The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-11-18

to be the true story Of their daughters end.
All Beeville and the country around was
amazed when it was announced that JohnRan-
dali had been arrested for murder. 1t was in
credible. His character was excellent, both
rs a citizen and soldier, and he was noted for
his abstinence not only from the vices but
from the follies into which young men COM
monty fall Yet, when all the damning de-
yelopments appeared, it seemed impossible to
doubt his guilt As he had once been high in
public estimation, so now he fell, like Luciter
The popular Indignation rose against him in
a tempest and he was treatened with the sum-
mary vengeance Of an excited mob
On the trial it was positively established by
the Identification Of clothing and ornaments
that the dead woman was Mary Randall, once
Mary Ordolf; that the prisoner married her
in 1865, and had since strangely kept that fact
a secret, not only from his acquaintances at
Beeyille, but from his own family; that, in
short, he brought her to Virginia and was
last seen with herin carriage driving through
Beeville onthe Sunday we have already noted ;
that at the hotel an the Saturday night be-
fore, he told his wife that he intended next
day to take her to his uncle, whose house she
never reached; that he was engaged to be
married to Indiana Randall, his cousin and
that he had cruelty duped the Ordolfs into be-
lieving that his wife hadcome toanaturaldeath to
There was a cloud of other testimony to the
like effect, and though he was eloquently de
Tended, the Jury did not hesitate in returning
4 verdict OF ''Guilty ofmurder in the first de-
| gree"
When asked ifhe had anything to say why
sentence of death should not be passed upon
him, Randall simply answered:
'Nothingf'
His counselappealed, but in vain-besought
executive Clemency, but without avail The
day before that set for the execution of the
condemned man, the follwoing commun lea
ton appeared in the Beevlle Gazette: -
EDITOR GAZETTE Il do not claim to be
the only person in town who impartially and
critically heard and examined the evidence
submitted in the case of Randall who is soon
to be hanged but such seems to be theetact.
While must admit that the mass of that tes-
timony appears to bear fatally against the
condemned, there are certain odds and ends
of it that point away from him to another or
others. The man who first found the body
said that he saw no tracks of 4 man near it
only the tracks of a woman or OF women.
| Not distant from the spot was an Old well in
to which the body would have been thrown
by the condemned had he killed her the pre-
sumption is that he did not kill her, but that
she was killed by some one unable to convey
her corpse to that place of concealment. A
freedman testified to seeing two females pass
that way on the Sunday in question. Mr.. Fin
slcy found = coa-black chgnon near the
scene, which was not claimed as Mrs Ran
tlalrs. A certain young lady witness, with
raven tresses, possessed at least of a motive
quite equal to that alleged against Randall,
admitted that she knew Randall was married,
had seen a letter from his wife to him, had
written to her, etc. is it not barely possible
that her information Of the marriage may
have been derived from the very letter found
by Tinsley, dropped there by some one-not
Randall
'sThese things that have briefly mention-
ed, are, of course nconclusivc, but they are
terribly suggestive, and | could not let John
Randall die before bringing them to public
4 notice.
'JUsTICE.''
\ On the day of execution Randall's counsel
published II card, in which they said:
''The communication in yesterdays Gazette,
signed Justice indirectly ;mputes to us u
gross negligence in the defence of our client.
We can only say, in self Justification, that the
line of argument indicated and the course of
investigation suggested by the facts alluded
TO We're percmtorily objected to by Mr.. Ran
dali himself, and were accordingly abandon
ed by us"
/ Randall was hanged in accordance with his
,entcnce-dying without confession or deni-
al.
After the execution the sheriff forwarded to
Mr.. Ordolf a sealed letter from Randall, writ
ten on the eve of his death We give an ex-
tract:
az did not do it, nor consent to it, nor know
Of it until the awful deed was done beyond
remedy. Iwould willingly have sacrificed q
thousand lives for her, as now sacrifice life
and reputation to screen the guilty. With
1 Mary perished every desire in me for life.
long for death-even the death of the GAL
lows. But would not die leaving you forever
under the horrible belief that am the muir
derer of our darling. Oh / adjure you to
credit NE when | swear here, in the presence
Of God and eternity, that | am innocent.
Mary, who knows me guiltless, will meet me
joyfully beyond the tomb"
Indiana Randall was said to be a raving ma
mac From the first arrest of Randall she had
exhibited symptoms of a mind unsettled by
the weight of sudden and overwhelming grief
Her family gave out that theloss of her lover
under fearful circumstances had Temporarily
affected her mental health, and friends and
acquGintanceS were requested to tOrbear their
visits until her recovery was announced. She
was seen rarely, and then under the closest
surveillance. As the day of Randalrs execu-
cution approached, it was rumored that she
f grew worse, and or that day it was whispered
that she was so violent as to require strong re-
straint and constant watching. And it was
SO. She was mad, but there was terrible
| method in her madness. She sought to break
) from her confinement and rush to the place OF
execution. She shrieked aloud avowas her
} own guilt and declarations of the innocence
of John Randall. She prayed to be permitted
to die in his stead. Alas, poor wretch she
was already beyond the vengeance of law.
} Could her guilt have been established beyond
, Il doubt she was now insane, and it was too
| late to save the condemned.
II knew" she cried, ''that he had gone to
, sec his wife, perhaps to return with her, and
, | watched daily for his coming back. Con-
stantly alone in these watches, l managed to
: get one of Johns pistols from his room, and
this carried with me, but only for self-de-
/ fence met them that Sunday afternoon, and
my soul was in u tumult of emotions as John
} accosted me and introduced me to his wife.
} His wife Yes, l knew it was she before he
: told me. | had known for months of his Sc
} crct marriage. Suppressing my feelings as
} much as | was able, l endeavored to be calm
We had met just beyond the path which leaves
the main carriage-road and cuts off about a
mile of the distance to the house As we all
III cnu11 vida 7 hat cIo