Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1868-02-13
ArHnILLIsa scRNE.
A Witness In a Trial Confesses Himseu
tho Murderer Of tho Woodward Family

character VI tno Stl"o -ueihS
no less than the murder of David Wood
ward, his wife and a foolish sister, and
the serious stabbing of Mrs. Woodward.
The New Albany Commercial publishes a
long and interesting account of the
scenes indicated by tho above heads.
Custinger, the witness, had sworn d.
rectly that he saw Mckinney commit the
murders. He is n s%emi-idiot. We quote
the following from the Commercial:
After the meeting of the Court in the
afternoon the crowd had largely in
creased, and a great deal of excitement
was apparent upon the faces Of those
present. The prosecuting witness was
called, and, as he took his seat, he re-
marked that he was now going to tell
the truth. His stolid co%untcnance was
lighted up with n sort of ghastly smile,
and for the first time during the trial he
ventured to lift his eyes to the face OF
the prisoner ut the bar, Mahlon Nc
Kinney. A short conference with him
satisfied the prosecuting attorney that
his witness had determined to recant
and make d full confession of the part
he had been hired to play in the terrible
drama.
Mr.. Carleton thereupon arose and
addressed tho Court. He said that ever
since last June he had firmly believed
that the man who was 10Y before them
was a murderer. He believed that he
was the murderer Of the Woodward
family, solitary aud alone. and that he
had attempted by his miserable duplicity
to fastcn tho guilt upon an innocent
person. His remarks were very bitter,
and ms he pointed toward the pitiable,
crouching witness, he stigmatizcd his
course in the most whitening language.
He closed by declaring that he dismissed
the prosecution against Mckinney.
The words had hardly been uttered
when the vast concourse rose to their
feet and gave one loud and prolonged
cheer. But Immediately vas heard from
n hundred voices the startling words,
chang him." hing him" which were
uttered by excited men, with clenched
fists and eyes flushing fire.
Colonel Heffren Immediately sprang
to his feet and called upon the people
to listen to wiser counscls, that the
man before them was the tool Of San
dcrs, and if anybody wal to be hung let
1t be him. The poor creature who had
testified before them vas merely n scapc-
goat of the real scoundrel. He said
that he regretted that the trial had not
been permitted to 60 on, so as to enable
him to show the depth of the guilt OF
the man Sanders, who, it would have
been proved, had agreed to give him
$500 for his affidavit and appearing ut
the preliminary examination, and 81 900
for seeing the case safe through Court.
During his remarks the crowd kept
shouting chang him." hang him"
and pushing their way toward the plat
form where Cutsingcr was standing.
Gen. Spicely and Major Tucker sprang
forward and told the maddeDed men that
it could not be done, but their voices
were drowned in the uproar. Judge
Carlton cxhorted the people to let the
law take its course.
All the members Of the bar, Sheriff,
Constable and other officers Of the
Court, formed q line in front of the fren-
zied mass, while behind them sneaked
away the mean, contemplate Cutsinger,
showing more emotion than we thought
him capable Of, as he was as pale as
death, and tremblcd from head to foot
with terror.
1t was some time before the appeals
of Spicely, Hcffren, Tucker and others
had any effect upon the mob; but of
length some of the leaders were induced
to go down stairs, where they again col
lccted, in the hope that C~utsinger would
attempt to escape. . We saw clubs,
knives and rcvolvers ready for action,
and if there had been a collision there
would doubtless have been bloody work.
In tho course off, couple Of hours the
crowd in front of the hall, which had
been barricaded from within, had some
what diminished, and the people began
to realize that, after oil, he was only q
half-witted, %cowardly scamp, ready to
commit perjury for money, while the
arch-villain aud murderer was Sanders.
Had he been there he would have been
hung ia spite Of any effort which might
have been made to prevent it. 1t was
reported that he and his wife had got off
the train at Mitchell the night before,
and were probably at the house of one
of his relatives awaiting the result Of
the trial. A number Of citizens started
in pursuit of him, and If he was so i'm
prudent as to be found, his neck would
pay the penalty at the hands of the ex-
asperated citizens.
Late in the afternoon We saw Cutsing-
er and his old hag Of a wife, who is
doubtless more guilty than he, sneak
ing across the street under the protec-
ton Of the Sheriff. He is poor, half
idiotic ~vagabond, with not enough soul
to make a respectable brute.
He said that he Ind been induced to
mako the affidavit against Mckinney at
the instance of Sanders, who had threat
ened his life; besides, he added, glanc-
ing at his mufled foot, he had been dis
abled from a severe cut ever since he
went to Sullivan county and been led to
make tho statement for money to live
on.
Mckinney, throughout the exciting
scenes, behaved in a very becoming
manner. He is a man Of a rather pleas
ant countsnance, and would have
been taken for the author of tho afro
cious deed with which he is charged.
He lives at 0rangevillc and is a black
smith by trade. He had bsen in the
Eightieth Ohio Volunteers, and did duty
at Chattanooga and Corinth as black.
smith at the headquarters Of General
Thomas and Rosecrans. He has the
universal respect Of his neighbors, and
q gentleman in our hearing remarked
that he did not believe there was u man
in Orleans who thought him guilty.
A YOUNG MAN in Clayton, Iowa, re-
Gently stole a yoke of cattleto get money