. 444.
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WILLIAM BREWSTER, DE 'TORS.
SAM. G. WHITTAKER, J
cJct Vottry.
Published by Particular Request.
The History of a Heart.
Bo—spread the whole wide universe
Before your spirit as a chart;
You'll find no sadder study than
The history of one human heart ;
Behold it thrilling with delight—
Then bound witlimisery's heavy chain;
We have in south one common heart,
Whose euinmou heritage is—Pain
In youth it strewn the earth with flowers
And secs bet cloudless skies above,
But soon there risesTrom its depths
Tile presence of tlid new4orn Love !
A dim delightful vision o'er '
The mirror of the soul is thrown r
We own the magic of a glance—
We feel the music of I; tone—
We stand in beauty's smile, nor see
The dark clouds gloaming overhead ;
The bolt descends—the light returns—
Bat the sweet hopes of youth are fled
And all is desolate within,
And all is doll and cold without ;
A shadow rests upon the mind—
One feeling—universal doubt.
And virtue seems an idle sound,
Religion but a worldly strife,
And love a frenzy of the brain—
The beantiful has gone from life
Another hour—another change—
Love ta k es Anfbition's sterner name,
And from the chaos of the heart
Up springs the bright creation—Fame
It wearies, and the laurel crown,
Like a vile weed, is thing aside ;
The hope of glory is fulfilled,
Grown abill and hardened into Pride,
Next conics the lesson of contempt—
To walk alone amid the crowd ;
Fate stands between on and our will—
It yields, and pride itself is bowed.
Yet in that lone and dreary hour
A solace to the heart is given,
For Hope has vanished from the earth,
But sought its native home, in Heaven,
Its voice is heard within the soul,
It calms the tempest of despair ;
The shadow passes from the brain,
Awl the love of cud is thees 1
Oh, it-is sad, our :human heart
Must know the gloomiest m-mtl 111:411,
Tin purified into muddy slain,
• It struggles into perfect light I
Then spread tie whole •vide universe
Beforelour'spirit as a chart.
The strangest mystery of all
Is that dark scroll—tire human heart.
R:~
~~,J .s cc.o.o~c 1~ u~ .
TRIAL OF NM M,
THURSDAY AFTERNows, APR] :loTa.
[reported for the Mira Inning Awned.]
At twenty minutes to live o'c:ock. on
Thursday afternoon, the case of the Com
monwealth vs. David Stringer llcKun was
called up for trial. l'he room was dense
ly crowded with spectators, and the whole
male portion of the town appeared to have
concentrated itself in the Court.
The .Bppearanee of the Prisoner.
David Stringer M'Kiin nt five o'clock
entered the romp, preced-d by the Sheriff.
He came in with a firm step, and with an
air that, though api arently cool, showed
him to be inwat'Jly agitated by the excite
ment of the occasion. His features w ire
a forced calmness, and now and then, du
ring the reading of the indictment, his fin
gers twitched convulsively. Ho was ra
ther pale, but a slight flush appeared up
on his cheeks. [-le stood perfectly erect,
and regardless of the gaze of the crowd a:
round him. Any one not knowing the
charg, of which he stood charged, would
have taken him for a quiet, hard-working
hum, had it not been for a certain restless
motion of the eye, as quick as lightning.
His gaze was mostly towards the clerk,
but never firm and steady.
“Guilty or Nut Guiby”
The indictment wag read to him by the
Clerk of the Court, Mr. Joseph Baldrige.
To the hrst count he answered in a firm
and strong voice, "Not guilty, air."
To the second, third and fourth counts
he returned the same answer.
When the fifth count was read, in refer
ence to the alleged cutting of the throat
with a razor, the accused winced consider
ably, and his hand contracted itself into a
tight grasp. To this charge he also re
plied as before, 'Not guilty, sir," and ac
companied the words with an emphatic
shake of the head. The usual question
was then put to hint as to how he would
be tried, and the response was, "By God,
and the laws of my country." M'Kim
then took a seat by the side of his counsel.
Immediately after the formation of the
jury, the Court adjourned until afternoon.
AII'EIINOON SESSION,
The Court met nt two o'clock on Priday
afternoon. Floor, doors and windows
were thronged.
District Attorney Hammond opened for
the prosecution.
