The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-07-16
From the Milwaukee Sentinel.

The f.,jl wing Il II substantial statement Of the
facts { shown in the evI eaoe adduced during tEe
tral:
ON the 9th Of November, 1862, Taylor left MI
waukee and Shearer (by 9 name of Carrier
went with him On the 81 of December Shearef
and Taylor were at Kenosha together. Shearet
/ went to a trend's in the evening. AMI desired to
borrow a hammer or Ratchet, saying he would re-
lturu il the next morning. Stating also, that he
might get one Of another man but he did not wish
him to know that he had any use for hatchet
and thathe did not wish his travelling companion
Ito know that he was acquainted with The gentle
man who loaned the hammer. mat eN ening smear,
err and Taylor were at Racine in company and
they travelled together in a buggy during the
night The next day Shearer returned the nam
mer to the owner OF it at kenOsha On the after
noon of the same day dee. 4th,l Taylor arrived
at Spring fed on the Racine K Mississippi Rail-
road and informed the tavern keeper, Mr. Hail;
that Shearer would be there IN the evening, and
he wished him h ALI to meet him lShearerl at the
cars and take him to his hotel. Taylor also sald
that he was going further, but would return the
next day. Taylor and Shearer arrived as lndlcar
Gated. and remained at Springfield I'll December
9Th. In the morning they started Tor Racine where
| Ghey hired a team and went to milwaukee, Iay
or arrived at home after his family had retired.
| On his arrival, his family arose and spent some
time IL conversation. when his children, two daugh
| ters again retired.
| He informed lis wife that Shearer was coming
there soon. and that they were thinking 1T going
| south TO buy horses. His wife opposed mis- going
and ne appeared undecided but when Shearer
camr finally induced to go. About three or
four clock a m, they started, and by Shearers
| account went to within mile of kenosha, where
| ne lett TaylUr and retu ned to Racine with the
| team. Here he ini ormed The livery stable keepe'
| that Taylor had gone tome. Shearer was las
seen at Racine, On that day, about O'Clock r.
| NJ. When the cars from Racine arrived at Keno
sha, which WIS about o'clock p. NJ, Sheare
and Taylor were boti there They took the ears
| on the Keuosha & Rockford Railroad Immediate
| ly, and went 10 Bassetts Station. Here they lei
| ne cars IND went to the house of james Sheartr
! { he father OF me accused There they remained
over night and the mex day till after tea During
the day, Ia, Tor wrote letter 70 his wife NJ Nj
| waukee. AID Snea. wrote one to 81. Louis Al
| rer Tea they started Tor the Post Otice about
quarter OF Ia mile distant taking with them some
skates and AK, they could cross the lake {"
1.-The Post Office nearer than 10y any othe- rou e.
| they arrived there between and o clock. de-
| posted their letters and left between eight anu
nine o clock going towards Mr.. Sbearer5 house
Before they lett the Post Office, Shearer asked
| Taylor if it was not time 10 go home, and lie an
swered yes About nine o'clock Sh carer arrived
| at home, alone and said that his friend (Iayiorj
had gone 10 Richmond TO take the cars lie sat
down and smoked remaining in the house ten or
fifteen minutes He then went out of the house,
saying he going to show Taylor the way 10
Richmond. Richmond IL about five miles from
Shearers) Shearer returned some time IN HE
night Tie next morning he went IL the Post OF
fee and took out the letter he had left the night
before saying that be should be at ST. Louis be-
fore the letter would. That day The llh) Shear
tr went to Keuosha Taylor was never seen alive
after he left the Post Office, the evening OF he
| 10th. From Kemo7ha ,Shearer went south toward
Chicago, and AT different times between tins auo
the time of ms arrest which took place early IN
January, ne was seen AT Chicago, Rockford. ka-
Gin, Springfield and Milwaukee, but never visit
| ed his fathers hOuse.
