The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1866-02-21
Romantic Murder Trial.

! Of trial for murder which endedjn roman
ce and not in l:agend. The man supposed
walked into court, alive and well, during
the trial The Standard says; few-week'
since we noticed The fact of the finding OF {
| human skeleton in the woods, about two
miles east Of this place, by Mr. Benjamin
Williams, and of the verdict OF tie jury oi
inquest, designating the skel elon as the re.
mains Of a young man by the name OF
Henry Mahorn, and implicaning David
Williams, son OF Benjamin Williams, as his
murderer. The circumstances surrounding
The case were strongly against the accused
as the missing young man was last seen, ia
this commupity, about a year ago, in COM
pany with Williams, on their way 10 enlist
in he army as substitutes.
The accused, after an absence of few
weeks, returned home alone, stating that
his comrade, Henry Mahorr, had enlisted
in the Tenth Regiment Missouri Infantry.-
This appeared plausible al the time, and
Henry Mahorn was a'mos, entirely forgotten
by our citizens, uniil.the finding of the skel-
ton in he woods The suspicious of our
citizens we're at once aroused, fFom the fact
that he clothing was identified as the same
worn by Mahorn when last seen. Their
ed by Williams were much intensified by
learning that his father and family, living
ia Tennessee, had never heard from him
from The lime he left this neigh5orhood in
company with Williams, TO join The army
although diIigen, iaquiry had been made
TO ascertain, # possible, his Whereabouts.
The supposed murderer was Immediately
arrested upon the rendering OF the verdict
Of the jury of inquest, and lodged in the
county Jail 10 awaile his trial. On Monday
the 18Th inst, the prisoner was brought into
court, before His Honor Judge Duff, on
writ of habeas corpus. Tne Court proceed
ed with the trial. The circumstances, as
revealed by the evidence, pointed directly
10 the prisoner as the murderer of MahOrn,
as the clothing found was identified as his;
and that certain teeth which he was kHown
to have had extracted in his lifetime were
the Identical ones that were found wanting
ia the jaws OF the skeleton.
In fact the circumstances pointing to The
guilt Of The accused were so strong that
nine-Ienhs of the citizens of this commu-
nly were folly satisfied OF his guilt.
In the mids. of the trial, imagine The
utter estonishmeut OF the cour, counsel,
witnesses, the eager and excited spectators,
as well as The over~ helmins joy of ihs ptis-
oner in the dock, by The sudden appearance
OF Henry Mahorn in propria persona, IN the
court room, in full visor OF lite, hale and
hearty, giving the most unmislaka5le evil
dence thai be bad not been murdered and
that the accused was innocent OF the helm
Gus crime with which he was changed
The prisoner was so overcome with Joy al
unexpected and apparently pro7idenial de-
liverance from the suspicious. circumstances
that surrounded him, that he wept like a
child. The Judge al once ordered the re-
lease OF the accused.
1t seems that Mahorn had joined the army
underan an assumed name, aud in conse-
queuce was unable TO hold correspondence
with HE frinds, and being discharged bot a
few day previous to The lriai of The young
man Williams, as his murderer, be ior!u-
naley arrived at Benton the very day The
trial commenced.
This case should serve as lesson to Iu-
ries TO be slow in convincing on purely
circumstanlial evidence. 1t would be
more in accordance with ihe dictates OF hu-
manly shat ninety nine guilty persons
should escape punishment OF The law than
tha: one innocent person should suffer an
ignominious death.
This singular case, which appears more
like fiction than reality, has produced pro-
found sensation in this community; for the
almost universal opinion was that The ac-
cused was guilty. Indeed we think had not
Mshoin returned, or been accounted for,
that il would have been very doubtful
whether jury could have been obtained
in the country that would have acquitted
him. in view OF The strong circumstances
that pointed 10 his guilt.