Amelia's Story

by C.P. Murphy

Chapter Twenty-Five

  Monday morning came and everyone in the village prepared themselves for the trial. Henry fumbled with the buttons on his shirt as he dressed. He was nervous about the events he was sure would take place. As much as he wanted to see Patrick Buchanan hung for his crime, he was afraid to hear the details. As far as he was concerned, he had heard more than enough. When he finished dressing, he walked down the stairs and found his entire family waiting to attend the trial. He had told Anna that he wanted her to stay home but she was stubborn like him and wouldn’t see to it.

  Once arriving, Henry was overwhelmed with the people that came to witness Buchanan’s death penalty. There had to be as many people there as there was for Amelia’s funeral. It was clear to Henry that this crime had affected the entire community. He led his family inside the building and they took their seats in the front row.

  Looking ahead, he saw the judge that came from Albany and the District Attorney that the constable had told him would be there for the trial. There didn’t appear to be an attorney for the defendant but he didn’t care. No point in hiring one if you are guilty, he thought to himself. While they waited for the trial to begin, he looked to his family and told them all that things could get ugly and if they wanted to leave, they should do it then. Nobody moved.

  Patrick had been brought into the room, cleaned up and in proper dress, and noticed how everyone was staring at him. They all thought he was guilty, but he knew that he wasn’t. Everyone glared at him as if trying to kill him with their eyes, except for Anna. She was the only one in the room who seemed to care for him. Patrick looked to her as if to tell her he had thought about what she said to him but turned away when he made eye contact with Henry. He didn’t want Anna to get in trouble for befriending the enemy. He noticed the Van Martin men, Thomas and his father, and they looked back at him with satisfied faces, happy to see him being prosecuted for a crime he didn’t commit. Though at the time he had no proof, he was sure that Thomas had something to do with Amelia’s death and if fortunate enough to get out of the position he was in, he would prove it somehow. He glared right back at Thomas until the scrawny kid tore his eyes away from him. Then Patrick continued to look straight ahead so he couldn’t see the faces that scowled him from behind.

  Daniel and Thomas sat behind the Samuels. Still a changed man, Daniel reached up and placed a hand on Henry’s shoulders. “How are you holding up?” He asked. Henry shrugged his shoulders and kept his eyes focused at the front of the room. Daniel noticed Thomas’ glare at Buchanan and whispered to his son, “This trial won’t last one full day. He’ll pay for his acts soon.”

  A few minutes later the jury entered the room. All the men on the jury were from Albany since everyone in Millersport was bound to convict Buchanan before the trial even begun. After they took their seats, order was called, and the trial begun. Judge Harrison pounded his gavel onto his desk and asked the District Attorney to begin.

  “Gentle man of the jury,” Richard Young, the District Attorney, started. “I ask all of you to turn your attention to the man on the left of me. His name is Patrick Buchanan, and he is on trial for murdering an innocent girl, Amelia Samuels, on the night of August 25, 1813.” Then the District Attorney took his eyes off of the jury and placed them on Patrick as he continued to speak. “This isn’t a man we see here but a demon, a violent monster, and whom I will prove killed our victim in cold blood.”

  Hearing someone come straight out and say he killed her made Patrick angry. He realized that Anna had been right, and he needed to take a stand. “I did no such thing,” he shouted as he rose from his chair.

  The spectators whispered among themselves, and Thomas decided it was time to get the villagers' attention. He stood up and forced a face full of fake tears and cried out, “You did. You killed my wife-to-be and I can’t wait until we hang you for it.”

  “Order in this court,” Judge Harrison demanded. “Mr. Buchanan, sit down and keep your mouth shut. You’ll get your chance.” Then he turned towards the District Attorney and signaled for him to continue.

  Young returned to the jury and finished his opening statement. When he was finished, the judge asked Patrick if he would like to say anything to the jury since he didn’t have an attorney present. Patrick declined because he felt he said enough. The District Attorney laughed at the defendant’s faith and then called his witnesses. During the morning hours of the trial, he first called the constable to the stand and questioned him about the search and about details of her body when found. Then he had called up Emma, Jacob, and Thomas and quizzed them about what they knew of the relationship between Patrick and Amelia. All of their testimonials lead the jury to believe that Amelia wouldn’t give Patrick the time of day, not to mention building a friendship with him, making him look guilty.