Mr. Hammond continued at lengeh, and
detailed the circumstances that have oc
curred since the arrest, such as the finding'
of the letter to Bonner, &c. We have ne
ver in our experience, listened to such a .
lucid and concise statement of facts,
Evidence of an .filtoona o,ftieer.
Squire Doty, sworn,-1 am a justice of
the peace at Altoona; on the morning of '
the 15th of January, I went into the Ex
change, and saw a ton,, lying upon the set
tee; there Was a contused wound on his
temple, and four other wounds. lie was
still living, but insensible, his extremeties
being cold, as though frozen, or nearly so :
bo said nothing, but lived until about 20
minutes• pat three o'clock in the afternoon,
on his person we found letters, on search-
ing . for some clue to his identification :
they are here, (two letters shown ;) there
was a watch on Isis person also ; that, I be- !
lieve, is it, (watch shown ;) in his port'
monnaie was one ten dollar gold piece,
five ono dollar pieces, and n one dollar
note on the Fox Lake Bank; a huge breast
pin
and box, which I have here, we took •
from his pocket; the body was put in the
possession of Mr. George Kramer. I think,
and put in the Company's warehouse ; the
razor was handed to me during the day
that the body was in the house ; I was pre
sent at the post moriein examination ; Des.
[lays and Stark weru present.
'!'he Victim. at Pittsburg.
. .
John 1103fasters sworn,—l ' keep the
Eagle flute! in Pittsburg; I have seen that
bank note before, (identifies the 11l note
found in Norcross' porttnonnaie;) f gave
the note in change to Norcross on the pay
ment of his bill, the evening he left my
house, where he had been staying, (Eagle
Hotel Register shown witness,) Norcross
arrived at my house on the evening of the
11th of January in company of a man
whose name was given as David AEKin
ney ; Norcross gave his own name ; he
eau.: int, oh,
was at die bar and Norcross told
me to register his name,
The prisoner .is the man who was in
company with Norcross. Both he and
Norcross were present in the house fre
quently, remaining there about twenty-four
hours. They staid and conversed togeth
er) they arrived in the Western train on
the 14th, and left in the evening train on
the 15th ; Norcross had, 1 think, a $2.0
gold piece in his poste-inommie; the two
slept together.
orosslextunined by Mr. Elofics for the
defence
More at Pitlsbarg.
Same McMasters 'sworn.—On the 16th
of January I was clerk at the Eagle Hotel,
Pittsburg; 1 recollect very well the two
men who were there, spoken of by my
brother. The young man's name, was
S. T. Norcross, the other one's' name, just
below his, was David McKinney, Phila
delphia. I first saw them on the I.sth
January, immediately after breaklast to
the morning ; I had a conversation with
McKinney.
Mr Haus objected to the prisoner be
ing designated as McKinney, when he did
not himself thus write his name on the re•
gister. Mr. Stokes replied, and was sus
tained by the Court. The witness conti•
nued :
I had a conversaiion wilt the prisoner;
picked up a fur cap that was lying on the
hotel counter, and when I laid it down,
Norcross picked it up and put it on and
walked front; the prisoner then walked up
to the outside of the counter, and leaned
over the counter on one arm ; to tile, who
was inside, in rather a confidential manner
he said that no one could believe the trou
ble he had with that young man; in tithing
him from the . Wost to his friends in the
East; that he had been sick, and was sub
ject to fits of insanity, and he had a great
deal of trouble with him; that at tunes it
would take three or four men to hold him;
that he had slipped out of tied from him
the night previous, and commenced to
hammer his head against the wall, and
waked him up, and that be had a great
deal of trouble with him ; he said he (Nor
cross) when he had those fits, took every
plan to destroy himself.
Cross-examined—l was much struck
with Norcross' appearance and his quiet
demeanor. After the two men left the
house, the prisoner came back to the hcuse
for two or three nails, saying that the bot
tom had come out of ono of his trunks,
which had been left at the depot, only a
square distpnt ; there was no conveyance
to the depot,
Recalled by Mr. Stokes- Question—Did
you observe anything extraordinary in the
conduct of the young man called Norcross.
" LIBERTY . AND UNION, NOW AND FOREVER, ONE AND INSEPARABLE. "
HUNTINGDON, PA., WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1857.
Objected to and exception token by 11..
Ilofius, on the ground that the opinion of
the witness was not evidence.
