HANGED IN ERROR.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1795, 22 November 1862, Page 3

HANGED IN ERROR.

A man of considerable property, in or near Lon- , don, died, leaving an only child, a daughter, aged about eighteen, and by. his will appointed hii brother his sole guardian and sole executor. . The will directed that if the daughter should dia without having married, or, if married, without children, her fortune should, go . to the uncle, whose interest was therefore supposed to be incompatible with that of the niece. Several of the relatives, discontented with the father's ultimate disposition, threw out dark hints that they ought not to live together ; notwithstanding which the uncle removed the niece to his own residence, near Epping Forest. They were both seen one day walking together in the forest, but the young lady suddenly disappeared, and the uncle deolared that he had sought hei as soon as he had missed her, and knew not whither she had gone, or what had become of her. This account was considered improbable, and appearances being clearly suspicious, he was arrested and brought before a magistrate, where other circumstances, which were hourly coming to light, rendered his position serious. .A young gentleman from the neighbourhood had been paying his addresses to her, and it was stated, and generally believed, that he had gone ( a few days before sho had been missed on a journey to the north, she having declared that she would marry him on his retnrn. Tho uncle had repeatedly expressed his disapprobation of the match, and she had loudly reproached him with unkindness and abuse of his authority after her as his ward. A woman was produced, who swore that about 1 1 o'clock in the forenoon of the day the neice was missed, as she was passing through the forest sho heard a young lady's voice earnestly expostulating, with a gentleman and upon drawing nearer to the spot, distinctly heard the following expressions : — -'Don't kill me, uncle— don't kill me !" Being greatly terrified, she harried away from the scene, and immediately afterwards heard . the report of fire-arms. On this combination of circumstantial and positive evidence, coupled with the suspicion of interest, the uncle, was tried, convicted of murder, aud immediately after, . according to the Draconic code then in force, exW euted. About ten days after the execution the' young lady reappeared, and, stranger still, all the evidence given on tho trial proved to bo strictly' true. The niece then declared that, having resolved to elope with her lover, they had given out that he had gone on a journey to the north, while he had merely waited on the skirts of the forest until the time appointed for the elopement,' which was the very day she disappeared. He had horses ready saddled for them both', and two "iieiy. vants in attendance on horseback. While walk* ing with her uncle he had reproached her with her resolution to marry a man of whom he disapproved, and after some remonstrances ■ she pas-. sionately exclaimed, «• I haveset my heart upon it. If Ido not marry him it will be death to me j and don't kill me, uncle, don't kill me l" Just as she had pronounced these words, she heard a guci fired, at which she started, and she .after^ardi saw a man come from amongst the trees witn /'% wood-pigeon in his hand.-which. he had then shot. On approaching the spot appointed for the meeting with her lover, she formed a pretence to iaduce her uucle to goon before her, and having fled to the arms of her suitor who had been waiting for her, they both mounted their horses, and I immediately rode off Instead, however, of going to the north, they retired to the neighbourhood of Windsor j where they were married .the . samd day, and in. about a week after .they., went <H» s» tour of pleasure to Franoe. Thjeiye ;they passe§ some months so happily, t ha, t in those days, wlien newspapers were scarce, when t_here.wM.no" ;yeiy I regular postal communication, and nd 'telegraphe, I they never heard of the unbie*B 'sft'd fate until they returned" to England.-* Dicky's • Alt M '"Teat Rounds •-''•---• < i- 11 -^;;' y I e ;£Tjay.