APPENDIX II.

otheoccurrencethemoney-drawerofthetavernkeptbyStephenD.Castleman,andtheliquorskeptinlargequantitiesinhiscellar,hadbeenpillagedfromtimetotime,untilthetheftshadattainedtoaconsiderableamount.Suspicionhad,fromvariouscauses,beendirectedtoLewis,andanothernegro,namedReuben(ablacksmith),thepropertyofJamesCastlemanbut,bytheaidoftwoofthehouse-servants,theyhadeludedthemostvigilantwatch. "'Onthe20thofAugustlast,intheafternoon,S.D.Castlemanaccidentallydiscoveredaclue,bymeansofwhich,andthroughoneofthehouse-servantsimplicated,hewasenabledfullytodetectthedepredators,andtoascertainthemannerinwhichthethefthadbeencommitted.Heimmediatelysentforhisfather,livingnearhim,and,aftercommunicatingwhathehaddiscovered,itwasdeterminedthattheoffendersshouldbepunishedatonce,andbeforetheyshouldknowofthediscoverythathadbeenmade. "'Lewiswaspunishedfirstandinamanner,aswasfullyshown,toprecludeallriskofinjurytohisperson,bystripeswithabroadleathernstrap.Hewaspunishedseverely,buttoanextentbynomeansdisproportionatetohisoffence:norwasitpretended,inanyquarter,thatthispunishmentimplicatedeitherhislifeorhealth.Heconfessedtheoffence,andadmittedthatithadbeeneffectedbyfalsekeys,furnishedbytheblacksmith,Reuben. "'Thelatterservantwaspunishedimmediatelyafterwards.Itwasbelievedthathewastheprincipaloffender,andhewasfoundtobemoreobdurateandcontumaciousthanLewishadbeeninreferencetotheoffence.Thusitwasproved,bothbytheprosecutionandthedefence,thathewaspunishedwithgreaterseveritythanhisaccomplice.Itresultedinalikeconfessiononhispart,andheproducedthefalsekey,onefashionedbyhimself,bywhichthethefthadbeeneffected. "'Itwasfurthershown,onthetrial,thatLewiswaswhippedintheupperroomofawarehouse,connectedwithStephenCastleman'sstore,andnearthepublicroad,wherehewasatworkatthetimethatafterhehadbeenflogged,tosecurehisperson,whilsttheywentafterReuben,hewasconfinedbyachainaroundhisneck,whichwasattachedtoajoistabovehishead.Thelengthofthischain,thebreadthandthicknessofthejoist,itsheightfromthefloor,andthecircletofchainontheneck,wereaccuratelymeasuredanditwasthusshownthatthechainunoccupiedbythecircletandthejoistwasafootandahalflongerthanthespacebetweentheshouldersofthemanandthejoistabove,ortothatextentthechainhunglooseabovehimthatthecirclet(whichwasfastenedsoastopreventitscontraction)restedontheshouldersandbreast,thechainbeingsufficientlydrawnonlytopreventbeingslippedoverhishead,andthattherewasnootherplaceintheroomtowhichhecouldbefastenedexcepttooneofthejoistsabove.Hishandsweretiedinfrontawhiteman,whohadbeenatworkwithLewisduringtheday,wasleftwithhimbytheMessrs.Castleman,thebettertoinsurehisdetention,whilsttheywereabsentafterReuben.Itwasprovedbythisman(whowasawitnessfortheprosecution)thatLewisaskedforaboxtostandon,orforsomethingthathecouldjumpofffromthataftertheCastlemanshadlefthimheexpressedafearthatwhentheycamebackhewouldbewhippedagainandsaid,ifhehadaknife,andcouldgetonehandloose,hewouldcuthisthroat.Thewitnessstatedthatthenegro"stoodfirmonhisfeet,"thathecouldturnfreelyinwhateverdirectionhewished,andthathemadenocomplaintofthemodeofhisconfinement.ThismanstatedthatheremainedwithLewisabouthalfanhour,andthenlefttheretogohome. "'AfterpunishingReuben,theCastlemansreturnedtothewarehouse,bringinghimwiththemtheirobjectbeingtoconfrontthetwomen,inthehopethatbyfurtherexaminationofthemjointlyalltheiraccomplicesmightbedetected. "'Theywerenotabsentmorethanhalfanhour.Whentheyenteredtheroomabove,Lewiswasfoundhangingbytheneck,hisfeetthrownbehindhim,hiskneesafewinchesfromthefloor,andhisheadthrownforward,—thebodywarmandsupple(orrelaxed),butlifewasextinct. "'Itwasprovedbythesurgeonswhomadeapost-mortemexaminationbeforethecoroner'sinquestthatthedeathwascausedbystrangulationbyhangingandothereminentsurgeonswereexaminedtoshow,fromtheappearanceofthebrainanditsblood-vesselsafterdeath(asexhibitedatthepost-mortemexamination),thatthesubjectcouldnothavefaintedbeforestrangulation. "'Aftertheevidencewasfinishedonbothsides,thejury,fromtheirbox,andoftheirownmotion,withoutawordfromcounseloneitherside,informedthecourtthattheyhadagreedupontheirverdict.Thecounselassentedtoitsbeingthusreceived,andaverdictof"Notguilty"wasimmediatelyrendered.Theattorneyforthecommonwealththeninformedthecourtthatalltheevidencefortheprosecutionhadbeenlaidbeforethejuryand,asnonewevidencecouldbeofferedonthetrialofStephenD.Castleman,hesubmittedtothecourttheproprietyofenteringanolleprosequi.Thejudgerepliedthatthecasehadbeenfullyandfairlylaidbeforethejuryupontheevidencethatthecourtwasnotonlysatisfiedwiththeverdict,but,ifanyotherhadbeenrendered,itmusthavebeensetasideandthat,ifnofurtherevidencewastobeadducedonthetrialofStephen,theattorneyforthecommonwealthwouldexerciseaproperdiscretioninenteringanolleprosequiastohi