The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1840-09-24
From the Louisville MESSENGER.
WILLIAMS, THE FELON.

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Justice has at last been done, and the
notorious robber whose name heads this
article, is before this time lodged in prop
err apartments at Frankfort. The trial
was exceedingly interesting. The felon
appeared perfectly composed, indeed a
stranger would scarcely have taken him
for the. criminal. The evidence was
clear and conclusive. 1t seems that some
months since. Williams, with some ae-
completes, attacked gentleman in
house of i'll fame, and while he was asleep.
jumped across his breast and seized his
pocket book, containing about $500.
! The robbers Immediately decamped, but
the watch was too quick for them and in
, a short time Mr. Chenowith had few
more gentlemen under his charge. Will
liams afterwards bribed negro, who per-
formed mental Offices in the Jail, stole
some hundred dollars from the keepers
chest, and with his associates decamped.
A few months after this, certain officers
who had been sent in search of the rascals.
found this Williams snugly ensconced in
a comfortable farmhouse in Iowa, and
with still more comfortable widow in his
arms, to whom he had just been married.
Alas! alas the matrimonial bliss was
but Of short duration, and the rosy gar
lands Of Hymen withered beneath the
touch of that unleeling monster--the stat
ute book. Williams was brought back
and lodged in his old broom, circumstance
highly gratifying to his bump of locality.
The night before his trial he made an un-
successful attempt to break jail.
The counsel for the accused made
great exertions, but sit was no go.'' Will
Hams has more intelligent countenance
than most Of our criminals whose craven
spirits will be fully admitted, when il
is known that, they never steal enough to
fee lawyer! The officers deserve
great credit for their promptness and asst.
duity-the Judge much praise for his
dignifed and able decisions in the trial.
and the lawyers, the brightest Ia.irels won
in the whole affair, as they failed to clear
the grandest scoundrel, whose felon brow
wears the impress of degraded humanity.
ANOTHER SHOCKING ACCIDENT: STEAM
BOAT JAMES GIBBoN Blown Up. The
Richmond VA Star, of Friday 2lst nit.
says: 1--WE have the painful duty to an
nounce that the steam tow boat, James
Gibbon, was blown up, this morning,
about twenty-five miles below Richmond, i
Iby the bursting of the boiler The Cap.
tain's wife, two children, and servant.
were dreadfully scalded. Two of the
hands are missing. One Of the children,
a little boy, five or six years old, died 4
short time after the accident The
. others are considered out Of danger. The
/. explosion is represented as most terrific,
the boiler being blown entirely on an ark.
which was in tow, and the escape .pipe
was blown over into the woods. The
sufferers were brought up to the CITY
about ! o'clock, by the steamboat Pat
rick Henry. The little child, which
died, was dreadfully burned. We have
mot learned the probable origin Of this
shocking catastrophe. 81
4 AWFUL CALAMITY.-()n the nioh.
! of the 18th August, the house of John RI.
4 bmson, OF Logan county, was struck Inv
lightning while the neighbors aud family
relations were attending the diving bed Of
Mrs. Robinson. John Robinson, III. OF
Sangamoa, was killed at the bedside e.
4 his dying mother. His sister, Ellen Jane,
n was severely shocked, and is considered
dangerous; and all in the house were moro
or less injured Sdngdmo .Iour.