  Anna didn’t like the way things were going. She knew that her sister didn’t tell Jacob or Thomas anything about Patrick but she wasn’t sure what she’d said to Emma. She wondered, since the girls were best friends, what she might have told her but knew that Emma was making Patrick sound worse than he was. Anna knew that she could help Patrick and desperately wanted to. “Father,” she whispered, “Please let me tell them about what I know. I know Amelia was friends with him, she told me.”

  “No,” Henry snapped at Anna. He knew that it wouldn’t take long for Patrick to bury himself and he would not let anything stop that if he could help it. He ignored her and continued to listen to what was going on.

  Young called Patrick up to the stand to testify for himself. He was sure he could get the defendant to admit his crimes to the jury. Patrick was sworn in and then given the right to sit down.

  The District Attorney began, “Will you tell the jury how you knew Amelia Samuels?”

  Patrick answered. Wanting them to know the truth, he answered. “She and I became friends after she told me she was being forced into a marriage she didn’t want to be in.” The spectators got loud as what Patrick had just said was a shock to them.

  “Why did you say it was all your fault after Amelia’s body was found and you were carried away to be locked up?”

  “I lost it for a while; Amelia meant the world to me. Hearing she was gone made me think about my wife.” Again the crowd got loud as the District Attorney asked him to explain. “A few years ago my wife and son both passed away in childbirth. It was another thing that Amelia and I bonded over. I felt it was my fault because I didn’t get to the doctor in time but Amelia helped me to see it wasn’t my fault. When I heard that she was also gone, I felt like I lost my wife all over again. I tried to explain that to the constable when I realized what I had said but he wouldn’t listen.”

  “Is it true you had an argument with Amelia on the day of her disappearance?”

  “How did you know about that?” Patrick asked in return.

  Judge Harrison interfered, “Mr. Buchanan, you are the one answering the questions, not asking. I suggest that you remember that.”

  Anna felt horrible when she heard the question and wondered if someone had listened in to her conversation with him. She lowered herself in her seat and prayed that she didn’t make things worse for Patrick.

  Patrick knew that he had to answer the question. He didn’t know how someone might’ve found that out, unless who ever had seen her last, her killer, had known about it. Patrick didn’t want to talk about it, knowing it would convince the jury he murdered her. He swallowed hard and wished that they never quarreled. “Yes, I had told her something about her father she didn’t want to hear but I felt she needed to.”

  Henry was now the one squirming in his seat. He remembered Minnie saying something about Amelia needing to speak with him. His guilt made him wonder if Patrick had known about his British involvement and if he did, he furthered wondered if Buchanan had reported him.

  “So you argued with her, then she ran from you and that made you angry. Didn’t it?”

  Patrick knew the District Attorney would back him into a corner with that qu
estion. “No,” he answered. “I let her go. She said she needed to talk to her father and I wouldn’t interfere with that.” He glanced towards Henry who seemed to think the same things he was. He hoped that Henry would regret all of his own crimes.

  “Where were you after she left then?”

  “Home,” Patrick testified. “I had a visitor.”

  Richard Young turned towards the jury and then towards the spectators and smiled as if they had the case wrapped up. He laughed as he furthered his questioning, “You know no one in Millersport. Who would have been visiting you?”

  Patrick wasn’t amused by the laughter in the room. They all must’ve thought he was a fool but Patrick knew who was there. He didn’t wish to talk about Henry’s treason at the moment so he tried to get by without giving a name of the visitor. “An old friend who was just passing by; he isn’t from Millersport.”

  Just then the doors burst open as if someone had been waiting for a signal to enter. The room of spectators was silent as an Army officer walked up the aisle. The judge, the prosecutor, and the entire Samuels family looked shocked, not even Patrick had seen this arrival coming. Everyone stared in awe as he made his way closer to Harrison; even the Van Martins were impressed by his composure. He wore the same pantaloons, vest, and boots that Patrick had seen before but this time those simple clothes were companioned with a single breasted blue coat that had ten buttons and corresponding holes that formed like a herringbone. The skirt of the coat extended down to the back of the knees and the collar had a distinguished design embroidered on it. Around the officer’s waist was a belt that held a French sword and a chapeau bra fanned over his head with a gold eagle in the center. As he approached the judge, Major General Downy took his hat off, held it respectively in his hands and announced, “I’m a key witness for the defendant and have the right to speak on his behalf.”

