The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1857-03-05
III. s,,asss ,u.,s.y u . Aas.,sss.,

rrum he eias,.rsa ,1sutNr
| The iiual tecision u the hsllcS, bwllcis
auihorii, Of the State having bcrn ra,icrc'
in the c,.sc of james Summons -.-eonGrninI
the seutcuca u the isser. .soarts, ani afllA
ing the pyiMl, 81 thSzfS Hon u that sou
,crce cn nthc'lath or'.Apr,~-has givea ris
10 much comment, among oar ci,,ssass, iha
We tel warranted 10 giving To thn exrlislol
OF other matter, bgis history oi tba easc,
0u the evening of frplay. July u. lslp
| The family Of Cap,ain y ishir Summons
ccnsi.tiny Of himself Mrs Summons. ltober
/ Armstrong. SIN inlsw lady and child, Mrs
ltcvcs, i scaas,Nre IA the fatally. William
/ Summons, son Of Captain s., ami Pau
Houston, a Steamboat rnrin,t. WIRE al
taken vsolwtle slok, shortly sesr ds,ahins
tea u, their vShlepec. Medical all wa
Summoned ard tho appalling discovery wa'
made that they we're poisontNl, BY soue PER
son or persons having drugeca tho tea they
had bccp drinking Mrs R,@vcs and the liz
tic sta of -ltohsri Aemsirong duel the rxi
recovered Suspicion i,ll ppou James sum
mons, u Ron ol Captain =, who wns arrest
sl, examined tctore Esquire smihakvr aud
committed to anewef the charge ef murder
in the iirsi dcgrs,
On the subscQueu, Wednesday the grand
Jury reported a true bill Indictment agains,
him on two changes of mnr'lsy ~ the fra,
,legrca H. was romandel TO jail and ~
NAMED in close confinement until brought,
up far trial
11lr evidence g,up u, this trial fully cs'
tablsh~i his guilt, The ebain ~ circum
s,an~s wins complete. There was poe
tive proof thai be purchased u quantity
of arsenic at drug s,orc on fI(h sirssi on
tho day on which the poisoning cccorr'd $50
4 sersan, girl, ilr principal witness, swore
that be csin' ihlo the Kitchen while tho ket'
tic containing ,ha Npt,r for the len WAS un the
Gre, and an, her oii oi some ffvololis pro
text when she rc,urr~l she po,icssi that
the water in ,hoica kettle presented aairanur,
f,any appearance, hui paid rD attention 10
this. bowvvef, bu, malr tho 'ra from this
kettle @ usual AMI di1 uoi think oi II
again until the fatal msurrcp~ brought II
kaffully 81 her remembrance When the
family ws~ taken siek. sosr,h wss ina,le, and
the PAPER which contaiuoj tlr arsenic WIS
found IN the hou.r
II was also proved thu, Summons. the
prisoner. sl,senied himself from supper that
evening AZ tha, time the cholera was
raging here "a an epidemic, anil ~lgn sum
mons returned In 'be evening. and was told
of the illncSs II III. peorl'', lie DECLARED that
they werr all attacked with ilp prevailing
disase 1'his was the substance of thu ~,
ilencc The result was the conviction II
summons.
An appeal was taken 10 higher rou',,
and q new trial WAS granted. Subsequent.
" Summons WA bald 10 had. Whn tho
second trial took placa II wu discovered
that the main wiinss4---ihc efetnt rlr sl
lu,ied 10 a,.oyc could moi be fmpd, anil i,
was alhgel that she had d,el of cholera .-.
A witness was produced who hal taken
noies Of h,r testimony, snd though Scr,pns
objection. were mtils by oUinasl Tor the de-
fng his testimony was a,laitt@i. Again
Summons was cnovicteJ, anI be was scn
,snrcd TO be hung. An appeal was again
taken, on ,he grounl tia, the prisoner. du
ring THE trial. had not tie privilege gnaran-
tr-d by ihr Constitution IN ail lsfnons
charged with crime. oi being brought fare
10 Lace with tbc witnesses against him, ~
the testimony ~ the servant gih ~ given
on ihr first 'rlnl was pdmifi,,I Oh tbo sec~
onJ. though ,bis wi,ness had died betrs the
laa, took plnse. This sppsI WA taken 20
The Supreme Court. by which tribunal
Il has ipn considered oH tao occasions 80
Ou tlis sifst Il tli,Te, on ~ the Judges DO
clined giving bis opinion, and il~ othrr f,or
wcre equally divided ls aod against the
prls0nfr. ~ thai ~ decisi,m wss rendered
Tie ease Yas again brought isivfe the
court duriny IT. pry'scut yfsIon y, Co,pm.
iris. and decision wss finally rosdfrsl on
Saturday iast confirming The #gicBoo of
the lo~rr eou,t. aod aii.s,ag the tiins fw
tl,e execution On tbs iiih Ot April pNi
IN regard 70 ihls dfTi.ion, vi ir.lirse ..'hs
ihrrs IL bot ote opinion entertained hg the
putIit, s6i that IA. ifat II ID Jasi oijSI 80
That summons e guilty u IBIS awful crime
M otr, whp has read 'bg tcsim0ny, can f9f
rnomen, doubt. Bat ne ~ The oSprlisn.
~ ~ earrying i,i,o eifroi the drs'ad Irnal'y
~ tin' la~ 10 tbs case, liurs is Prla, dt
vrsiig n I0pulsr ~ntsmeBl. IN titt ot
tho t'us naI palDiul c0ghG~B'Di Il the
rTiAn'er, and iiis Ie-rut mental condition a.
well also ~ ~, of rspci for lie iAmily
tbre ls strong, W. uisy say prsigrnigs'ing
Iss3ing smops our fitiau,, ID issog u .
coinundaliou ~ tlio hn.euee O. iinpFisnb.
meni for hio As the matter pOw stands,
Il rsis with ip SOsTHu b. permit 'he
Iss to take ia ccnfS. Ut 10 pursae The
more mefeiipl alternative uf committing thc
~ntnes, We nGph.s thAi 1ur f,sfings
pfnpt' ~ n r,r'aumcod if ia,ier.