New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-02-08

and John Gordon, who were charged with the murder
OF man In the Spring Of is45, whose name was sSp
| posed 10 have been Chareh b. Sawyer. Mr.. Tsfe n
an old and highly respectable citizen Of this county
having resided here for about forty ysan aud has a.
vays borne the character Of Industrious pcsceabie
man and good neighbor. Mr.. Gordon is citizen Of
Cannon County Tennessee. where be has been resid.
10 that time he lived with Mr. Tate in this county, and
was engaged in driving wagon. His character both
here ard IN Tennessee was that Of an honest, upright,
quiet pesceable industrious man. Having heard that
a prosecution was commenced against Mr. Tate, AID
that be was involved in the charge, be voluntarily
down 70 the trial After ms arrival warrant OF
arrest issued for him. and he was arrested when on
hs way TO the Court. House. lie went in and asked
to be tried with Tate and all the parties tired 81
the same term upon both charges.
The was ably conducted by the council on
both sides There was proof that q maa named
Rice, who was coeoEmaker, and resided in Tusca-
ooea about the year 1870 or lsti, member Of the
firm OF Briggs & Rice, disappeared from Tuscaloosa
in ls4ltLat he supposed To b. deranged when he
left and was traced eight miles south of Tuscaloosa
and not aaerwsrd heard of. 50
II was ako, proved that one Charles u. SawyeYs OF
Coffee County Tenn. eft bis home in December 1889
for South Alabama, with load Of apples leaving be-
hind wife and child That after dsposipg of his APP
pies be started home, and sold bis wagon and team
and borgbt a drove OF horses, and again returned 10
Perry and Msrengo Counties, aud after selling HE
horses started home and reached Tuscaloosa on the
Goth of June 1850. On his route home he spoke 10
some Of bis friends OF his great desire 10 get home.
He did not, however, reach hoine-hls wife went In
search of him, but was unable 10 trace him beyond
Tuscaloosa where be the eth Of June, 1870
and not hearing any further account OF him, and be-
heying him to be DEAD she inter-marred in January,
lsii, with Mr.. Wilis.
The prosecution was commenced upon the CON-
plant Of ID. II. Bingham who, II seems now claims
10 be a resident citizen OF Lauderiae County, but
who, 81 the testimony declared lived many years ego
about Tuscaloosa has been sometimes travelling with
ami exhibiting an astronomical panorama, and who
according TO his own account, proved, bss at
time been engaged in building bridge across the
Arkansas River at Little Rock The warrant OF ar
rest was issued upon the affidavit Of Mrs. Barbara
Hazel, now Of 1ichominso County, Miss, where abe
has sided since July, isi5, but who recently
brought to this county by the prosecution.
For many wears prior TO her removal to NshomiEgo
Founty ,hc resided in this county, in the immediate
ueiehboriood of Abner Tate. About the year 1885
she was abandoned by her husband, John Hazel, who
settled in Tishomingo County, Mississippi Aner
being abandoned by her husband, she became mid
wife aud nurse for the sick, and was employed In
that capacity by Abner Tate and his neghbors AMER
her removal to Mississippi and about the latter part
of the year ls45, she to have conured up sin
gular deusiops about those VINO have been her most
generous patIors in this county, and for whom she had
previously manifested strong attachment.
She imagined that some Of them had accused her OF
stealing various things-that some had pursued her
10 cowhde her for stealing, aud among other things
that young gentleman was claiming to have been
her partner in her professional business Of midwifery
and il was about the same time tnat she seems 10
1
were murderts and that George had been trying to
| murder her with an az. More than ten yean had
ELAPSED s &C the old woman was in this county, and
it was said that number OF persons who had seen her
thought her TO be insane, and the Court-House
ged during her examination. She u about 6S
years of age aud though uneducated seems to have
vigorous intellect and very strong VIII OF her own
Her recount of the supposed murders was very mar
yous and well calculated 10 stagger the credubty Of
the most credulous II told OF company OF high
waymen-but it was narrated with PARTICULARLY and
minuencss Of detail that seemed TO arrest attention
and to impress persons unaequanted with the parties
accused or with the true state of her mind, with the
idea that il might be true.
The cross examination, however Of the witness, and
the clear proof Of the other delusions OF the witness
soon satisfied the Court and intelligent by-standers
who listened to the examination, that she was mono
maniac and still labOring under the insane deiusions
which took possession OF her mind ten years ago. IL
was not known that Rice, who was alleged by the
prosecutor to hav, been of the murdered men, had
ever been seen moth Of Tuscaloosa was any ac-
count given Of Sawyers between the 9th Of June,
l940 when he at Tuscaloosa, on his way
home and the Spring Of ls45, about five years sfer,
when he was alleged 10 have been murdered IN this
county OF that either Of the men supposed 70 have
been murdered was ever known to either Tate OF
Gordon.
The case was submitted without argument, and tbs
Court after few moments consultation, discharged
the accused, and announced that Of them had
the shadow Of doubt AZ to the entire Innocence
of the parties accused.
Ii was a matter Of surprise to many that n who
was stranger in midst should have undertaken
this prosecution, and at 50 late period. r
The testimony disclosed that he had asserted 10 sew
era perHoas in Tennessee that Rice was bis nephew;
TO another that Rice wss bis cOnsin, and to another
that Rice and be particular friends, and Vt one
time members Of the same corps and 10 othen that
he prompted by Of moral duty TO MS coun.
try. But there other testimony, being proof Of
his own declarations, tending to show that he was In
stgated by the mistress Of a slave named Jacob,
executed in this county last Spring for an attempt TO
te
the event Of success the high distinction Of being her
,eventh busband.