The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1862-03-07
The FrccpOrt Tragcdy--TrinI
mud Conviction OF clinton
Walter.
From the Toledo nlade.
pERRYsDUEG, o., Feb. 40.

From the Toledo Nlnde.
pERRYsnUTG, o., Feb, 30.
EDITOR BLADE:
The trial Of Clinton Walter, charged
with the murder Of Milton U. Ensmingcr
WfrccpurS l;u this county. on Sunday
morning, eth Of last July, has been in
progress here since "Wednesday of last
week, closing this forenoon, the jury re-
tiring at | / O'Clock.
The particulars of this tragedy were
given in the Blade at the time the event
occurred, tue = hrinf recapitulaton here
VIII not be amiss. Clinton Walter, the
accused, had volunteered in tho o5th
Ohio Regiment and had gone to Camp
! Chase. In his absence it was charged
that the deceased, Ensmingcr, had rurm-
ed criminal intimacy with his wife, and
a public Indignation meeting was held,
at which Ensmingcr was denounced and
warned to leave the place within thirty
days. Information of this meeting aud
the alleged dishoncr Of his family were
conveyed 10 Walter at Camp Chase, and
citizen of Frccport went there and pro-
cured furlough for him, that he might
come home and investigate the matter
| The two (Waltcr and his lriend) left Co.
hmbus on Saturday, July 9th, arriving at
! Frccport the same night. Walter went
at once to his home and confronting his
wife, she, (ns Walter says--thcrc is no
other cvidcnce,) contested her guilt
! Early the next morning, as evidence Civ
en- in the trial shows, Walter was found
approaching the house of Ensmingcr by
back street, and finding Ensmingcr ON
the stoop at once opened fire on him from
the loaded revolver he held in his hand.
Ensminger sprang from the stoop and rau
down an alley, pursued by Walter, who
continued to fire, the shot taking effect in
Ensmiugcr's shoulder.
Turning, the wounded man thought to
escape his pursucr, but was again shot in
the chest, the wound inflicted being the
one fronpwhich he subsequently died.
Ensmingcr finally reached his store
: which stood but 4 short distance from his
house, where he procured pistol and
made an effort at sclf-dcfcnsc. The char
ges in Walters pistol being exhausted
he ran across the street to store and de.
mandod more ammunition.
/, BY this time the village was aroused
and tho wounded man taken home. But
strange to say, Walter was not taken int,
custody. 1t is true he went before Jus.
ticc of the Peace, but he was immediate
ly discharged through the ignorance o
the Justice, who thought he could no
hold him without an affidavit being mad,
; for his arrest.
The night following the shooting o
4 Ensmingcr, the friends of Walter hurrio,
him 10 the railroad, where he took th,
first train. lio soon Afterwards turnc
up in his regiment at Camp Chase,whcr
g he was subsequently arrested and brough
back to this place, and at the Octobe
term of the Wood County Common Plea
y, was indicted for murder. At the sam
y time DR.. Thomas s. Carman and DI
d Walter Hutchins, both of Freeport, wer
y also indicted for completely in tho crime
a The above is a brief resume of tn
principal circumstances connected wit
~ the tragedy, rs gathered from the evidenc
&c brought out In Walters case. The dc
le fcndanL's counsel made no attempt to es
D. tablish cxcusablo homicide, but hinge
the WHO'D defense on the alleged insau
ty of the accused. il is certainly somt
e. thing to be thankful for, that tho perm
1t cious doctrine of the Sicklcs' case is nC
(, recognized as wholesome precedent on
side of the impure atmosphere Of Wasl
. ington. Experts were called and irien,
u, and relatives who hnd known Walter (,
I'd many years were examined for the pu
n, pose Of establishing his mental aberr
:. ton, but without success, aB the sequ
shows.
W At4 O'Clock on Tuesday last the O
"a animation of witnesses closed and ii
in lawyers went TO the jury. j. +. Pric
ESQ.,, late Prosecuting Attorney for th
!, County, opened the argument for Il
State; on "Wednesday morning he WI
n followed by Messrs. Kent and Newton
he yonr city, who conducted the defense; G
10 wednesday, afternoon, Hon. Cooper 4
m Watson of Tiflin, closed for the State
:, n powerful argument, which was worth
~ of his brightest days, when he stood in u
s- front ranks Of criminal lawyers in Nortl
y, crn Ohio.
This morning, Judge Whitley charge
al the jury. At eleven O'Clock the Jury n
!, tired. an at hafpast -four this aiternoo
II they brought in verdict of murder in III
: second degree, A motion for a new tri
ii was at once made by defendants coui
i sci, and was overruled, to which ruin
exception was taken, and the questic
will of course go TO the Supreme Cou
D. for decision. This will not, howcve
10 have the effect to suspend the judgmel
5. of the Court.
,, The trial of this case has created gre
- interest throughout this County, both Il
* murdered man and the murderer havir
'e many and warm friends. The trial OF Il