The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-06-17
Trial of William a. Robinson
for the Murder of Hon.
Murray Mcdonnell.

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William A. Robinson has been tried
at Jacksonville, ILL.,, for the murder of Gen
McConDell--a man advanced in years and
of social and political distinction. Nc,
Connell was murdered in his office con.
nected with his residence on Main street,
Jacksonville, on the 9th of February,
about nine o'clock in the morning. He
had been seen about half an hour before
he was murdered, and was seen again be-
fore life was entirely extinct. Some one
had entered the office and struck him
with deadly weapon, five or six blows
on the head and left him dying. Cir
curmstances soon pointed to William A.
Robinson as the murderer. He was ar
rested, indicted, tried and acquitted. The
trial lasted about two weeks. Public.
opinion is divided as to lis guilt or limo
cence. Robinson has many friends who
believe him to be innocent Others think
him to be guilty, and that the guilty has
gone unconvicted and UNPUBLISHED. The
prosecution wove around Robinson strong
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Nice onnell held
note of $500 against Robinson, the note
was, missing, an interest book was open
and apencil mark running from the in
terest of $500 or $500, pencil with the
point broken off was found on the floor
Robinson was seen on the walk leading
from the street to the office door, and APP
preaching it, about nine o'clock, he was
seen on the street going away from Nc
Connell's residence about the same time,
and it was found that his books had been
altered by putting figures in the place of
hundreds in such manner that byadding
the figures they would make $4O0, and the
changes Robinson could not or did not
explain. With all this circumstancial ev-
idence, without anything in rebuttal or
explanation, the jury would, perhaps,
have been justifable in convicting Rob
inson.
On the part of the defence it was prov
ed that Robinson was at his store at the
time and for some time before and after
the time the murder was proved to have
been committed And the witnesses by
which this was proved, was to say the
least, as reliable as those by whom it was
proved that Robinson was at or near Nc
Connells Office at the time In addition
to this there was the testimony of boy
that went to show that some one else might
have committed the murder, and that he
acknowledged having done so.
With the evidence before the jury as
published, we cannot see how the Jury
could do otherwise than acquit. Robin
son was entitled to the benefit of q reason
able doubt, and the jury, if not satisfied of
his innocence, must have had reasonable
doubt of his guilt 8@
The question: Who murdered Murray
Mcconnell? still remains unans Il cred.
William A. Robinson has been tried and
acquitted, and cannot be put second
time in jeopardy of life or limb. And it
is well that the Constitution of our coun-
try gives such protection to him, and to
others under like circumstances It is
better that ninety and nine who are gull
ty should go unpublished than that one
innocent person should suffer unjust
punishment And when the punishment
lisa capital one as in Illinois, how painful
and terrible it is even to think that an
innocent person has suffered capital
punishment. And that the innocentEhave
sometimes been found guilty and execut-
ed, there can be NO doubt. Aside from
securing the safety OF the community, con
viction can do but little good. And
when conviction is to be Il A,wed by the
taking of life, and that life s,nstimes the
life of the innocent, it may weAl be said
that it is better that ninety and nine o,
the guilty should go free than that the
life'of one innocent person should be
taken. s
There has been some disturbance in