  Judge Harrison allowed the Major General to testify. He turned towards Patrick and told him he was still under oath but to return to the seat until called back to the stand. He thought that the trial was coming to a fast end but now had no idea what would happen.

  The Major General was sworn in and then took his seat on the stand. Young questioned him, “Please tell us who you are and how you know the defendant.”

  Major General Downy had heard of Buchanan’s fate and used it to his advantage. He had returned to Millersport in the nick of time and just walked into the town hall when he heard Patrick say he had a visitor the night in question. “I’m Major General Downy of the United States Army Militia. Like Mr. Buchanan had told you, I’m an old friend of the defendants.”

  Henry was now real nervous and avoided making any eye contact with the Major General. Patrick had told Amelia something about himself and in the same night he was visited by a high official of the Army. It was all too much for him and he wished that he could sneak out of the room with no one seeing him.

  “Then, how long were you with the defendant that night?” The Major General knew he was lying but was confident he wouldn’t get caught. “I was there all night.”

  The crowd became loud again, and the questioning continued.

  “What is someone of importance like you doing visiting Buchanan when there is a war going on?”

  “That is exactly what’s going on, a war. I remember Buchanan as being a man proud of his country and I felt we needed him to help the militia. Since we are camped not far from here, I talked him into joining the Army to fight in the war.”

  Patrick sat with an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He didn’t know what the Major General was doing there or how it would help him. There was nothing else he could do but listen.

  “Did you leave him or did he leave his house at all?”

  “Not once,” the Major General answered. “It took a lot of convincing to get him to agree and I was there all night long, like I said. I left his house when the sun came up and told him I would return to take him with me to the war front.”

  “Why didn’t he leave with you?”

  “He told me that there was someone he needed to talk to first, a goodbye I suppose.”

  “Well then, isn’t it possible that when you left he killed our victim?”

  The Major General just sat there and didn’t seem bothered by the District Attorney. “No, from what I understand about this case, the girl was already missing by the time I left Buchanan’s house.”

  The crowd roared. They were disappointed to hear such news. The Samuels family looked to be in disbelief themselves. The jury didn’t know what to think and the District Attorney didn’t know what to ask. He wasn’t prepared for an eye witness on the defendant’s behalf and felt as if his case was blown apart. Judge Harrison heard enough to know that Patrick Buchanan wasn’t the killer the village had assumed him to be. Interruptions such as this were not usual in his court but given the intruder’s rank, he believed everything that was said. He let the case go and pounded his gavel for attention. “In light of this news, something nobody bothered to find out, I declare this trial over.” He turned and faced Patrick, “Mr. Buchanan, you are free to go.” Then he pounded his gavel one final time, and the crowd left the room.

  Henry looked over to his family and wished that things had not changed the way they did. It was apparent by their faces they were disappointed to not know who had committed the horrible crime.

  Anna, however, was relieved. She wanted to run to Patrick and congratulate him but he was speaking with the Major General.

  Patrick and Downy left the building, through the side door; right after Patrick was free to leave. Though Patrick was relieved to know he was no longer a suspect in Amelia’s murder, he was also upset with the Major General’s testimony. He never had intentions of fighting in the war and now with the demanding need to find the real killer, he wasn’t going anywhere. As soon as he knew they couldn’t be overheard, Patrick asked, “What is going on? I told you I wouldn’t join the militia, and how did you know that I didn’t kill the girl?”

  Amused by Buchanan’s ungrateful attitude, the Major General answered, “Personally, I don’t care if you did or didn’t. I’ve pulled you out of a tight spot and you owe me.”

  Patrick didn’t know what Downy was up to or how he even knew of the murder. He hoped that he could return the favor another way. “In all seriousness, you don’t expect me to leave with you?”

  “On the contrary, if you don’t then you can take your chances back in there,” Downy stated as he pointed to the Meeting house.

