The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-10-17


or less extent, suspected of the murder
two of them, including Robinson, hay
gone to their last account the other
Rosina Townsend, the keeper of til,
house where the tragedy took place, lef1
the city soon after aud returned to he
early home, at Castleion, near Albany
where she had lived before removing u
cincinnati with her husband, who there
| deserted her for aHother woman, from
which place she came to this city. She
has since married a carpenter and be.
come member of the charch, and is
said to have lived a secluded, cxempla.
rs aud charitable life Her house stands
upon the hill that vcrlooks the village;
aud the rail road traveller cans catch a
glimpse of it roof and piazza as the rap
id train whirls him by None of these
parties, and probably 10 others, would
aow Dc effected by any change or con
liru.a ton of public oPiaion as to Robin
soias guilt. Yet it may not be useless
to refer to sundry circumstances con-
ueeted with the case -scme of which
have never before been made public
which teud to show that the verdict of
the jury was justified by the evidence,
and that any other result than the one
reached, however it might have co;nci-
ded 8ith public sentiment then or since,
would have lackel the only jlst basis
of judicial proceedings positive and in
-evitable proof.
All the evidence in the case was cir
cumstantial Robinson was kn9wu to
have been with Helen oa the night she
was murdered. Rosina TOwusoad tes-
titled that he came there between eight
aud nine o'clock Tew testified that he
came home between twelve a;:d one o.
clock. No one was known to have seen
Helen after twelve; her murder was
discovered at about three. Robinson
was, therefore, presumed to have been
the only person with her that night
His cloak was found in a yard adjoining
tbe back yard of Rosipa Townsend s.
house; AID hatchet, known to belong
to the store where he was employed,
was proved to have done the deed OF
and was fouad in the yard of
the house itself. These were the main
facts proved against him. The Jury
thought them inconclusivc. Public ru-
NOR, seeking a motive for the murder,
said that Robinson was engaged to be
married that his re!atioLs with Helen
j Jewett created an embarrassment and
an obstacle-that she tlrcatene to ex-
pose him, and that he killed her to pre-
reut he exposure and obtain relcase.-
None bat madman, it rikcs US, would
dream of obtaining freedom and release
by sueh means; aud Robinson's whole
lcmeanor proves him TO have been any
tidug but . cckless, uacalculatiug, im
pu!sivo pcrsoa, a,.d far too sensible to
have acted upoa such = plan.
we d. not know that Robinson him
self ever made apy public siatement Of
bis connection with this affair, or any
* l,la.s at on Of the circumstances which
1orc most s'roagly agar st him Bat
% his fricnds ac did and, as some of
us explanations have cono to our knowl-
,dge, we s!Iall make them public. Be
ug forced to rely upon rccollectioDs for
ne fScts, We may not be able to gre
hon with precise accuracy, but sufi-
,ieatly so we trust for all practical pur-
,oses,
Robjnsoa SAID that he had.loag been
ntimate with Helen, that sue was strong
Y attached to him, AID that he was also
ond of her but that be had decided
Ipon breaking off the intimacy, and had
nf5rmed her of that fact AT their
lst interview previous to the night of
er death, he had told her he should not
ee her again. She lad demonstrated
gainst his leaving per, AID had begged
i'm to come once more, even if it was
Or the last time He at last consent
d, and agreed to meet her on Saturday
light, but said be should then leave her
orcver. His being there that night
-as the fulfllment of that engagement.
he fact that the Ratchet and cloak
ere there also, and were left there af-
,r he went away--s he declared he
id before twelve o'clock--was explain
d in this way:
The hatchet was one used in the store
here he was employed. a day or two
revious to the date in question, he had
led to use the hatohet to cut the bands
pou some boxes, but had found it too {
lll for use. had spoken of this to K
ne of the porte s in the store, had call /
his attention to the fact that the
a;chet would scarcely cut at all, and
ad told him he would take it up town
ld have it sharpened. On the Satur- I
ly night in question he had, therefore,
ken the hatchet away with him, and s
ltting it under his cloak, had started c
ith ii for some street above Canal, the s
lnic of which we have forgotten, where |
ch jobs were usually done. On his q
ay be stopped at Rosina Townsend's c
call on Helen, as he had promised, c
at intending to stay but short time. E
he urged him very strongly to remain, ,
,d he.staidsuntil IL was too late to 90 |