Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-03-27
r x,11rn NOT GUILTY!

We do not hesitate to assume 'n'
,;cen,, lsw-abiding citizens OF these COM
unr;,;s., who have carefully read the tes-
,;uonv cduced in the case, nave been
startled BY the announcement of the ac-
ou;,,al OF Sheppard, charged with the
murder of Ben. Ballou. That the ver-
die, could be anything less severe than
manslaugh,er WI did not conceive pos
sible. We are we'll aware Of the fact, that
certain parties have so for openly interest
ed themselves on behalf Of the accused,
since the killing was done, as to wander
about the streets continually declaiming:
THE people all hope Sheppard will get
clear; all approve the shooting" 1.-THE
people," like respectable citizens in all
civilized societies, did not PREJUDICE the
case by a Vigilance Committee shout Of
their verdict on first and unofficial report
Of the particulars of the homicide; but
the evidence before the Court does not ad-
nit Of any two candid conclusions in the
premises. The Judge exactly states the
case, by supposition, in his charge to the
jury-exsctly as the testimony showed the
facts to be:
IF you believe from the evidence that
Benjamin W. Ballou was killed by the
defendant as alleged in the indictment, and
that prior to and up to the time OF said
alleged killing the defendant entertained
feelings Of hostility towards the deceased
and that within u few hours prior to the
killing. the defendant privately armed
himself with a loaded pistol or pistols and
kept the same concealed, and that at the
time he so armed himself he expected to
have a difficulty with deceased IN which
he intended TO kill deceased with the
pistol or pistols with which he had armed
himself, and that he made no effort to
avoid such difficulty but as soon as it did
occur ayailed himself Of the first opportu-
nity after an assault was made upon him
BY deceased, TO kill him-then the jury
should find defendant guilty of murder in
The first degree"
The accused is declared n guilty.
in the face OF testimony s~ubstantiating the
above. clearly and Enthusiastically. l. is
now and therefore worth while TO inquire:
What security for life exists in Storey
county: There can be no dispute any
person can avail himself readily Of pre-
cisely such means as Sheppard adopted to
render a deliberately purposed homicide
"~justi6able." \ man who never carried
a weapon is called from a saloon by a
person armed with implements for casti-
| CATION and for death. He evidently pro-
vokes or renews a dispute. He brings
upon himself q blow, and then after a
space of time for reflection, he walks into
a saloon, pursuing his victim, and shoots
him down like Q dog. I'VE the jury in
the above entitled case find the defendant
not guilty" II is not said We the jury
find that an assassin is not a murderer
and that homicides shall not result in
legal sentence to death or imprisonment
against the slayer: Let the public begin
to comprehend the fact, that a man car
raise q banter of words with another. pro.
coed to harsh, BLACKBOARD epishets, com.
pei a fist fall from the enemy whom he
has premeditated to slaughter, and then
blaze away a, his unarmed and appealing
foe!
The killer, in this instance, is fully &C.
quilted. The only inquiry that remains
for thought 10 our citizens, Immediately in
this connection, is: who is to have the
honor Of beng the nex slaughterer Of "a
man for breakfast; :" That's the only
question directly bequea,hed by this ver-
dict, to the popular consideration and
expectation.