  Looking back at the building, Patrick saw the people still standing around gossiping about the unexpected end of the trial. He knew they would all love the chance to retry him and therefore knew that he couldn’t outsmart Downy. “But, I need to be here to help find the real killer,” he pleaded.

  Downy reached over and put his hand on Patrick’s shoulder as if they were old pals. He had done his research, like he has always done, and knew that the people of Millersport would rather see Buchanan hang than to find the real culprit. “I think it’s in your best interest to leave for a while. There will still be a lot of hatred towards you, besides you don’t have a choice.”

  Patrick knew that he was right but there was still so much he wanted to do before leaving. One thing was to visit Amelia’s grave and pay respect to her. “Well then, can it wait? There are things I need to do.”

  “No time,” Downy replied. “We are needed in the Buffalo area as soon as possible. You must pack a few belongings. I’ll meet you at your house in one hour.”

  Patrick was discouraged. He knew that it would take him a half an hour just to get to his house. Then he would have to pack before the Major General arrived. He knew that there wouldn’t be time to stop by the cemetery and hoped that Amelia’s spirit would understand. He continued to wonder what Downy was up to and why he wasn’t going to escort him home. Patrick thought it might have something to do with Henry Samuels. After the treatment he had received, he no longer cared about what happens to his love’s father.
He agreed to the Major General’s commands and the two men walked in separate directions.

  Anna raced to catch up with Patrick. She had seen him end a conversation with the Major General and then saw him walk away. She didn’t know if he was in a hurry or not but she had a hard time catching up to his brisk footsteps. “Patrick,” she called out when she got close enough.

  He heard a voice behind him and stopped to see who it was. Anna was rushing towards him but appeared to be running out of steam. Patrick waited until she was closer and then said, “You shouldn’t be talking to me, your family wouldn’t understand.”

  Anna didn’t care how her family felt about him. She knew that he wasn’t guilty all along. She wanted him to know that she was still on his side. “Don’t worry about them. I wanted to congratulate you. Are you going to help us seek the real villain now?”

  Patrick’s heart broke knowing he couldn’t help. He hoped that it would all be solved by the time he returned from the war. “I’m sorry, Anna. I have to leave this afternoon.”

  Anna was surprised. She didn’t think that he would leave so soon. “But I thought,” she started before he interrupted.

  “I have to,” he said. “Can you keep a secret?” Anna nodded and crossed her heart so Patrick told her the truth. “So,” he finished. “If I don’t do what is asked of me, the Major General will throw me back to the pack of wolves waiting outside the Meeting house.”

  Anna shed a tear but was glad that someone had come along to help him, even if it was all untrue. “I’ll miss you,” she said, “Nobody else sees things the way that you do.”

  Patrick held his arms out and embraced her. “Don’t worry. I promise I’ll be back just as soon as I can. Keep your chin up, everything will turn out fine,” he told her. The more he talked to her, he realized, the less time he would have to get ready. He took a moment to make sure she was all right and then said farewell to Anna.

  She watched him walk away and prayed that he would be safe while he fought in the war. Then she too walked away to return to her family.

  Henry asked his family to leave the Meeting house before he left. He’d told them there were a few things he needed to do before he went home but the truth was he was afraid that Major General Downy would confront him. He didn’t want his family to be there if that happened. His instincts were correct. Henry was less than a block away from the building when he heard a man call out his name.

  “Mr. Samuels,” the Major General called out with a firm voice. He had known from Patrick Buchanan’s description that the man in front of him was none other than Henry Samuels; the man who funded the British.

  Henry turned and saw Downy walking towards him. He was sure the Major General knew of his treason, knew that Buchanan had reported him. It was a moment he’d hoped never came but now he had lost Amelia, it didn’t bother him as much as he thought it would. He remained calm as he asked, “Major General Downy. What can I do for you?” As if he didn’t know.

