Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-02-27
SomANrIc MuEDEn TRIAL.

THE MURDERED MAN APPEARS IN COURT
uNCERTAINTY OF cRcrMsrANrtAI Evi-
pLNeE.
The Benton dll.) Standard relates
story ol trial for murder which ended
ia romance and not in tragedy The man
imposed 10 he murdered walked into court,
alive and well, during the trial The Stan
dard saYs:-A few weeks since we noticed
the fact OF the finding of IL human skeleton
in the woods, about two miles east of this
place, by Mr., benjamin Williams, and OF
the verdict olthe jury of inquest, desgnat
ing the skeleton as the remains of young
man by the name of Henry Mahorn and i'm
plicating David Williams, son of Benia-
min Williams, us the murderer The circum-
stances surrounding the case were strongly
against the accused, as the missing young
man was last seen, in this community, about
a year ago, in company with Williams, on
the way 10 enlist IN the army as substi-
tutcs.
The accused, after an absence of few
weeks, returned home alone, stating that
I his comrade, Henry Mahorn, had enlisted in
the Tenth Regiment Missouri Infantry
This appeared plausible at the time, and
Henry Mahorn was almost entirely forgotten
by our citizens, until the finding of the
skeleton in the woods The suspicious of
our citizens were at once aroused, from the
fact that the clothing was identified as the
same worn by Mahorn when last seen.
Their suspicious that he had been foully
murdered by Williams was much intensified
by learning that his father and family,
living in Tennessee, had never heard from
Him from the time he left this neghborhood,
in company with Williams, to join the army,
although diligent inquiry had heen made
10 ascertain, il possible his whereabouts,
The supposed murderer was Immediately
arrested upon the rendering of the verdict o
the Jury OF inquest, and lodged in the county
Jail to await his trial. On Monday, the 1jtl
inst, thc prisoner was brought into court,
before his Honor, Judge Duff, on writ o
2 hahcas corpus. The court proceeded with
the trial, The circumstances, as revealed by
the evidence, pointed directly to the prisoner
rs the murderer of Mahorn, as the clothing
was identified as his; and that certain teeth
, lac was known to have had extracted in hi
s lifetime, were the identical ones that wer
G found wanting in the jaws of the skeleton I
e In fact, the circumstances pointing to IN
. guilt of the accused were so strong tia
i nine-tenths of the citizens Of this commu
nifty were fully satisfied of his guilt.
In the midst of the trial, imagine tn
user establishment of the court, counsel
p witnesses, the eager and excited spectators
10 wen as the overwhelming joy of til
\ prisoner in the dock, by the sudden appear
tt mce of Henry Mahorn, IL propria persona
in the court room, in full yigor of life, hal
and hearty, giving the most unmistakabl
~ evidence that he lad not been murdered
ii aud that the accused was innocent of tll
IA Aeiuous crime with which he was charged
.a The prisoner was so overcome with Joy
4. this unexpected and apparently proyidentii
y deliyerance from the suspicious circumstal
,e ccs that surrounded him, that he wept lii
" child, The judge at once ordered the #
IN lease of the accused.
ar II seems that MIahorn had joined the arm
rs under an assumed name, and in consequen,
was unable to hold correspondence with Ii
sk friends; and being discharged hut few dal
er previous to the trial of the young man Wi
'is liams, as his murderer, he fortunately a
ni n rived in Benton the very day the trial cor
lin menced,
This case should serve as a lesson to iuri