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Article CRIME, AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN ITHACA* ← Page 3 of 7 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Crime, And Criminal Justice In Ithaca*
investigation . During several weeks , nothing more was elicited tending to throw light on the affair ; and , according to tlie usual custom on such occasions , a solemn procession , partly of a judicial , partly of a religious nature , was held , in which the authorities , civil and ecclesiastic , paraded the streets of the town , headed by the bishop , summoning all those who had any information to give , to come forward , and pronouncing unqualified excommunication on all whoafter this invitationshould
, , hold back . Upon this an individul appeared , and deposed— " That on the night of the murder , while passing along tlie quay near the shipping , he saw a man come down as if from the direction of Soleuie ' s house , ancl throw something into the water , ancl that he resembled Soleure in stature and general appearance . " A search was immediately instituted at the place pointed out , and a sword found smeared with blood , whichon trialexactly fitted the scabbard discovered in the apartment
, , where the murder was committed . The appearance of the weapon , however , was such as to render this evidence very suspicious ; for , although it must have been already seventeen days under water , its general surface was comparativel y bright and free from rust or corrosion , while the traces of blood exhibited a freshness which it was scarcely possible they could have preserved during so long a period of immersion . On the witness being questioned as to what he himself was
doing in the streets at that late hour , he answered , that he was on liis return from a visit to a sick friend . An epidemic fever , it is true , was prevalent at the period , ancl the friend in question was then afflicted by it . On inquiry , however , it turned out that no such visitor had been admitted that night . The explanation given ivas , that on arriving at fhedoorof
the house , and finding it closed and the family retired to rest , he had not cared to disturb them . Another suspicious circumstance was , that the spot from whence he stated the sword to have been thrown , was not in the direct road from his own house to that of his friend . Soon , after , a person who kept a small shop in tbe town came forward and stated , that , some time before the murder , Soleure had come to his house , ancl showing him a sword he held in his hand , had asked him its value ,
adding , " that it was a good weapon , and before this time had killed both a mother and son I" That he weighed the sword , aud entered the weight in his books , and that the weight of the one found in the water corresponded with his entry . On inspecting the books , however , the style of the entry showed it to have been made subsequent to the date under which it was inserted . His explanation was , that he had neglected to make it at the time , and that , when it afterwards occurred to
him to do so , he had , for the sake of regularity , assigned it a place under the proper date . Why he should have thought it necessary to record the wei ght at all , did not appear , as he had not purchased the sword . Thc servant-girl was next brought forward with a statement tending to implicate Soleure ; namely , that during the tumult in thc room , while the crime was committing , she heard the young man call out , "AVhat ! wilt thou murder me ? " The distinction between thou
and you , which with us , is but one of usage , is , it need hardl y be observed , of considerable importance in most other European tongues , in regard to the sense of the expression ; the former mode . of address being customary only between relations or very attached friends , . while the latter is that of ordinary social intercourse . This statementjhowever , was fount ! to be broadly at variance with her deposition ,,, as formerl y made before the superintendent of police , where she hail -
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Crime, And Criminal Justice In Ithaca*
investigation . During several weeks , nothing more was elicited tending to throw light on the affair ; and , according to tlie usual custom on such occasions , a solemn procession , partly of a judicial , partly of a religious nature , was held , in which the authorities , civil and ecclesiastic , paraded the streets of the town , headed by the bishop , summoning all those who had any information to give , to come forward , and pronouncing unqualified excommunication on all whoafter this invitationshould
, , hold back . Upon this an individul appeared , and deposed— " That on the night of the murder , while passing along tlie quay near the shipping , he saw a man come down as if from the direction of Soleuie ' s house , ancl throw something into the water , ancl that he resembled Soleure in stature and general appearance . " A search was immediately instituted at the place pointed out , and a sword found smeared with blood , whichon trialexactly fitted the scabbard discovered in the apartment
, , where the murder was committed . The appearance of the weapon , however , was such as to render this evidence very suspicious ; for , although it must have been already seventeen days under water , its general surface was comparativel y bright and free from rust or corrosion , while the traces of blood exhibited a freshness which it was scarcely possible they could have preserved during so long a period of immersion . On the witness being questioned as to what he himself was
doing in the streets at that late hour , he answered , that he was on liis return from a visit to a sick friend . An epidemic fever , it is true , was prevalent at the period , ancl the friend in question was then afflicted by it . On inquiry , however , it turned out that no such visitor had been admitted that night . The explanation given ivas , that on arriving at fhedoorof
the house , and finding it closed and the family retired to rest , he had not cared to disturb them . Another suspicious circumstance was , that the spot from whence he stated the sword to have been thrown , was not in the direct road from his own house to that of his friend . Soon , after , a person who kept a small shop in tbe town came forward and stated , that , some time before the murder , Soleure had come to his house , ancl showing him a sword he held in his hand , had asked him its value ,
adding , " that it was a good weapon , and before this time had killed both a mother and son I" That he weighed the sword , aud entered the weight in his books , and that the weight of the one found in the water corresponded with his entry . On inspecting the books , however , the style of the entry showed it to have been made subsequent to the date under which it was inserted . His explanation was , that he had neglected to make it at the time , and that , when it afterwards occurred to
him to do so , he had , for the sake of regularity , assigned it a place under the proper date . Why he should have thought it necessary to record the wei ght at all , did not appear , as he had not purchased the sword . Thc servant-girl was next brought forward with a statement tending to implicate Soleure ; namely , that during the tumult in thc room , while the crime was committing , she heard the young man call out , "AVhat ! wilt thou murder me ? " The distinction between thou
and you , which with us , is but one of usage , is , it need hardl y be observed , of considerable importance in most other European tongues , in regard to the sense of the expression ; the former mode . of address being customary only between relations or very attached friends , . while the latter is that of ordinary social intercourse . This statementjhowever , was fount ! to be broadly at variance with her deposition ,,, as formerl y made before the superintendent of police , where she hail -