The North-Carolinian. [volume] (Fayetteville [N.C.]) 1839-1861, 1850-11-09
From the Newborn Republican.
TRIAL OF JOHN TILGHMAN.

| The only case of importance before the
Court last week was the trial Of John
| Iiiohman for tire murder OF Joseph J.
| TiI"hman, removed from lienoit. The
| case excited much interest i'm this com
,nunity from the great length OF the trial.
and the strenuous efforts made by the de-
| fence to clear the prisoner. .sfter full
hearing. and long deterioration by the Jury,
Il verdict was rendered Of Sc Guilty of mur-
der in the first degtee''-a righteous YER
dict. and in universal accordance wit,
public sentiments.
Thc evidence cn tire part Of tire State
proved. that Joseph J. rilgl:usan, the mur-
dercd man. had been, OFT the evening of
the 18th of August. to feed Iris hogs; dis
tance of about one fourth OF Il mile from his
house within 4 fevT minutes, gun was
heard TO 90 off in the direction he had
gone. The murdered man reached hts
house, bearing or him. one wound made by
ball. and two other wounds on each side
of his head. from which he died in short
time, before medical assistance could reach
him. lie declared that he had been killed
by John T,lshmar. who said, Ire sought
him out for that purpose. The prisoner.
a few minutes after the report was heard,
reached the house of a neshbor, with an
unloaded musket, and having severe
wound in one of his hands. The musket
was slightly bent. and was proved to be
the property of John 'fiIghman knife,
belonging to Joseph J. TiIghman, was
found in the road near 4 puddle of blood,
where the murder was supposed to have
been committed. Evidence was also in
troduced, to- show the topography Of the
road where the murder was committed.
\ hedge row ran along side of the road.
with gap in it, opposite the place where
the puddle Of blood was found.-Many
circumstances were given in evidence hav-
ing Il bearing Oh the case. Fhe examiha-
tion Of evidence continued Until Thursday,
about O'Clock. The case was then open
ed for the defence by Geo. S. Stevenson,
Esqr. The killing was admitted he as
sumed that a scuffle had ensued betw cen the
prisoner and the murdered man, and that
in the scufle. Joseph J. Tilshman was shot,
and John Tilg ghman received severe
wound in the hand, and tried to show that
all the facts we're consistent with this sup
positIons He was followed by Geo. Green,
Esqr., for the State ,-Messrs John
Wooten and VIM. II. Washington follow
ed for the prisoner, and the Solicitor clos
ed for the State. The Solicitor took the
position that the murdered man had been
shot by the prisoner; while standing in
ambush behind the hedge row, there being
no marks Of powder on his face that the
murdered man had retreatcd, dropping his
wallet of corn, was Intercepted by the
prisoner at the point where the gap was in
the hedge rows, and here were inflicted the
two wounds on his head with the musket;
that Joseph J. Tilshman had got bis knife
out by that time, and that the prisoners
hand come in contact with it accidentally,
when giving The blow with the musket. The
knife was ex hbited in Court and was only
!; rusty jack-knfe, very dull, and it must
have required tremendous blow to drive
IT throus n a person hand. We must say
that there was not single fact or circum-
stance. which was not explained by the
Solicitors suppositlon.
4 motion was made for Il new trial, on
several gronnds-the strongest Of which
was, that improper evidence bad been
(the dying declarations Of the
man and separation of the
jury. The judge heard the motion ar
sued at length, but overrulet it. The
prisoner was sentenced to receive the ex-
IRENE penalty of the law OH Friday. the 9th
lay of December. An appeal was made
o the Supreme Court.