The Court ruled the question a proper
one, and the witness replied :
'[saw him do nothing peouliar or singu-
John . McMasters recalled—l heard no
peculiar noise in the room that night that
they slept in my house.
Cross examined—Witness detailed the
position of the room occupied by the two
young men. In reply to the question of
Mr. Stokes, he saki that the corner of his
sleeping•room was two feet or less distant
from, the sleeping room of the two men.
The Departure for the East.
Jacob Shimbro, sworn—l was hestly. of
Mr. NlcSloster, at Pittsburg, on the Nth
January last ; the two trunks before me
I brought out of the baggage-room of the
Ohio and Pennsylvania liall.road on 'Thurs
day, the 15th of January; the trunks were
those of Norcross and M'Kiin ; the oldest
man of the two who were at the Eagle
hotel gave me the checks to get the :n ; I
cannot recollect whether I seen this vkati
here now or not; I brought the trunks to
the Engle and the oldest man came out
and said, 'Hold on, troll not take them out
—we'll go right up with them;" then they
both got in the wagon, and I took them up
to the Central Pennsylvania R.tilroad de
pot, in the sitting room; I left them there;
I put the trunks also.in the sitting rosin ;
it was about eight o'clock, and was dark
then.
Cross examined—The bottom of the yel
low trunk was loose, and drove a nail in
t.) it at the Pittsburg depot; I had the nail
in my pocket.
The Trunks of Norcross and M'Kint.
Joshua Cresson, swilit—On the 16th of
January 1 was baggage.master on the Ex
press train on the Pennsylvania Railroad ;
the first place 1 can identify these two
trunks is at Philadelphia, when they were
not claimed ; that was on January 16th,
the train left Pittsburg at 0.30 o'clock mi
the loth; the chocks on the trunks are
•
phin; no owner appeared for these trunks
that night ; the trunks being unclaimed 1
delivered them into the charge of the Bag
gage Agent, Philadelphia.
T. M. Garrett, sworn—l was baggage
agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad at Phi.
ladelphin on January 16th last; 1 received
the trunks from Mr. Cresson, baggage
!nester of the Express train—Cwitness ex
ambled the trunks]—one of thorn is mark
ed en the bottom, M'Kim, Dunleith,
Illinois;" the trunks were unclaimed; an
other trunk of Norcross was delivered by
me to Mt. Poland, a relative of the de
ceased, on the 35th of January. '
On Saturday morning the trunk of Nor
cross will be opened and exumined.
The Court then adjourned.
PROCEEfq NGS uG sAruntaY
At eight o'clock. Saturday morning, the
Court met.
Jonathan `iresson was recalled, and i
dentified the checks given Milt,
Joseph Trout.—Recognize the prisoner
at the bar ; knew him when he worked on
Mr. Thurlow's job about a mile and a ludf
above Altoona; think he worked with him
in 1853 and 1654, he was ompl.led as a
Koss carpenter, erecting shnntieq, &c.,
saw him when he was here in the jail; 'P.'s
job was on the new Penn's. R. it, a mile
and a half above Altoona.
Andrew Purcell.—Was running an en
gine on the Penn'a. R. R., in "the middle
of January last ; on the pith was coming 1
from the tunnel to Altoona; observed a roan
lying about a mile and alalf from Altoona,
between hell past eight and nine; he was
put on the engine; ho was hurt and was
lying on his back beside the track; he ap
peared to have two or three wounds on his
neck, and some on the head. 'l'ook hint
to near the round house in Altoona, and
saw hint carried toward the Exchange; the
man appeared to have life in him. Saw
carpetbag, fiddle bag, shawl and cap
like these. Croes•oxamined—The Wound
in the neck looked like a cut; didn't nonce
on which side of the head the wound was;
suppose the skull broken. Don't think
his eye was bleeding; saw no tther wounds
he was not able to speak. Ile made nu
eflort to speak as l observed. Snow was
on the ground.
Claudius F. Eaten.--Live in Dunlieth,
111., by occupation I am a blacksmith, but
during last'winter kept four boarders ; a
mongst them Niger°. and AV Kim: recog•
nize the prisoner at the bar as being M'.
Kim; Norcross and AVKitn slept in one
bed. After their first actinaintance seem
ed quite intimate. Did not know Al'Kun
to have any large amount of money. At
two or three times M'Kint said he had no
means of paying for his board, but as soon
US Mr. Curry paid him ho would pay ate.
