Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1859-03-29


police glanced at me, and shook his head
misgivingly. as though he would intimate
that for once in my life was at fault. He
was then asked whether he could use the
left hand for the same purpose. He re-
Piled that he could, and Immediately wrote
his name with the left hand in equally fair
characters. This proved that he had the
facility { using both his hands with equal
freedom, and that he was, iii fact, an Am
bidexter. But this proved nothing. and
/ felt somewhat puzzled. l then exam
ined the soles of his boots, and found them
to correspond exactly with the dimensions
of the footprints l had discovered in The
room. where the murder had been perpe-
stErteki but they xpr1 9aotis-tc cf paila.
The duestion then was, whether he had
chan ged his boots or shoes since the date
Whereon tha murder was committed. He
said that he had not, and that those now
on his feet were the Only ones he had worn
for tho last three months. He admitted
that he had borrowed the butchers knife
mentioned, and that he had used it for the
purpose he had been assisted by the muir
dered man and woman; that il We would
search the small pantry on the landing,
we would discover the bacon that had been
divided. When questioned what he had
doGe with, tho knife, he said he had left il
on the table. in the room where the uur
deTcd man and woman were found. Thai
during the evening he had quarreieI with
the old man. from whom he had parted III
anger. and in his a2iiaIed state of mind,
had forgotten u return the knife TO The
butcher, aud thus, as previously stated,
had left IL on The table. When questioned
whether he had expected that the victims.
intended to bcqueath him their money al
their deaths, be candidly admitted that
,uch had been his expec taLious. He was
then fully committed for trial.
There WAS an apparent flankness in the
demeanor of the young man, that, spite OF
sppear&nces against him, won my immedi
ate esteem, aud although | felt convinced
that the evidence about to be brought
against him, would end IN an ultimate sen
teuce of death, could not avoid feeling
prepossessed in his favor, and L forthwith
deter miued to use my best efforts To save
him, provided could discover the slight
est lac. in his favor. In brief, l did not
believe him guilty.
1t appeared strange to the police depart
ment, when l founded my belief of his
innocence on the very fact which would
probably cause. the jury to render YER
diet of gully. / allude to the circum
stance OF his having borrowed the butch
er -luite. The department smiled ircred
ulously at my assertion, and good -humor-
edly bade me confess that for once my
vaunted system OF tactics had failed. l
shrugged up my shoulders and said,
Seen tlemen, you may think as you please,
but you may depend upon it, that IA man
that is going 10 commit murder in
Certain locality, would never be 50 foolish !
AS To borrow "A Knife from anybody residing |
in the immediate vicinity. Ii also appears
TO me that this young man-haviug been
SO intimate with the murdered mau and
woman --iItd thousand opportunities to |
use more subtle means for their destruc-
tiou. | feel certain that the murderer, !
or rather paUrderers are at large, and that
God being willing, shall yet bring them
10 Justice; but whether L can accomplish !
it in time 10 save the young man from an
ignominious death, is altogether another
question. l do not believe him guilty, |
and would furthermore state that the |
murderer whoever he may be, had All dc-
The young man was tried by an impair
lial jury. and, although he brought upon .
the stand a great number OF respec table |
Witnesses in his favor, he was. neverthe-
less, found gully, and sentenced to be
hung in TWO weeks from tha: date.
1t is truly astonishing to reflect upon
the number of persons that congregate at