HANGED IN ERROR.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 6, 28 November 1862, Page 3

HANGED IN ERROR.

A man of considerable properly, in or near London, died, leaving an only child, a daughter, aged about eighteen and by his will appointed his brother her. sole guardian and sole executor. The w\\ declared that if the daughter should die without having married, or, if married, without children, her fortune should go to the uncle, whose interest was therefore supposed to lie incompatible wiih that of. the nie«e. Several of the relatives, discontented Vvitli the father's ultimate disposition, threw out dark hints that they ought not 10 live together; rmtwiths ami- i ing which the uncle removed the niece to his own residence, near Epping Foiet-t. They were both seen one day walking together in the forest* bur the young lady suddenly disappeared, and the uncle declHisd that livhad sought her as soon as he had missed her, and knew not whither she had gone, or what had become of her. I hi* account was considered improbable, and appearances being clearly 8 'Sj.icious, lie was arrested and brought before a magistrate* where o her circumstances, which were hourly coming 10 light, tendered his positions setious. A young gentleman from the neigh liorhnod had l»een pay ins his >ddreßses to her, and it was staled, and generally believed, that he had gone a few days before she had be> n missed on a j»urney to the north, *he having declared that she would marry him on his return. The unc'e h; d repeatedly expressed his disapprobation of the match, anJ she had loudly reproached h>m with unkindn- ss and abuse of Tiis authority over her as his wa*d. A woman was produced, who swore thtt about ll o'clock in the forenoon of the day the niece was misaeo\ a^ she was passing throuuh the forest she heard a young ladj's voice earnestly expostulating wit a gentleman, and upon drawing nearer to the sjiot, distinctly heard the following expressions :—•• Don't kill me, unrle,— don't kill me! " Being greatly terrified she hurried away from the scrne, and immediately aflefwards heaTriihV report of fir^arins^Oini this comhifrjatiun of circumstantial. Mid' podtive '""evidence, coupled with the suspicion of interest, the uncle w«c tried, cenricted of murder, and imme-

diately after,. accordirig"'io*"tTie DracomiF code then in force, exe.er>ted? •- j A b,6..u£Aftr duty's after the y bun j? lady reap.peafed*. nna sn'anger still, nil the evidence on the trial proved tu he strictly true. The. nirce then declared that, having resolved Jo. ? elope with her lover, they .had -given out that he had gone on ajnttrney lo the north, while he had merely waited near the skirts of the forest until the time appointed for the elopment, which was the very day she disappeared, lie had horses ready saddled j for tht-m both, and two servants Jri a ten- 1 dance on horseback. While walkr«'p with her uncle he had reproached her with her , resolution to marry a niari of wHom he , disapproved, and aft'-r some remonstannps she passionately exclaimed, " I haye set my heart upon it. If Ido not main him it will be death to me ; and don't kill me uncle, don't kill me!" Just. *>a she' had : pronounced these words .she heard a gun i fired, at \»hii;h she started; and she afterwards saw a man cone from among the... trees wjih a wood pigeon in his hand, which he had then shir. On approaching thu spot appointed for the meeting with her lover, she formed a pretence lo induce her uncle to go on before her. .and having fled to the aims of suitor who had been »aiting tor her, they both mounted their horses, and immediately rode off. Instead however, of goin* to the north t hey retired to thr neighborhood of Windsor, where ihey were married the same d;iy, an<l in" about a week after they went on, a ii>ur of pleabure to France. There 'th^y passed some months so happily, iharin ihose d<tjs, whiMi uewspaoers were scarce, when there was no verv regular postal communication and no telegraph-, they never heard oi' the uncle's sad fate until they returned to England. — Dickea-.' A U tke Year Round.