The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1868-12-19

Of the Circuit Court of Linn county
the Grand Jury indicted L. w. Pome-
roy, citizen of this county, for the
murder of his first wife which crime
was alledged to have been committed
about nine years ago. He was arres-
ted by the Sheriff, and would have
proceeded to trial at once, but the
Judge had just adjourned Court and
gone to hold Court elsewhere. A pc
tition was Immediately circulated, and
numerously signed, praying Judge
Boise that he hold special term -
and in accordance with this request
ono was commenced last Tuesday
Judge Boise presiding. From the
time that the trial of Pomeroy began
to its conclusion,-which was on last
Thursday,-thcre was more or less in
tcrest manifested. Albany was full
of witnesses and the friends and ene-
mice Of Pomeroy; and the various
points involved In his trial were
warmly and freely discussed by the
public generally. The peculiar cir
cumstances by which the aliedged
crime was suTrounded-the length Of
time that had interyened since the
homicide, if any, was perpetrated-all
served to invest the trial with unusu-
al interest. The following is o list of
the names OF the jury: +. s. Knox'
John Isom, James A. Porter, NJ. A.
Rodgers, d. M. Bond, Thomas Riggs,
Alfred SHELTON, James Redpath, II.
A. Mccartney, w. II. Vanlanding-
ham, X. M. Elder, and Nimrod Price.
The prisoner, we suppose 10 be
about tbirty-five years of age, rather
spare built keen black eye and pre-
possessing appearance. HIS first wife
was daughter Of John Beeler, now
deceased. He was and is a member.
in good and regular standing, of the
Baptist church-in fact a sort of ex-
hortcr; and save this charge of homi-
eide his character is fair and unex-
ceptionable.
We have not time nor room now to
go much into detail. Some Of the
main facts elected on the trial were
as follows: That Pomeroy's wife died
very suddenly; that all at once she
was taken violently sick and soon at
ter died that Pomeroy, the same eve
ming on which she died, went TO heI
fathers house and procured some
strychnine, alledging that he intended
to kill squirrels with it; that when ht
, found that his wife was dead, he
!, swooned away, or went into spasms
and that he said something about a
hot sling he had made and given tC
: his wife and drank of himself; and
that at the time of her death she was
enciente, and hourly expecting to need
the services of an accoucher.
> The theory of the prosecution was
that Pomcroy gave his wife strych
nine-one of the most powerful and
subtle poisons in the materia medici
lin hot sling; that that produced
her sudden death, and that the motive
by which he was impelled was an in
ordinate affection for her sister, whom
he subsequently married, and with
whom he is now living.
OF course all this was secuted By
the counsel for the prisoner. and many
, facts and arguments were adduced
showing that it must be false.
An attempt was made by the defencc
to impeach a main witness for the
State, and the general impression
among the by-standers was that it was
successful. Another equally genera
rlimpression is that the whole thing
was malicious prosecution. Ifit bt
a malicious prosecution it proves thai
a revcngefnl and malicious spirit may
affect injuriously many beside those
whose ruin it seeks to accomplish. Tc
say nothing of the personal inconye
nience to which scores of our citizens
; have been subjected, We suppose tha
this trial has cost the taxpayers 0
Linn county some two to three thou
sand dollars.
> The prisoner was vigorously ant
ably prosecuted by Judge Hayden, o
Polk county, and the States Attorney
and he was at least as vigorously AM
ably defended by Mr.. Cranor and Mr
Russell.
The charge of Judge Boise to tn
Jury was clear, full and impartial
The Jury retired, and in about thirt.
minutes returned a verdict of 'No,
! GUILTY" AS soon as the verdict wa
J announced, the prisoner gave vent t.
t to his feelings in hearty cry, and th'
i crowd in attendance, breaking owe
o all restraint, gave loud hurrah; ant
: almost placing Pomeroy on thei1