The day befog he and Norcross left he
paid what he owed me except nine dollars
fur which he gave me a due bill on Mr.
Curry; at the same time . he said he was
short of means, and if delayed on the road
he would be short, but when he got to Pitts
burg he had friends there, and could get
any amount of money he wished; that's all
he said on that point. He represented him
self as being tolerably well off; he said he
did not expect to work more than would
pay expenses; his business west was to
look for n location, and he and a brother
with whom he was concerned, intended to
invest about $30,000 in some mechanical
business; he spoke of starting in some
town as master builders, and connecting
with the building such machinery as would
be necessary in that line of business. Nor
cross woo in bad health; lie bud an abcess
under his left arm; he also had a burl cough.
Never heard of his having fits, being cra
zy or attempting to destroy himself. Nev.
er knew of his being unruly, or any per
son having to hold him; he was very qui•
et. Recognize the shawl soil comforter us
being Norcross', and also the other Articles.
The aboess was very sore and painful.--
M'Kim and Norcross left my place, Dun
leith, on the morning of the knh of Janu
ary last, think they left my house togeth•
er; did not see them on the cars.
Whilst Norcross was at my place he was
under the medical aid of Dr. Umbold;
M'-
Kim dressed his arm most of the time ;
did sotnetimes. M'Kim said he was going
to Philadelphia ; owned a house there,
No. 10 Poplar street. He said he hod a
wife and one child; that his house was well
furnished and pleasantly situated; his wife
and child were in Philadelphia.. He invi
ted Air, Norcross to stop at his house and
rest—that he could stop there any length
of time, he had a family physician who
was t,n eminent surgeon, and it should be
of no expense to Norcross while at his
house, and when his health was unproved
he would see hint home. This last con
versatina was two weeks before th-v left.
Can't sacar 110,itively: to truer having,
a razor like that with him at my place; see
no di derence hi.tween this ate and the one
had. :11'Kini had whiskers when
out West. Norcross' first na s trie was Sam
ar t
'l.'.; prisoner gate his nitrite art David
M . l<iini Ire generally went by the name
of MI, ioney; he answered to that name.
Norcross culled him . Al' m
came to my place on the 24th; of Novern.
her lust, to board with me, Norcross on the
25th. WlCiin and inyst,lf were speaking
about he and Norcross leaving, and about
Norcross' health; he said that Norcross had
but little means; die. not think ho had en
ough if detained on the road, to get home
with—but staid he 'could see him through
all right any way. At the mine time ho
said he did not like to go with Samuel, as
sonve.hing 'night happen him on the road,
and be would be blasted for it—that he
might die. This last conversation took
place on the 11th of January, the day la•
fore they left Bid both Norcross and 1l'•
Kiln good bye; deft the house betore they
did next morning.
Uross•examined—Norcross was in a fee
ble state of health when ho left my house;
went with McKitn and Norcross the night
before, but the curs did not go ; they came
back to my house; Norcross went there
and back without assistance; it is a quar
ter of a mile front my house to the cars.
Think M'Kim thrived Norcross the day
before he left, it may have been the Fun•
day before. Norcross got his razor. with
a black handle, bat it would not do, and
IWKiin got his--one like that on the table;
never new the razor but that one time ;
think I had the razor in ray hand, but am
not positive; there was another gentleman
there named Whetford, who had a razor,
and there was some talk about razors; all
I can say is that tne rimy looks like the
one I saw. Did not get the name of the
prisoner from himself; in the first entry in
the book it is M'Kitn, afterwards called
him M'Kinney, because everybody else
did ; among his cronies he was culled Da
vie; we are not very reverential in the west
by culling people by their first names, and
are not very particular whether we put on
the handle Mr. or DavM, or anything else.
Norcross could not dress himself in con•
sequence of the abcoss under his arm. The
sole cause for Norcross leaving was on ac
count of his ill health—advised hint to go
east to hisThends; whether he thought he
was going to die, I cannot say ; he spoke
confidently of getting well.
