The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1857-10-16
WHOLE: NUMBER 232.
Singular Criminal Trial and Result ii
Ie1andi

particularly curious, because it was founded
upon exceedingly strong eircurstential esi.
dcnce, and beccuse the strongest witnessW.
against the prisoner were his own cfiiliren,
of tender years. The following summary
of the facts is given by tie New 'YorE ),
Tribune,
MIR. Little was found murdered 10 his own
oillce at tho station, woundSd about tue
head' apparently by ha,nnier, Tie dccipbfs.
tai bone being fractured, the i1mular veins
severed, and the carotid artery wounded.
apparently by razor. a number Of soy.,
ercigns were found sccrctcd in a nlaco fc;ss
which the prisoner had access, wrapped in
apple of calico, viii ich it vas sworn was a
part Of n discarded hood belonging 10 Iris
daughter
1t should here he noticed that the facili-
ties terconcealmentabout the premises wers.'
great, and that last November and part Of
December passed without anything having
been discovered to fix suspicion upon an1
person as the murderer. But upon the
18th OF December, in carpenters she'd
adjoining tie paint Shop in which spo1len
worked, was accidently found IA canyass bar.
containing about ;f4O in silvsnisss The bag
was wet, and was supposed to have Been re-
moved from neighboring canal, in Which
il vigorous search was going Oh. Spolen
was arrested seven months alter the perpres
tration of the murdegs. 1t was proved that
he had an intimate knowledge OF every part
Of the building i'll which Little was killed,
and that he had unusual facilities for enter
ing the office of the deceased. 1t should be
stated, also, that Spollen lived upon the
premises.
When he was examined rs a witness up..
on the coroners inquest, he testified that up
on the night Of the murder he Quilted his
work at lIalf-past five, that he went home,
aud that he remained reading until psst
nine, when he went into town to mako
some purchases, Will, his wife and eldest
sou. Suspicion pointing at SpolIen "a search
was made OF place upon his premi ses IN
which largc accumulation of stones was
noticed, and about ESQ were discovered.
The testimony showed that this was unques-
tionahIy money stolen after the. .mTiifrder of
Mr.. Little. 1t was here that portions of tho
s,n-Gonnet OF Spollcu's little girl were also
discovered. Abot fG7 were also found
sccretcd in cask of red lead. In the
centre Of this mass of red lead was founda
paddock, and Key fitting this was discov-
cred in a drawer in Spollcn's house, together
witlI.a duplicate Of the lock. r..
Lucy Spo!len, the daughter Of the acctYs
sed, testified that her father did not come
home at half-past 5 o'clock upon tile evening
OF the murder; that she saw her father GETS n
small ladder and go to the roof of what was
called the grease house" and that she also
saw him after he had, by the aid of the same
ladder, assembled another roof, stuiing some,
thing down chimney. The taeorysos the.
prosecution was. that the plumber o5tainedt
from Mr.. LittIe's Office was temporarily
secrcted by Spolcn in the chimney. The
girl also testified that soon afterwards her
father came into the lonse. She swore
distinctly to the piece of sun-bonnet in
which the money was found wrapped In
the canal was found peculiar kind of ham,
lner, Well fitted to -ipfiict atte iljuresJound
upon. Mr.. Little's head, and speakssdf Sed'
lead.were founa ahhering to the hands of.
this implement A similar hammer was
found i'll the prisoners woHslrop, apd the
theory of the prosecution WIS, that this
hammer belonged to the chiylfen of the .
prisoner, and that he had smeared Il with,
putty and placed it ip the wotkshop to3ik
vertSsuspicion from fine fact.that lis o~H
was missing. A razor WAS also foHi,L III.
the canal which was not Spoilers. Aher-
wards second rnzor was found, marked
"Spollin," and tine Iasne was found to, be sas
engraved upon several articles in. ths.Prs.
oper sllouse. A. cutler. testified, 10, making.
the razor, although he did not recognize ths
respondent as the person for whom le mssk.
eI it,
Thi, testimony Certainly afforded strong
case for the Government. Without going.
at detail into the testimony for the. dofenes
we may mention that the prisoners. coua,aeE
made an admirable argument, in which, Ae-
urged that the testimony Of the.cliIdraik
WAS not TO be bclived, thas "etil,lren weaes
often liars, a nd sharp ones, tootp.anf tRat
these children had been instructed by their
mother to accomplish the most unnsiusa
end. The prisoner was much affected wken-
ever any aliusion was made BY the fearne&
council to his social relations. 1t was sekY
clearly in evidence that tho murder might
have been committed and thes money con-
ccal:d by ollrer rcrsons igtle enpley 6s
the Hallway Company: Tho Chic. Justice
summed up clatorates,, evidently leanipg
to llc side of lie prisoner: Tile. jury, were.
ont for only an hoiir. and, returned ayesdsk
Of .Not guilty" Upon beasag Il fbs .pris.
oncr swooncd, .exslaI,nipg. 'a.my sEildsenr'
lie expressed Himself very strongly ggsinss
his wifi, cl,aracterizing hef,as a tieresst.s.
and hoping that she would retisA 70, some.
distant colony: ~ - ..e.~s. %.
The verdict strikcsiis as, h, iinaay reseesss,
n rc,narE.l,la one r:,,,s;S e.;o,. ,i,o p.o.nnv