Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-23
THE EVANS-NEWLAND TRAGEDY.
The Murder of Madison Evans by
Dr. NeWland-EuiI Details Of the
Affair.

Affair.
bedford, Ind, Correspondent Gin. Commercial
The trial of DR.. Benjamin Newland, for
the killing of Prof. Madison Evans about
a week since, was expected to take place
to-day, but has been transferred by a
change Of venue to Floyd county, and set
for the slh day of May next-the defend
ant being admitted to bail in the sun Of
forty thousand dollars. This case has
created the greatest possible excitement in
the communicative excitement being in
tensifed by the character and position of
the principal actors in the tragedy. Com
ing down here with no knowledge of the
facts, except such as was derived from the
perusal of newspaper accounts, l was sur
prised to find a strong current of popular
feeling against DR.. Newland. While
newspaper accounts stated that the entire
community sympathized with DR.. New
land, and justified him in the terrible re-
venge wreaked upon the seducer Of his
daughter-that probably no Indictment
would be found against him-I find that
there IS a feeling, and a very strong one,
against him so strong, in fact, that the
defense asked for the change of venue on
ma 6lbhiAh-oO cElbllG AuAh ANY diiOutib
of money has been enlisted to push the
prosecution to its utmost extent. 1 have
been at some little trouble to ascertain the
facts in the case and the cause of the unu-
sual feeling.
Il Is a pretty well settled fact that a man
cannot be convicted of murder for Staying
the seducer Of his wife, sister or daughter,
unless under unusual circumstances, and
the records of our criminal courts bear
numerous precedents. But there are sew
eral features in the case of DR.. Newland,
which seems to justify the feeling against
him. The theory of the defense is, that
| the Doctor, maddened and Infatuated by
the knowledge of his daughters shame,
and acting from a sudden if not ungov-
ernable impulse, sought out the libertine
and shot him down. But the facts, as l
can learn them from al sources, do not
Justify this assertion. 1t appears that DR..
n. had a letter from the Principal of the
| Terre Haute school a few days before the
occurrence. just what it contained 1 am
unable to state, but its contents were evil
| IDENTIFY of such a character as to seriously
| alarm and distress the father, who imme-
diately proceeded to Terre Haute. He de-
MES having had an interview with his
daughter, but says he saw the Principal of
the school, and learned that something
was wrong, w%hereupon he returned to Bed
ford and sen for his daughter. 1t is hard
" probable that a father who loves his
daughter would thus leave without having
an interview with her, knowing that she
was in trouble, and being in the same
town and beneath the same roof with her.
Tk1-,F,-. .,.D-- y.--.r- l.1T.-. H. l..
did see her, and learned the nature of the
trouble. This, however, would do away
with the theory Of impulsive insanity.
The manner of the killing, and the I'M
exampled ferocity which so horribly
gashed and mutilated the body of the dy-
ing man, pleading ~piteously to be per
mitted TO 60 home and die beneath his
own roof is urged against the doctor.
Evans lived on the HeltOnville road,
about the fourth of d mile north of Bed
ford, and the killing took place in a little
ravine at the foot of the hill-a dark and
lonely locality, with a few contiguous
shanties, inhabited by persons in humble
circumstances. From the time Newland
called at the house to the time of the kill
ing, a period OF thirty minutes is said to
have elapsed. The ravine is not two
minutes walk from the house, and the in
ference is irresistible that Newland must
have here lain in wait for his victim
nearly a half hour.
The doctors previous character also
/ contributes to the feeling against him.
He is said to Lave been somewhat no
%torious on account of his intrigues with
the opposite sex, and to have been in the
habit o. publicly Boosting Of the number
of women he had d~ebauchedl
An attempt will also be made by the
prosecution to show that more than one
person was implicated in the killing. 1t is
alleged that the coat worn by the deceased,
which is literally cut to pieces, bears the
marksof different knife-holes-the long,
two edged eating, and a heavy, single
edged knife, with a thick back.
There are other facts which will be at
tempted to be shown by the prosecution,
of which it is not proper to speak. A
large number Of witnesses have been sum-
moned. Nearly every young lady in the
town, intimate with Miss Newland, has
been ~subpened by the defense or<proseeu-
ting, and the trial will be an interesting
one. The best legal talent in the State has
been employed on each side.
THE PARTIES.
DR.. Newland is a large and rather fine
looking man, physically, with deep-set
eyes, projecting brows, thickly set with
somewhat shaggy hair, a thin, a~quiline
Nose, and fair, rosy complexion. He wears
a heavy brown beard and moustache
tinged with gray. A slight badness in
front gives the forehead an appearance of
great height. He appeared composed in
court, but there was a wandering, restless
expression in the eye, which showed that
he realized the situation in which be is
placed, and keenly felt the disgrace
brought on his household.
Professor Madison Evans is described as
having been a man; not at all remarkable
in personal appearance, but of elegant
manners, an easy and graceful cnnversa-
tionalist, and rather fascinating deport-
ment. He was a man of intellectual Gull
ture, and had been amember OF the Camp
bellite Church sometimes doing a little
exhorting, though never a regular preach
er. He was a prominent Republican and
a bitter partisan, who had excited the
hatred of his political opponents long be-
fore any thing was known against his
private character, by the f-erceness of his
denunciations.
Miss Helen Newland, the poor girl
whose reputation is forever blasted, is de-
scribed as a lady OF fine personal appear-
ance, and rare accomplishments, proud
spirited and independent in department,
with a disposition to have her own way
in most things. She has been, for a long
time, intimate with the Evanses, calling
upon them at their residence on the hill,
and remaining till after nightfall, when
Mr.. Evans would escort her home,
through the ravine in which he finally
met such terrible retribution. 1t is al
legged that Evans seduced her several
years since, when she was quite young,
and has maintained the intimacy ever
since.
HOW EVANS WAS LII
Evans was shot through the body-the
ball entering the side above the hip, and
passing through the intestines. Newland
says that, after he shot him, Evans fell
and begged to be allowed to go home to
die beneath his " roof-that he New
land at first consented, but then told him
mo, Cd d-n you; you might get
well, and then prOceededto cut his throat
with the calling. The body, when found,
was dreadfully mutilated. A cash across
the chin had nearly severed all the feshy
part of that feature. The knife had then
been plunged through the neck and ripped
out, severing arteries and ~windpipe, and
another similar cut made beneath. There