1. WILLIAM CHAPMAN, Esq. LATE OF ANDALUSIA, COUNTY OF BUCKS, PENNSYLVANIA, In the Court of Oyer and Terminer, held at Doylestown, for Bucks, PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION, BY WILLIAM E. DU BOIS, STUDENT OF LAW. Philadelphia: PUBLISHED BY G. W. MENTZ & SON, Clark & Raser, Printers. 1832. ADVERTISEMENT. THE ensuing pages are given to the public, as a history of events, which, for the last few months, have occupied in a great degree the popular interest, and have very recently been made the subject of an investigation before a judicial tribunal. That investigation, as it regards one of the accused parties, has terminated; and the proofs and arguments elicited on that occasion form the materials for the present publication. The Compiler will not presume to remark upon the case which his volume unfolds. It is sufficient to say, that to the profession, he offers a Report, abounding in arguments and decisions upon important points of law; to physicians and chemists, is presented a series of examinations, embracing facts and inferences, which cannot fail to prove interesting to them as scientific men; to the reading community at large, a narrative is offered, replete with details of a singular and romantic character. The claims of the work to public favgur, are largely enhanced by the addition of the Charge of the President Judge, and speeches of Counsel before the Jury. The documentary evidence, in which are included many curious letters, is also inserted at large. One of the most pleasing points of the Reporter's duty, is to acknowledge the assistance which has been kindly extended to him by gentlemen more or less interested in the cause, particularly the learned Judge and Counsel just alluded to. Two or three errors will be observed, but none of sufficient consequence to require a formal correction here. The remarks of the defendant's counsel upon the question of evidence, at pages 27 and 29, could not be procured without inconvenience and delay; they have, therefore, been merely noted in brief. This will account for the disparity, in length, of the arguments. The Report has necessarily been extended to a size exceeding that of any other similar publication, so far as the Compiler is aware, since the Trial of Colonel Burr. It is believed, however, that the public would have been as little satisfied as himself with a curtailed statement of a case which has been, far and near, the theme of exciting interest. April 28th, 1832. |