On the 9th of December the body of Taylor
was found under the ice in the lake ON which
they went to skate, ON the 10th About ten
| or fifteen feet from the body was hole IN the
| ice where the body had evidently been put under
The face and head were dreadfulIy wounded, he
! skull being cut open IN several places, evidently
with some sharp instrument. Ga the body were
| found numerous articles which wee known to
have been III Taylor possession when he Jeff home
on The 9Th of December. There was no money
| found on the body save five-cent piece 1t was
shown that Taylor had about 81 900 with him
when he started from home, the 9tn, and also II
knife for prcking he, ses and cheap silver oh.
On the IIh, Shedrer sold the same watch Z" a
level r IN Keaoshn and soon after gave the knife
| of Taylor to a friend in Chicago. At the time OF
| his arrest Shearer made various conf adlctOry
statements in relation to the circumstances con~
necied wit. the movements of himself and Taylor.
Since his arrest he has stated that the watch which
| he sold in Kenosha, and the knife which he gave
away in Chicago were formerly Tayirrs. but That
| he b0ugM item far Confederate KING that he
formerly owned. About tie 18th OF December he
was at Springfield and stopped at the same place
that had formerly been the stopping place of him
self aud Taylor. Here he stated that Taylor mad
stolen has Confederate rang, and he had not been
able 10 obtain Il again. and that Taylor was treach-
eruus, and he had lost all confidence i'll him. 1t
was further shown that Shearers statement in re-
laton &c gong to Richmond on the night of the
| 10th of December, with Taylor, was false, q wits
ness testifying that he started from Richmond
about fifteen minutes past nine o clock P. NJ. and
passed over the whole OF the road that Shear
| er and Taylor must have travelled, except about a
mile aud quarter nearest to MIR. Shearer's house,
| and that ne knew there was no on the road,
| az the moon shone brightly all the time.
Taylor, in his letter TO his wife, stated his ms
tentiun of going TO st Louis with Shearer, and
had mentioned no other inteutiOn, while Shearef
declared to his father that he had gone to Rich~
mond ON his way to Lasalle. to visit his uncle,
aud he (Shearell WAS going lat nine O'Clock at
| nigh to show him the way The father brother
aud sister Of Shearer testified Tor The prosecution,
aud apparently with the utmost candor, and the
entire family. with the exception OF the defendant,
bears excellent character for respectabllity.
The defendant has been accused of several crimes
and has tor o long time b. en- known to the Police
as a most desperate character His demeannr du>
ring parts Of the iriai callOus in the extreme
A most remarkable feature Of the trial Is. that
the two c"Uneels for the defense, l. w. Webster,
Esq of kenosha and j. Il. Arnold, Esq OF this
city, made 10 argument tor The accused
| The Jury were absent but a few minutes when
they returned n verdict of guilty When asked
by the Judge il he had any hing to say why SeI>
tence should |. t lie pronounced, the prisoner did
not utter n word Lis was then sentenced to TIE
State Prison nI lite.
The very highest credit is due to the Distrct
Attorney 1t kenosha county Mark Dresser Esq
for the interchangeable industry in the collection 81
evidence-all clrcumstan tial-and his able man.
agement at the ial. Mr.. Dresser assisted
by " infield Smith. Esq Attorney General
The charge of Judge Nc Arthur was brief bu
clear, and one to which the counsel of tue de
Tense took exception. The altogether wa
one of those crcumstAntial ones, the crcumStan>
ices rmiug chain with the criminal at one END
and the crime the other. Every lux per
feet and wholly precluded he possibility OF an
other having committed the offense
The conNic ed man was takon to Waupun inn
medIately after qs convection,
The murder one of the most cold blOoded ev
er perpretat, d in this State The deceased leave
| a wife aud children in this city, III very poor cir
cumstances. are informed, who ale very ituiI
yorthy OF sympathy.
Editor the KenOSha Tstegraph:-I have just t,
ken short ride upon the Kenosha Rockford Rail
toad ard much please ed with the improvements tina
have been made under the management of its present
supe inendent and Manager, Dir. Pate. son, for the
last two years The DAD is in the best running
ter and with the gentlemany conductors, E A. Bross
and others makes everything pleasant for passengers
who always expect And good treatment from the
iuctors, and officers of rail roads. The road ste