Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1857-12-02

measure suspended specie payments
or taken steps which arc equivalent t.
it, in order to save their rotten gov
ernmcnts, and equal y rotten systems
of finance, from going by the board.
The Banks of New York are now the
only sound financial institutions in the
world.
A Murderer Convicted on Circumstan-
cial Testimony Interesting Case.
The IIarrodsburg correspondent Of
the Philadelphia Pennsylvania writes
AS follows, under date of November
2Ist
A rather singular trial for murder
has ust terminated before our court.
The circumstances, as clictcd on the
tria are as follow: In the coal min
ing districts of this country there resi-
dcd man named William Williams,
aged about thirty years, having a wife
and one child. This man labored for
some OF the miners, and bore the rcpu-
tation of being quiet and peaceadle.-
lie WAS acquainted with Il plastercr,
named Daniel Hendricks, a man of
rather weak intellect, but considered
inoilcnslvc' This Hendricks possessed
a galvanized copper watch, hunting
case, and it appears that Williams en-
We'd him the poossesser of this baublG.
On the trial, it was shown that Will
Jams had proposed to buy the watch
from hendricks but the latter refused
to sell. Williams also remarked to
one Of the witnesses that he "was
bound TO have watch if he had to
kill some one for it,"
Soon after this Hendricks disappear
ed. The last time he was seen was on
the 3rd 81 May, when he was at the
house Of Williams, and the two left in
company. No trace Of Hendricks was
discovered for weeks, and suspicious of
foul play were bruitcd abroad. Tray
oilers over Il small mountain which sop
crate two valley in that ncighborhood
began to notice a stencil on "a certain
part ofthe road, but even this excited
no inquiry until the 23rd of May,
when some women determined to as
certain the cause of the smell. They
discovered about twenty yards from
the road the body of Hendricks much
lccaycd.
An alarm was Immediately given, q
Coroner's Jury assembled, and a post
nortem examination held. 1t appear
ID, on examination, that the deceased
vas shot in the back, near the spine,
with round pebbles instead of bullets.
The physician who made the cxamina
ion declared that the wounds, though
atal, would not produce instaneous
leath, and that Hendricks probaly
ived after being shot, some
.wo days! He also said that tho de-
ceased might have called loud ceough
% be heard by passengers on the road
out his strength was too feeble to al
ow him to be heard at any of the
houses around. 1t is horrible to think
Of this poor creature weltcring in his
blood, and suffering the agonies of
Heath for forty-eight hours, almost
within the sight OF much frequcntcd
road.
The evidence upoun which Williams
was convicted was entirely circumstan-
iial. lie had been seen to 60 in the
where the body was found, in
company with Hendricks was never
more seen alive. He had the galvan
lied watch Immediately after the disap
pcarence of Hendricks, and when ac-
cused of the murder were very contra
dictory. The Jury, after del,bera-
ton of about two hours, returned a
verdict of guilty.
Tho prisoner is small man of
pale, sallow complexion, black hair and
eyes, and rather inofiensive in his ap-
pearancc. He remained invasive
during his trial, and heard the verdict
unmoved. His father, an old blind
man. was with him during the trial.
H In England, members Of Parlia-
ment have to take an oath that thew
worth $500 clear annual estate before
they can take their seats. And then,
If the honorable member becomes
bankrupt, he is suspended from hold
ing his seat or voting for a year. If
at the end of that time the creditors
have not been paid in full, or proceed
ings in bankruptcy suspended, the fact
being certified to the Speaker by the
Commissioner Of Bankruptcy, his seat
is declared vacant, and new writ for
election is issued to his constituency.
We contend, that the true policy of
the conservative Democratic press is to
make the most of the first practical
opening for the fair admission of Kan