Andrew Kaufman—Was eubpwned by
M'Kim as a witness in his case: lives in
own; know the pri•wner; ho boarded with
him in Dubuque. Don't know whether he
is a rich or poor malt; he paid his bill with
me. S3w this coat on Nl'Kun while wor
king; he•had a silk vest wheu with me,
but cant say this is the one.
i.„[ ,. :.7)
1
.„.,
(.1
rk
<4 •
Cross-Examined— The District Attor
ney served the subpcenn on tne; asked if I
had seen M'iCiin in Dubuque. Had a free
pass aver the l'a, R. R. from Pittsburg•
[CONTINUED ON OUR INSIDE.]
For the Huntingdon Journal.
FREE SOIL.
Free Boil ! Why is not this leading
principle of the Republican party carried
out in its full sense t Not a free soil that
will merely shut ont ..chattle" slavery, and
allow aristocratic landholders to claim land
enough to melte slaves of hundreds of hon
est laborers—but a free soil that means
free from ..chattle" slavery and free tone
tual settlers ; free as the sir we breathe or
the water we drink. This is free soil, and
to the Republican party, the people justly
look to have this principle carried out,as
sociated as it is with freedom and the in
terests of the mosses. We look upon fund
monopoly as an evil, equal almost to sou
them slavery, and productive of consequen•
ces equally disastrous to national prosperi
ty. Wherever you find the land free, nnff
o"cupieil by the greht body of the people,
there will you find the masses happy and
prosperous ; and where you find the land
in the hands of the few, there you find the
masses miserable and poor. As an flies
(Atm of this truth, we refer to unfortun
ate Ireland. At a Tenant League meet
ing, u Presbyterian minister, Rev. David
Bell, spoke these words of earnest and so
ber truth :—"Soine years ago, the popula
tion of the country, (Ireland) amounted to
nearly eight millions. Unlimited and ir
responsible landlord power has, however,
long since disposed of two of these mil
lions. There are still about six millions,
and how many of these have a legal inter
est in the soil of the country—have a right
to work, eat; sleep, die and be buried tri
the land that gave them birth? Why eight
thousand out of sixty hundred thousand !
The privileged few ore absolute lords of
the enrth, from the centre to the sea, or for
ought I can tell, to the extronest confines
of the solar system. The remaining fifty
!!!rte kindred and ninete-tienitum....--I
permission done for them ? Why, in a
population point of view. it has in number
less instances banished the people like
wolves or foxes from the face of the land."
This is an illustration of the result of
land monopoly. Three-fourths of a nation
are gone, some to other countries, and ma
ny to premature graves. Dilapidated walls
in many places point to heaven, offering
testimony that the power of landlordism
knows no mercy
After depicting the awful results of land
monopoly in Ireland, this sante clergyman
goes on to say of this country :—'Look a
way over the heaving waters of the great
ocean, and you Hill discoverer multitudes,
who, beneath the tall forests of the West,
are toiling for that bread of independence
which was so unmercifully refused them
here. There they are building up great
nations, in whose hearts' core rankles un
changable and unmitigated hatred to the
accursed system which drove them away
from the green land which they loved so
well, and in whose bosom the bones of their
fathers relpse!
But land monopoly has already taken a
deep root even here, in this our bbasted
land of equality ; and unless the hand of
practical wisdom shall guide our future po
licy, the evils which Ireland now suffers
from this cause, will reach us. In fact,
what section of tho country does not alrea
dy feel its effects, and especially may this
be said of the South and West. When
the fact stares us in the face that millions
of acres of our western lands are owned
by foreign nobles, and land monopolists of
our own country, who have purchased it,
while American citizens are homeless and
doomed to service under capitalists, for a
want of means to purchase a Immo, we are.
ashamed of. the narrow policy of our gov
ertimont—ashattied that this giant cause of
slavery of white men is suffered to hold up
its hydra head and is tolerated in our midst.
It is a disgrace to the country, and a curse
to the people.
