He is charged
here with having taken advantage of the confidence of his patron and
benefactor to rob him of property to a large amount. Upon this charge he
was committed to the county jail, from whence he made his escape about a
fortnight ago, without venturing to stand his trial; a circumstance
which is stated by the advertiser as tantamount to a confession of his
guilt.
"My friends, I was acquainted with the particulars of this story some
time before. This lad let me into his history, at a time that he could
not possibly foresee that he should stand in need of that precaution as
an antidote against danger. He is not guilty of what is laid to his
charge. Which of you is so ignorant as to suppose, that his escape is
any confirmation of his guilt? Who ever thinks, when he is apprehended
for trial, of his innocence or guilt as being at all material to the
issue? Who ever was fool enough to volunteer a trial, where those who
are to decide think more of the horror of the thing of which he is
accused, than whether he were the person that did it; and where the
nature of our motives is to be collected from a set of ignorant
witnesses, that no wise man would trust for a fair representation of the
most indifferent action of his life?
"The poor lad's story is a long one, and I will not trouble you with it
now.
Pages:
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529