Arkansas intelligencer., 1858-08-20
From tie Helena Shield
Rsmarkable Case of Circumst anttal Evi-
dence.


We have learned from friend who has
recently returned from the adjoining county
Of Monroe, the following particulars of the
progress and final result Of an investigation
before court of committing magistrates, at
Clarendon, the county seat of that county,
which evinces in most forcible manner the
startling uncertainty of an apparently over
! whelming conclusive train of circumstantial
evidence.
1t appears that, about the 18th OF A pril
last, there were couple of RATS lying in
| White river, just above Clarendon-the one
owned by a man named Passnore, and the
other by man named Lewis. An oar by
accident escaped from the raft of Passnore,
without his knowledge, and floating down
with the current of the overflow was caught
among the willows by Lewis and transported
aboard of his own raft which lay below that
J ofPassmore. The latter, missing his oar and
finding it in the possession of Lewis, proceed
! ed 10 procure the arrest Of Lewis, charging
him with having stolen the oar. Upon ex
animation, however, it clearly appeared in
evidence that Lewis came into the possession
1 of the oar in the manner above stated and
he was thereupon unhestatiI.iy discharged
by the magistrates before WHOM he had been
arraigned. Lewis, being acquitted, sought
occasion to vent his iceHug against bis accu
ser for the grouudless ImpuIat;on IN torrent
of hearty curses and severe abuse, not pro
cseding to blows, however.
Passmore, fearing or failing to resent this
at the time, swore the Insult should not pass
/ unnoticed, but ayowed his determination to
! give Lewis "a hot bed in HI before three
days." using the threat in presence of several
| witnesses. Mr.. Couch, who was standing
near and heard the threat and believing from
the bitterness in which it was made that it
! would be put into execution determined to
! give his attention TO the matter and listen for
the result, as Passmors was then about start
ing up the river in his canoe towards the raft
of Lewis, which was some 2 miles distant
| by the bending of the river, but less than
mile in direct line Passmore was armed
with double barreled shotgun and large
J bowie knife. After the elapse of some 20 or
80 minutes, allowing Passmore Just about
sufficient time TO reach the vicinity of the
raft of Lewis, Couch heard distinctly the re-
port, as he believed, of both barrels of the
| gun-ons Immediately following the other
and SO confident was Couch that Passmore
| had fulfilled his purpose that he endeavored
! to procure skiff and raise a company to 60
aud see if Lewis was alive, but was unable to
do so; and thus the matter ended for the time
Lewis had bargained to deliver his raft which
was small one, ut the saw-Inill, at the bank
sof the river at Clarendon, next morning.
| Morning came, but the raft did not, and the
| day passed away without any appearance on
the part of Lewis or the raft. The dav fol-
| lowing, some Of the citizens beginning to en-
| terrain fearful apprehensions as to the cause
| of the delay, resolved to 90 up to where the
raft WAS known to have been tied and see If
| Lewis was there. But on arriving at the spot
| the raft was gone-dowu the river Of course.
and that during the highland nothing could
! be learned of Lewis or oe his reason fyg cay
4 ing.
/ Time passed on, and although Lewis had
not been heard from, still the circumstance
| was almost forgotten, when, some five or six
F, weeks after, a man IN passing up the river
/ found in pile of drift just below where Lewis's
/ raft had laid, the body of man. Notice of
, the fact was Immediately given, coroner's
: jury of inquest was summoned and the BODY
recovered from the drift and dragged ashore
/ Upon examination, i. was found that the de-
ceased had upon his back, about the region
/ of the loIn, some tive or SIX buck shot holes
/ piercing into the abdomen, and upon the
/ breast and side were some three or four deep
stabs that had evidently been inflicted with
a large knife by a determined hand The
| body wore striped calico shirt, with pc
cular vine runnjus ug .ue m.ld.. Of the Jo-
som. Lewis, wien iasr seen AZ Clurcudoa
/ had on shirt precisely similar. The coat
| which Lewis had OH when las, seen WAS mi
/ lN.J L., l. l.
! informed what kind OF Il coat, If any. was
worn by the body, aud upon comparison, the
| description given by the witness coriesponded
very accurately with the coat upon the body
! The body was about the same height and
weight as that Of Lewis, bat The features were
SO much obliterated by the action of the es
msnts as to leave no distinctive indication of
| the personal appearance ottae deceased when
| IN life. Lewis had not been heard Of since
his raft left, and so of course every body be-
, leved Passmore guilty OF the murder of Lewis,
and the magistrate accordingly held him in
pretty heavy bond for his appearance be-
fore the next term of the circuit court of
Monroe county, to answer to the State upon
the charge. Pa.smore sued out :: writ Of
hdbeas corpus, and was brought out before
the probate judge of the county, upon the
belief that he could prove that Lewis was
alive some weeks after hs was supposed to
have been killed. The steamer Sam Hale
came up the liver next morning after the
! writ was had, and her Pilot, the well ll-known
Morg. Bateman, made oath that he knew
Lewis well, had seen him while lying on his
raft above Clarendon, where he was supposed
to have been killed, that lie had seen Lewis
some four or five weeks after he was suppo
sed to be killed, that he was at the time last
seen at Napoleon, aud had conversation of
some length with Batcman in which be told
him all about the difficulty with Passmore in
relation TO the oar, his arrest, discharge, ETC.
The boat was owing Lewis some money, and