Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1867-01-04
From the Marietta (Ohio) Times. !


From the Marietta (Ohio) Times.
Trial and Conviction Of the Murderer of
John I. EGbahk OF Augusta County Vir.
ginia.
The trial of Hanson Bumgardner. charged
with the murder. Of John Thomas Enbank,
has been the engrossing topic of conversa-
ton during the past week Bumgardner
was arrested III September last; he was
brought to Marietta, and after preliminary
examination, was bound over for trial An
indictment was found against him by the
Grand Jury at the October term Of our Cir
cult Court, and the prisoner was arraigned
for trial at the special term, which is now
being held. The following gentlemen, well
known and respected citizens Of W Washington
county, composed the jury before which the
prisoner was tried: David H. Ferrill. Hi
ram Gard, Augustine Dyar, James Ward,
Win Cole, George w S. John, G. + Sta
cy, John Henry, G. D Ford, Augustus S.
Curtis, r. d HOLSTER, s. F. oeely
According to the evidence adduced on the
trial, Bumgardner hired Eubank, who was
the owl er of a four horse team, to come from
Virginia to Ohio ostensively for the purpose
Of removing his (Bumgardner's) family to
Burning Springs, back Of parkersburg. =
For this service Bumgardner agreed to pay
Eubank Sl2 day. Bumgardners family
were then living in Addison, Gallia county.
Eubank brought his team across the river at
Belpre, and, accompanied by Bumgardner.
proceeded down the river road On the
night Of September Is, they canped at Hills
Landing, in Belpre township. They cooked
their own supper, and slept in the wagon.
About eight O'clock in the evening. Bum
gardner went to the house of Mr.. Roger
Hill, living near, and borrowed his skiff,
saying he wanted to wash some clothes. and
also saying that they wanted to take a bath
ing. The next morning Bungaldncr star
ted with the team, and Mr.. Roger Hill, OBJ
serving that his partner was not with him,
inquired as to his whereabouts Bumgard-
ner replied, 20, he's gone "a literal fact,
as it atterward turned out, though not III the
sense Bumgardner intended it.
Five days afterward, on the 18th Of Sep
TENDER, the body Of man, with the head
cut off, was found floating i'll the river near
Hockingport 1t was taken ashore q cor
oner's jury called. and, no one being able to
identify the body, it was buried. Soon af-
ter, Eubank's disappearance excited suspi-
cion, and the headless body was dsinterred.
After a thorough investigation, the body was
found to be that of John Thomas Eubank ii
having been identified by his brother and
several persons who were acquainted with
him, by the clothes he had on and by the
general appearance Of his body. A warrant
was thcreupon issued for the arrest of Bum
gardner, who was traced to Pomeroy, and
then to Addison, where his family had lived
He had taken his family Oh the wagon and
had gone westward He was followed to
Chllicothe, and thence to Frankfort, Ross
county, where he was arrested, and was
soon after brought to Marietta and confined
in jail
The evidence against the prisoner was
wholly circumstantial, but it was of such
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 Eubank's clothing in his possession
He was wearing the murdered mans boots
at the time he was arrested. From the time
Bumgardner left HIPS Landing (the scene
Of the murder) until he was arrested, he
told nearly every person with whom he had
any conversation, a different story as regard
ed the ownership OF the team he was dri-
wing, 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, B'mgardner
took his life, either by shooting him in the
head or cutting his throat. and then conveyed
the body to the river, put it into the skit' he
had borrowed, run out into the river, cut
til: head off. and then threw the body into
the water He had taken stone weighing
thirty two pounds, and fastened it to the
body with a trace chain from the wagon, be-
lieving, no doubt, that this would forever
keep the body Of his victim at the bottom of
the river. But the body came up again
and 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.
Inc case was gwen 10 the jury about eleVeli
o'clock Thursday night. and the next morn
ing they handed in a verdict Of guilty OF
murder in the first degree.
ATTEMPT OF A MURDERER TO ESCAPE
Cincinnati. December Bumgardner,
convicted O the murder Of j. w. Eubank
was shot last night while attempting to es-
tcapc. He had filed his chain, and with the
ball had struck and severely injured the dep
uty sheriff. He was secured.
The PRESIDENT ADVISES THE SOUTHERN
| STATES TO REJECT THE CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENT Colonel Weathcrly, a mem
Der of the State Senate Of South Carolina,
and who was in,rusted with an Informal COM
mission to the President of the United States,
has returned to Charleston from Washington
where he had long and highly gratifying
interyiew with the Eycc1,tiva unon th. nuas-