Argument of William H. Seward, in defence of Abel F. Fitch and others, under an indictment for arson, delivered at Detroit, on the 12th, 13th and 15th days of September, 1851.: Phonographically reported by T. C. Leland.

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Phelps-"Fitch said the Railroad Company was not able to discover the cause of the fire;
theywe*ie not smart enough 5 and if they would pay enough, he would show them before their
-yeu how to do it."
Phelps-"Willard Champlin said he would like to have been where he could have seen
the depot burn, and seen Brooks in it."
Phelps-"Dr Farnham said we got an old fellow to burn the depot at Detroit, last fall, but
it did not seem to make much impression."
Lake-Corwin said, "we burned the depot at Detroit very slick, and that was the only one
'-the, bad paid for burning."'
Phelps-"Fitch said a witness might go before the Grand Jury, but he would not live to
go before the petit Jury." "Corwin said a witness might go before the Grand Jury, but he
would not live to go before a Pepit Jury." Filley said ditto to Mr. Corwin, Price said ditto to Mr. Filley.
Phelp-"Smith (in speaking of the old depot) said Gay received $150, and intimated that
be received a part of the money in advance."
Phelps-"Smith (in speaking of the new depot) said, at the Palo Alto saloon, that $150 had
been paid to Gay and that he received part in advance." "Williams told me if he was detected he would kill the witnesses or swear them to hell." I have heard Corwin, Filley,
the Prices and Fitch threaten Lake to kill him or swear him to hell." Phelps says," I received sixty dollars in advance for burning the depot at INiles, but don't remember from
whom 1 received it." "O. D. Williams told me that a man at Detroit burned the depot and
that he was paid sixty dollars in advance." "Corwin, at Bascom's, said if they could burn
the depots, both at Detroit and Niles, at the game time, the Railroad Company would pay
Up." " Wm. Gunn said, at Marshall, that if the Detroit depot should be burned up again,
and Phlelps should burn the Niles depot, and he IGunn) should burn the Marshall depot, ho
thought the company would begin to pay up." "Fitch said if we could get a fire into the
depots at Niles and Detroit at the same time, they would begin to think Miller's doctrine
true." "Dr. Farnham said ifwe could blow up the track a few times, the Company would
be willing to buy us offand pay any sum asked." "O. D. Williams said he should write to
the Company and tell them if they would give a thousand dollars a yearforfive years they
should have no more trouble."
Lake-"("Corwin said they meant'to propose to the Company to pay one thousand dollars
ayear forfive years."
lhelps —3"Myes said ifl was successful in burning the depot at Niles, we would be able
to draw a large sssm of moneyfrom the Comnpany."
Lake-"Dr. Farnham said if they could make a clean sweep of the depot at Detroit, he
guessed they would wake up." " Fitch said they would make a clean sweep at Detroit and
fles." "Corwin said they would make a clean sweep at Detroit and Niles." "Williams
said they would make a clean sweep at Detroit and ANiles. Mount said-(the same). Filley
said-(the same.)
Enough ofthis. There is an identity in the admissions as harmonious as in the ritual of a
-Free Mason's Lodge. or in the Liturgy of the Episcopal Church,
Gentlemen, Dramatists, and Novelists, in the early period of our modern literature, relieved the wearisomeness of their pictures by interludes and subordinate tales, which had
a pleasing similarity, in spirit at least, to the principal plot of the work.'
The narrative here is relieved in the same way, with humbler plots and conspiracies, as
follows:
(1.) Phelps says "he proposed a conspiracy with Gay, which was to burn the depot at De-troit, Lnd lay;t to Boyce, because he stole from thieves."
(2.) Phelps sans "he suggested two plans to get rid of Sherman, Laycock and Wells: one
Was o burn the depot at Detroit, and lay it to them."
(3.) Phelps says "Wm. Gunn told him he should get Shermant into the black hole; and if
-he could not get Sherman laid out, he should burn one of the depots."
(4.) Gay told Phelps "he knew a first rate man and his wife whom he could get to swear
that Boyce said before the depot was burned, "he was going to burn it;" and to swear that
after it was burned Boyce said he had burned it."
(5.) Williams said "you know I was the cause of having the cars thrown off at Leoni, althongh I was in bed. We can swear Laycock did it."' Corwin said "he would testify that
Laycoc k came to him and wanted him to help do it." Williams said "he would swear that
Corwin afterwards confessed that he did it." Anid Freeland said "he would swear both that
C'orwin said before the offense that he was going to do it, and that he confessed it afterwards." Phelps says that "Fitch, at Detroit, suggested" a second plan to get rid of"the
boys," which was by placing countesfeit money upon their persons." Phelps says that "Corwin, a bout the same time, at Michigan Centre, suggested" the same ingenious device.
Ho w delicately these pictures are worked in upon the tapestry; and how delightfully they
harm onize with the grand design, of fabricating matches in the log cabin at Sylvan. and carrying one in a red handkerchief and depositing it in Filley's tavern, and carrying the other
in so me other way and depositing it under the side-walk in front of Gay's house, in Detroit
Ed then swearing that the defendants delivered to them the one left at Filley's, and that