What country in the world ever had an
opportunity like ours to adopt and contin
uo a proper system of landed property?—
Is there not room enough here to allow a
landless men a few acres on which to rear
a family in independence ? There is plen
ty of it waiting the hand of industry.—
There is at this time, about 1,380,000,000
urea of wild land owned by the govern• 'James Ash, a Maryland negro and
meat, or held by it in trust for the peo,ile. slave, sued fur his freedom in the Circuit
Sufficient to make 129,000,000 farms, of Court of the District of Columbia, as Dred
80 acres each, allowing oneloarth of the Scott did in that of Missouri. The case
whole, or 345,000,000acree for waste land, seas iu like manner carried up to the Uni-
Nearly, if not quite sufficient to furnish ted States Supreme Court. But it met
every frinily in the whole world with a with a ditTerent reception end a different
homestead. Will not the masses move in decision,
the matter, and join in the agitation of free
not!, until it in announced front one end of
the iand to the other that FREE•SOIL has
actually been adopted by Congress. Then
will the laboring classes be elevated above
slavery—our charitable institutions will be
relieved, beggars dispersed, mobocracy will
cease, crime diminish, and the liberties
and rights of all tall be respected; because
labor will then receive its just reward.
Men of wealth, if you will but take a
proper view of the subject, considering
the impetus it will give to our national
prosperity, and its saattary effect upon so
ciety at large, you must move boldly and
determinedly in the cause of Free Land to
all. If a bountiful nature, aided by man's
labor, has spread a table that has seats en
ough for all the children of men, think you
that the strong arm of willing labor trill ho
forever driven from a place at the festive
board? Let man have the means to escape
from the grasp of sordid avarice, by going
to the mighty West, taking a home where
the green hills and sunny plains of that
rich region will cause his heart to rejoice.
bet him have a little more than a crust of 1
bread and a cup of water as his shore of
the bounties of a kind Providence.
REPUBLICAN.
May, 1857.
A Father Swindled by hie Son,
Earl) this morning, a rough, ignorant
specimen of a Huntingdon Co. farmer,
made his appearance at the Central Depot
of Criminal justice, in Philadelphia, with
a complaint against his son.
It seems that, a month ago, the son a-1
foresail determined to leave "his native
heath," and come 011 a visit to the City of ,
Brotherly love' Like Cmsitr, "lie came—
he saw—he conquered"—but before ho
achieved the victory, he engaged board at
a city hotel. While there he found very
agreeable company in a body of youth,
whose morals were not first class, and who
were of the "artful dodger" order.
But funds, like woman's love, are even
e: cent, and so our second "Norval" found.
Ills financial liabilities exceeded his reve
nue, and one of the 'Charley Bates"? of
h
Abe "suit of his father rrrot'e to his pa.
tereal ancestor, and stated that he had
drawn a prize of $35,000 in a lottery, and
that the motley was deposited in the Ad
ams Express in this city. II
Before the dollars could be obtained,
however, the son stated that there were
sundry expenses to be met in the feeing of
lawyers. &c., in this city, and with expen
ses amounted to upwards of $6OO. • This
sum he requested his father to send him,
and at the same time that he made this re.
quest, sent letters purporting to be from
certain legal gentlemen of Philadelphia in
relation to the matter. Of course these
were all forged.
The father, on receipt of those precious
documents, hurried from his hearth, and
sent word for his son to meet lam at Har
i risburg. "They mart !" The old gentle
tnan f o rked over the required money, and
the son took the train for some spot or spots
unknown. The parent on reaching home,
and remaining there for about a week, be
gan to look for the $35,000 that was com
. leg. Ile looked again and again, and at
last came to the decided "and emphatic con.
elusion that ho had been sold "sold" by
his offspring.
There is not much Olin! love up in Hun.
tingdon, and the enraged and duped father
thre,atened vengeance dire on the head of
the offender. He came home post haste
by railroad to this city, and having ascer
tained the whereabouts of the Mayor's of
fice, entered his complaint. High Consta
ble Blackburn gave him some considerate
advice, cooled hint off to n great extent,
and told him that the best thing he could
do was to go home and trust to the Detec
tives and the conscience of his son to set
matters right. . He did so, and whether the
future will see the unfortunate scion of
Huntingdon county landed in the States'
Prison, or shipped to Nicaragua remains
to be seen.—Pen n sylvania Inquirer.
TANEY IN 1849 vs TANEY IN 1857,
Chief Justice Taney turns Dred Scott
out of court on the ground that he is a ne
gro end a slave, and consequently not a
citizen, and not entitled to sue in the Uni
ted States Courts even to recover his free.
dour—the court having no jurisdiction in
such cases. The best answer to this is
Chief Justice Taney's own decision in a
similar case that came before him in 1843
Mr. •Chief Justice Tat)ey delivered the
opinion of the Cow. (We quote (rout
VOL XXII. NO. 19.
