Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-08-11
From the Helena Shield. Remarkable Case of Circumstantial Evidopoe | t- fat t

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 Remarkable Case of Circumstantial Evidence.
 We have learned from a friend who has re-. gently returned from the adjoining county of Monroe, the following particulars of the pro- gross and hnal result of an investigation before court of committing magistrates, at Clarendon the county seat of that county, which evinces Tn most forclble manner the startling uncertain. ty of an apparently overwhelming conclusive tram of circumstancial evidence.
 1 ltappears that, about the 18th of April last, there were couple of raf:s lying in White river, just above Clarendou,-the one owned by a man named Passmore, and the other bv man named Lewis. An oar by accident escaped from the raft of Passmore, without his knowledge. and floating down with the current of the over flow was caught among the willows by Lewis and transported aboard of his own raft which lay below that of Passnore The latter, mis- sing his oar and finding it in the possession of Lewls, proceeded to procure the arrest of Lewis charging him with having stolen the oar Up- on examination, however, it clearly appeared in evidence that Lewis came into the possession of the oar In the manner above stated and he was thereupon unhesitatingly discharged by the magistrates before whom he had been arragned Lewls, being acquitted, sought occasion to vent hls feeling against his accuser for the groundless lmputatlon In a torrent of hearty curses and se- were abuse. not proceeding to blows, however
 Passmore, fearing or failing to resent this at the tune, swore the insult should not pass un- noticed, but avowed his determination to give Lewis "a hot bed n h--l before three davs.n using the threat in presence of several witnesses MT. Couch, who was standing near and heard the threat, and believing from the bitterness in which 1t was made that it would be put into execution determined to give his attention to the matter and listen for the result, as Passmore was then about starting up the river in his canoe towards the raft of Lewis which was some 215 miles distant by the bending of the river, but less than mile in direct line. Passmore was armed with a double barreled shotgun and a large bowie-knife. After the lapse of some 20 or 50 minutes, allowing Passmore just about suf- hclent tune to reach the vicinity of the raft of Lewis, Couch heard distinctly the report, as he believed, of both barrels of the gun--one im- mediately following the other-and so conf- dent was Couch that Passmore had fulfilled his purpose that he endeavored to procure skiff and raise company to go and see if Lewis was alive but was unable to do so; and thus the matter ended for the time. Lewis had bar ganed to deliver his raft, which was 8 small one at the saw-mil at the bank of the river at Clarendon, next morning. Morning came but the raft did not, and the day passed away with out any appearance on the part of Lewis or the ratt. The day following, some of the citizens oegnnlng to entertain fearful apprehensions as to the cause of the delay, resolved to go up to where the raft was known to have been tied and see if Lewis was there. But on arriving at hn mot fhn~ ,ft ! course, and that during the night--and nothing could be learned of Lewis or of his reason for leaving
 Time passed on, and although Lewis had not been heard from, still the circumstance was al- most forgotten, when, some five or six weeks alter, man in passing up the river found in pile ot drift just below where Lewis's raft had lain, the body of a man. Notice of the fact was immediately given, coroners jury of inquest was summoned and the body recovered from the drift and dragged ashore. Upon examina ton, it was found that the deceased had upon hIS back, about the region of the lon, some ve or six buck-shot holes piercing into the abdo men, and upon the breast and side were some three or four deep stabs that had evidently been inflicted with large knife by determined hand. The body wore a striped calico shirt, with peculiar vine running up the middle of the bosom. Lewis when last seen at Clarendon. had on shirt precisely similar The coat which Lewis had on when last seen was mi nutely described by a witness before he was in formed what kind of coat, if any, was worn by the body, and upon comparison, the descrip- ton given by the witness corresponded very ac- curately with the coat upon the body. The body was about the same height and weight as that of Lewis, but the features were so much obiterated by the action of the elements as to leave no distinctive indication of the personal appearance of the deceased when in life Lewis had not been heard of since his raft left, and so of course every body believed Passmore guilty ot the murder of Lewis, and the magistrates &C., cordlngIy held him in pretty heavy bond for hIs appearance before the next term of the cir cult court of Monroe county, to answer to the State upon the charge Passmore sued out writ of habeas corpus, and was brought out be- fore the probate judge of the county, upon the belief that he could prove that Lewis was alive some weeks after he was supposed to have been killed. The steamer Sam Hale came up the river next morning after the writ was had, and her Pilot, the well-known and universally re- sFected Morg. Bateman, made oath that he knew Lewis well, had seen him while lying on hiS rait above Clarendon, where he was supposed to have been killed, that he had seen Lewis some four or five weeks after he was supposed to be killed that he was at the time last seen at Napoleon, and had a conversation of some length with Bateman in which he told him all about the difficulty with P;lssmore in relation to the oar, his arrest, discharge, etc. The boat was owing Lewis some money, and her clerk, Capt. Dougherty, corroborates Rateman's state ment by showing from the books of the boat that Lewis applied to him for the money and was paid the sam at Napoleon, about the 5th of May, some three weeks after he was sup posed to have been killed by Passmore. Bate man and Daugherty are both known we'll and tavofably on White river, and upon their evil dence Passmore was released, as Lewis is doubt less now alive, and as soon as he learns of the excitement that has been made over his SUD- posed remains it is thought he will make his appearance in persoaan. to settle the matter be- yond possibility of doubt cavil that he has not been murdered. These facts are all sub- stantiated by the testimony of the witnesses in writing as taken down, at Clarendon, which can be seen and read at any time by application at the clerks office at that point. Lawyers take notice.