaint to perfect indifference and reisignation. The time appointed by the executive of the commonwealth fo r his execution was fast drawing near, From months and weeks, we had already began to count the days that intervened between his execution and the present. Hie pious catholic friend, the priest, was called in, and having daily communion with the prisoner, had at length promised huniellso e much satisfaction to the. result of his labors, as to administer the holy sacrament to him. Yet there was no confession—no other asservatiun but that of reiterated innocence. The sister re mained in the same mysterious 'silence, and seemed to wait in patience the coming day of the brother's doom. A few days only now intervened for his destiny to reveal itself, and I sought the sister to en treat her to say, if' aught she could, why t here should be delay or mercy extended to the brother. She was still, and wrapt herself in t le mystery of thoughtfulnes s t hat had made her impervious to all in quisition heretofore. At length I told her that the scaffold on which her brother was to hang, was already erected in the jail-yard-4e rope was already prepared —the warrant had been read to him, and conjured her by these awful presages of his fate to reveal what she knew, that could avert hiedariger. Tlils conjuration 'proved the test of the natural feelings of, the heart, and after a moment's pause, .she asked if 'it was yet in time, todelay, at'' least, the execution, if the airara4e ut good reason therefore could be given. informed her that it was, if the utmost pro4fitude was eiercised. She then de• 'minded who had the right to. grant her the reprieve. I answered that it was the prerogative of the governor, who was at :the seat of government. and voltinteered [ AroL. IV, No. 7 myself to be the hearer and the advOcate of her claims to the indulgence which she prayed. " Bear me to the governor as speedily as possible," she replied, "and MYselr will be the oracle and the advocate of my prayer." Our• arrangements were made fur our departure the next morning, and the same evening we had an audience with the governor. After the statement of the nature and course of the trial, and all the circumstances which were in my posse,sion, to avail the convict, I turned to their sister, who sat beside me, and made known her relation to the subject of my supplication. She rose from her chair and, adi•ancing to the centre of the room where the governor was seated, asked the privilege of speaking in private with him. I, of course, immediately withdrew, and gave her the fullness of opportunity which her precaution desired. What took place at this interview was a mystery to me, and I sought not, nor felt an, anxiety to ingiiire into it, so that it was efficient in the object for which it was granted. The next day I was called upon by the secretary of the executive, with a reprieve of two weeks for my client. Our immediete return to the City was requisite to make our success available, and we lost not a moment on retracing our way limn:ward. The day before the contemplated execution, the reprieve was placed in the hands of the sheriff, and the sister again admitted.to the cell, and to a private interview with the brother. At ter she had been engaged in converse for some time, I approached the cell, uncon scwus that she was there, and in my un expected interruption, heard, as they has. tily closed their couversat:on, the last words of the sister. "Ile will then be far on his way." A new light seethed to burst upon me, and I c h ained the sister, while I called upon the gratitude of the brother, as a plea, if my unrewarded labor in his be halt constituted no assurance of the cerity of my interest in him, whereupcn. I was entitled to a revelation of the mys tery that daily seperated me more and more from their confidence, and removed them farther and farther from my assis tance. A period, just one week prece ding the expiration of the reprieve, was fixed by theth as the day on which I should be made acquainted With every secret in which they seemed so deeply isolated. 1 his day, at length, arrived, and the following was the revelation given by both to me, as we were met, in the nar row and dimlighted cell. The prisoner was as innocent and ignorant of the deed or the contemplation of it, as the infant that Yielded its pure spirit yesterday to the author who gave it. The twin broth. er, who had been left in heland, and whose resemblance to the convict, had , from infancy, baffled the scrutiny of the most intimate friends to distinguish be. tween them, had perpeiiated the fuul and inhuman deed. The widow of the de ceased, the principle witness in the pros. ecution, was early betrothed t 6 hlin, and had preceded him to America under the most solemn vows of constancy and fidel ity to the pledge that. mutually bound them together. He was delayed from va rious causes from his projected, emigre_ tion, and for years had lost all tidings of its betrothed. He heard, at length, of her perfidy. She was the wife of another, had married the (*aged, and was the pa rent of several children. By an unlucky and unholy prompting, he made the re, solve to put sue her and despoil her of her perfidious happiness. His purpose was overheard by the sister, but it was under stood too late to prevent its fatal.execu_ tion. lie had already embarked for mer ice, and no hope was left forh'er, to inter vene be weep. him and his design, but o pursue him as speedily its ,possible with, the chance of overtaking him, before he .had committed' tie dread device. She arrived here, after a long passage, just in time to receive the intelligence of her ,brother's arrest, and to discover in the, courtroom, for the first tito , , the mistake of the law in the prose'cutioi: o hia tim. •