Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-08-08
LrNcn LAW tS. .ILLIsof1:

~ - ,L-t-' :, y i--f]'.HS@s'
Aionso Tibsstts Hanged by d mob esxths
Murder OF Thomas ,Paes--He Declares
hts Own Innooence, and Cberges the
Crime on his Brother.
From tho Morris trli.) Herald, July nth.
No little excitement has existed on the
south side Of the river for some time past,
growing out Of the Page murder trial,
and the presence among the people Of the
party or parties deemed guilty of the
crime. For the benefit of those who
may not be acquainted with the case.
We will briefly give particulars: Onthe
first day Of January, 1865, Thomas Page,
a resident Of Goodfarm, Yves brutally
murdered In the public highway at
MONDAY, while going home on loaded
wagon. A coroner's inquest was held,
but failed to definitely fix the guilt upon
any one. Matters thus progressed for
some months, when the Grand jury
summoned several parties to appear,
and during its sitting Alonzo Tibbeti
charged that the murder had been COM
mitted by Joe Tibbetts, brother. joe
Pibbetts had left the country and was
ascertained to be dwelling in the timber
regions of Maine. Sheriff Schroeder was
directed to secure his arrest, and started.
for Maine, and returned with the PRISON.
er In short time. He was indicted by
the Grand Jury, and brought to trial at
the next term of our Circuit Court. The
trial lasted for many days, and cost the
county large amount of money. After
1T had progressed. for about. ten days. and
seVelal. witnesses had been examined,
the 4prosecutorss callcdf their principal
witness, AIonzo Tibbetts. Although he
had previously, before the Grand Jury,
charged the murder upon his. brother,
and given all the particulars, he now
emphatically refused to testify. on the
ground of duplicating himself. The
judge committed him TO Jail for contempt
of court, where he remained during the
night. On the coming morning he WAS
brought into court, and the Judge revers-
ed his ruling of the afternoon previous,
! and sustained the witness In his position,
and discharged him. The prosecutors at
once rested their case, and it went to the
jury, who could do nothing else than re-
turn verdict of not guilty. This unex-
pected turn i'll affairs created mo- little
excitement in the neiehborhOod where
the deed was committed, and the return
of the parties implicated by the testi-
| mony stirred up the bitterest feeling.
For some time past mutterings have
been heard, and deadly enDity seems
TO exist between the people of that sec
ton and the Tibbetts. On the 4th Of
July, party WAS given at the residence
of VIM. Pierce, and Joe Tibbetts appear
ed among the crowd. Those present at
once demonstrated at his presence, and
he was ordered to leave. During the
| evening several sets of harness were cut
| to pieces, and other mischief done, and
the people charge, with how much truth
we know not, that Tibbetts was the one
who did it. This only seemed to fan the
| fame of public feeling, and on Saturday
evening last an indignation meeting was
held, which was largely attended, and a.
/ committee waited OH the Tibbetts BOYS,
| and warned them to leave the neighhOr-
| hood within u given time under penaltr
| of lynchinS. Thus Inlttcrs stand. at
present writing. .--,-,,.
NORRIS, Ill, July "a.
Iesterdayta large meeting was held
South of the Illinois river. and some two
hundred citizens resolved to hang Alonzo
Tibbcfts. In the meantime theF Sheriff
had committed hin. to jail in this place.
This.morning hundreds of the citizens
| of the county, came in, threatening to
carry out their designs, and remained
| upon the streets all day. At o'clock
they held q meeting, snd resolved to
break into the Jail and get Tibbetts.-
They Immediately repaired to the Jail,
broke open the iron door with crowbars
and took Tibbetts across the river bridge
4 W hhtR lilHi. 1 hC may d. i HOffldSE
Judge Heating, Judge Grant, Mai. Wetiy
| ber, the late Mayor, z. b. Hanna, ard
| many other citizens, did what could bs
| done by them to prevent 1t, but We're
| overpoWered and carried away by the
| mob bodily. The Sheriff left the jail
about noon without leaving any guard,
and went into the country to serve some
papers. The crowd took Tibbetts ia o
wagon across the river bridge, put rope
around his neck, fastened It over tree,
and gave him an opportunity-to speak.
He said: my horses were poisoned by
Thomas Page. Had desired to kill him
should have done il then. 1 did not
kill him. I can prove that I was not
near there that day. / know nothing
about it. My wife knew nothing about
it, and am innocent.n Solae one from
the crowd asked him if his brother
Joseph did not kill Page. He answered
''Sin ce then Joe has told me that he
meant to kill Page and did So" He was
asked why he did not testify 80 on trial.
He answered, Because he was my broth
err"
They tied his hands behind him; he
knelt down and prayed about three min
| utes. When he rose up they asked him
what he wanted done with his body. He
replied: "Give 1t to my wife," He then
said: Gentlemen, I die with clear
conscience. am innocent" Some one
then called to the crowd: care you sat
isfied to hang him ?" The crowd shout
ed "no," but those in the wagon drove
suddenly away, and left him dangling in
the air. Efforts were made to cut him
down,Ibut all such were in vain. The
mob kept all away until he was dead.
Great excitement prevailed. Some of
the most influential and prominent men
in the South part of the County are the
leaders In it. 1t was difficult to- get the
exact language used by Tibbetts, on &C
| count of the great excitement and con-
fusion, but the foregoing is substantially
correct.