The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1867-01-01
From the Marietta Times.
Another Conviction kEa OfiiO--A
Capital Punishment Case.

The trial Of Hanson Bumgardner,
charged with the murder of John Thom-
as Eubank, has been the engrossing topic
of conversation during the past week
Bumgaraner was arrested in September
last; he was brought to Marietta, and, af-
ter preliminary examination, was bound
over for trial. An indictment was found
against him by the Grand Jury at the
October term of our Circuit Court and
the prisoner was arraigned for trial at the
special term which is now being held
The following gentlemen, we'll known and
respected citizens of Washington County,
composed the jury before whom the priss-
oner was tried David Fl. Merrill, Hiram
Gard, Augustine Dyar, James Ward,
VIM. Cole, George W. St. John, G. r.
Stacy, John Henry, C. D. Ford, Angus
tus S. Curtis. r. D. HOLSTERS. F. Seely.
According to the evidence adduced on
the trial, Bumgardner hired Eubank who
was the owner of four horse team, to
come from Virginia to Ohio ostensibly
for the purpose of rem noving his Bum
gardner's) family to Burning Springs,
back of Parkersburg. For this service
Bumgardner agreed to pay Eubank s12
a day. Bumgardner's family were then
living in Addison, Gallia County. Eu-
bank brought his team across the river
at Belpre, and, accompanied by Bum
gardner, proceeded down the river road
On the night of September 13, they camp
ed at Hills Landing,in Belpre township.
They cooked their own supper, and slept
in the wagon. About eight o'clock in
the evening Bumgardner went to the
house of Mr.. Roger Hill, living near,and
borrowed his skif, saying he wanted to
wash some clothes, and also saying that
they wanted to take a bathing. Tho
next morning Bumgardner started with
the team, and Mr.. Roger Hill, observing
that his partner was not with him, in
quired his whereabouts. Bumgardner re-
piled, 30, he's gonep'--a literal fact, as
it afterward turned out, though not in
the sense Bumgardner intended it.
Five days afterward. on the 18th of
September. the body of a man, with the
head cut off, was found floating in the
river Enear Hockingport. It was taken
ashore, coroner's jury called, and, no
one being able to identify the body, it
was buried. Soon after, Eubank's dis
appearances excited suspicion, and the
headless body was disinterred. After a
thorough investigation. the body was
found to be that Of John Thomas Eu-
bank, it having been Identified, by his
brother and several persons who were ac-
quainted with him, by the clothes be had
on and by the general appearance of the
body. A warrant was thereupon issued
for the arrest of Bumgardner, who was
traced to Pomeroy and then to Addison,
where his family had lived. He had ta.
ken his family on the wagon, and gone
westward. He was followed to Chilli
cothe, and thence to Frankfort, in Ross
County, where he was arrested, and was
soon after brought to Marietta and con-
fined in jail.
The evidence against the prisoner was
wholly circums tsntial, but it was Of such
a character as to leave no room to doubt
that he was the murderer The most
damaging fact against the prisoner was
the finding of some of Eubapk's clothing
in his possession. He was wearing the
murdered mans boots at the time he was
arrested. From the time Bumgardner
left Hills Landing, (the scene Of the
murder until he was arrested, he told
every person with whom he had any con-
versatien, a different story as regarded
the ownership of the team he was driy-
ing, and as regarded his destination.
As nearly as can be ascertained, the
facts Of the murder are simply these: On
the night of September 13, after Eubank
had gone to sleep in the wagon, Bum
gardner took his life, either by shooting
him in the head or cutting his throat, aud
then conveyed the body to the river, put
it into the sklff he had borrowed, run
out into the river, cut the head of, and
then threw the body into the water. He
had taken stone weighing thirty y-two
pounds, and fastened 1t to the body with
a trace chain from the wagon, believing,
no doubt, that this would forever keep
the body of his victim at the bottom of
the river. But the body came up again,
aud with it came the evidence upon which
Hanson Bumgardner has been convicted
as the perpetrator of the bloody deed
The trial commenced on Monday, 10th
inst, and continued until Thursday night.
The ease was given to the jury about III
o'clock on Thursday night, and :he next
morning they handed in a verdict of gull
ty of murder in the first degree,