  Downy grinned as he looked Henry in the eyes and held out his hand for him to shake. Downy sensed Henry’s nervousness. “Henry Samuels?” He questioned. When Henry nodded, the Major General continued. “I wanted to tell you how sorry I’m to hear about your daughter.” He could see the hurt in Henry’s eyes from the loss of his loved one and wanted to sympathize with him. He remembered a time in his life when he’d lost someone dear to him. If Samuels was anyone else, Downy would have felt sorry for him but considering the treason placed by Henry Samuels, the man in front of him might as well have killed the girl himself. Throughout his investigation, Downy learned of Samuels blackmail and what he was putting his daughter through and realized that the girl was just another victim caused by British funding. Downy saw no reason to believe that Henry would continue since the funding had stopped after the death of the merchant who worked for him. Major General decided not to carry through with any charges. Henry Samuels had already paid his price for the crimes he committed and Downy was satisfied leaving the matter alone.

  “My daughter,” Henry was surprised to hear that coming from the Major General.

  “Yes,” Downy explained, “Violent crimes like your daughter’s case don’t happen around these parts too often. The Governor sends his wishes as well.”

  Henry couldn’t believe it, he thought for sure he was about to be arrested. He glanced over Downy’s shoulder and could see Daniel and Thomas in the distance. He knew that they would speak to the Major General if given the chance. Henry didn’t want them to have that opportunity since it was apparent that Downy knew nothing of his crimes. He appreciated the man’s kindness but wanted to get the Major General to leave Millersport as soon as possible to avoid a run in with the Van Martins. “Thank you,” Henry replied as he quickly shook Downy’s hand, “My family is still grieving and I must get home to them straight away.”

  Downy chuckled to himself, knowing that Samuels was trying to avoid the topic of his treason. He smiled and let the traitor believe that he had won. “All right then, just wanted to give my regards.” He placed his hands behind his back, turned and walked towards Buchanan’s house.

  Henry watched him walk away and realized that the Van Martins must have traveled in a different direction because they were out of sight. Relieved on how the situation turned out, he thought it best to never bring up the topic to anyone ever again.

  Downy walked away from Samuels and made his journey to Buchanan’s house. He didn’t get very far when he was approached by a tall, yet scrawny looking young man. “Can I help you with something?”

  “Yes you can,” Thomas replied. He’d been determined to make Henry pay for his crimes even if his father told him not to. As far as he was concerned, Henry interfered with his marriage to Amelia. He was still convinced that her death was just caused to separate him from her. There was nothing else he wanted from Henry so he decided to report him to the Major General. “I should have said something sooner. I know for a fact that someone in Millersport has been funding the enemy and demand that justice is served.” He wanted to tell the Major General who the criminal was but he was interrupted.

  “Oh yes, I know already and is one reason I came to Millersport.” Downy knew who the man acting all high and mighty was. He played with the lad. “The culprit is a man named Thomas Van Martin,” he said as he looked around pretending to look for someone. He knew that Thomas would try to clear his name right away so Downy spoke fast to avoid giving Van Martin the chance. “He’ll be executed the instant I find him, no questions asked. Could you lead me to him?”

  Thomas didn’t know what to think. He certainly didn’t commit such crimes but yet believed if he tried to tell the Major General who he was, he would be killed before giving the chance. Thomas noticed how the Major General held a hand on his sword and for the first time, Thomas felt speechless and intimidated. He assumed that Patrick Buchanan had lied to the officer, in jealousy of his relationship with Amelia, and he sweat as he thought of the authorities having the wrong identity. He wouldn’t be able to defend himself. He swallowed a lump he felt in his dry throat and shook his head to answer. This sudden change of events angered him but he believed what Downy said and couldn’t think of a way to clear himself without being killed on the spot. “No Sir,” the answer came from his dry voice, “I don’t know the man personally.”

  Downy almost laughed out loud to see how much of a coward the Van Martin man was. He felt a chuckle deep inside of him, begging to be let out, but kept it inside. The lad looked as if he would wet himself but Downy didn’t have time to torture the young man any further. “Well then if you see him, inform me at once!” He told Thomas to have a good day then continued toward Buchanan’s house. When he was out of ear shot, Major General Downy let out the laugh that had been building up. He had no reason to lie to the young man but was glad he had. He thought it served him right for blackmailing another man the way he and his father had. With accusing Van Martin the way he had, Downy was sure that nobody from Millersport would ever sp
eak of British funding again.

  Part Three