Williams vs. Ash, Howard's Reports, vol.
1, pp 12-14.)
'''Phis case," said his Honor, "is brought
here by a writ of error from the s eircuit
Court, and came before that Court upon a
petition for • freedom: It appeared upon
the trial that the petitioner was the proper
ty of Mary Ann Greenfield, of Princo
George's County, in the State of Mary
land, who died in 1824 having first duly
made her lust will and testament, whereby;
among other things, she bequeatbad the
petitioner, with sundry other slaves, to her
np phew, G. T. Greenfield, with a proviso
iii tho following words : .Provided, he shall
not carry them out of the State of Mary
land, or sell them to any one, in either of
which events, I will and devise the saia
ne
groes to be free for life.' Upon the death
of the testatrix, G. T. Greenfield took pos
session of the petitioner (Joints Ash) until
December, 1839, when he sold the peti
tioner to the defendant (Williams), and the
potitionitor freedom was filed shortly after
the sale. •
"Upon this evidence the Circuit Court
instructed the Jury, that by the fact of such
.sale of the petitioner, the estate or proper.
ty of the petitioner so bequeathed to Green
field ceased and determined, dnd he there
fore became entitled to his freedom. We
think the bequest in the will was a condi
tional limitation of freedom to the petitioner
and that it took effect the moment he was
sold. The judgment of the Circuit Court
is therefore affirmed."
So that this same Chief Justice then held
that a negro might not only be a party to
a suit before the U. S. Supreme Court,
like any other citizen, but that a slave
might go there and recover his freedom !
IVhich is the law—that expounded by
Taney in 1813, or his flat contradiction of
himself in 1857.—Mb Evening Jour
nal.
•
Pennsylvania Legi slature.
The new banks thus far authorized by
the House of Representatives of this State
are as follows :
. ....,.• a...an, •-•1 -.WM.
Corn Exchange Bank " 500,000
Allegheny City Bank, 500,000
Union INA, Reading, 300,000
Central Bank, Hollidaysburg, 300,000
Easton Bank, 200,000
York County Bank, 200,000
Citizens' Deposit Bank, Pittsburg, 500,0110
Pittston Bank, 200,000
Batik of Lewisburg, 200,000
Kittaning Bank, 150,000
Octorara Bank, 150,000
Coatesville Bank, 150,000
Doylestown Bank, 150,000
Shamokin Bank, 150,000
F'rin'r's ,t, Drov'rs B'k, Waynosb'g 100,000
Catasaqua Bank, 400,000
Pottstown Bank, 200,000
Total now Banks,
$5,350,000
The most of these have passed both
Houses and only require the Governor's
signature to be legally authorized. Besides
the new hanks, there is an increase of ca
pital of other banks, t amounting to several
millions of dollars. The total increase of
the banking capital of the State is likely
to reach nine or ten milllions.
Poisoning of the President.
The eincinnai Commercial, in an arti
cle to show that the poisoning at the Na
tional Hotel in Washington was in reality
an attempt to make away with President
Buchanan, prints the following extract
from a private letter, written to Washing
ton but a few days ago:
saw, passing a go ,light, a couple of
gentlemen, one of whom, although I had
not seen him for over sixteen years, I al
most knew to be the President. I stepped
alongside, and a glance informed me that
I was not mistaken. The old man totters.
His legs are weak. A half stumble drew
some remark front his companion which I
did not hear. His reply was: 'J am not
right. Illy health is not recovered,' ad.
diner, in a sort of begging tone, 'But I
am getting better.' Ills voice is weak,
and his legs are weaker. He is going, de
pond upon it. -A few more weeks and he
will be no snore. A vain young orntor
front Kentucky will be the acting, and his
friend Stephen Douglas the actual Presi
dent of the United States ' "
LEGAL TENDRIL—A writer in one of the
New York papers furnishes the following
statement derived front the law regulating
the payment of debts with coin :
1. All gold coins at their respective vs.
lees, for debts of any amount.
2. The hall dollar, quarter dollar, dime,
and half dime at their respective values for
debts of amounts under five dollars.
3. Three cent pieces for debts of ens.
ounts under thirty cents; and
4. By the law just passed, we may add,
oue cent pieces for debts of amounts un-
der ten cents.
Or A merry heart makes labor light,
pays Veer Richard. _