The New York herald., 1869-02-15
THE HCoNNEIL MURDER.

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William A. Rebinssus the Alleged Assassfn'
Under Arress-How the Supposed Murderer
Was Detected-Highly Interesting Psrtic-
ulars. t4s
Jacksonville, H. fFeb. 1l) correspondence OF Chi
cago Times.l
THY MYSTERY DISPKLLED.
Tue mystery by which The brutal assassination OF
General Murray Mcconnell was al first shrouded
has al asst been dispeed and the assassin arrested
auo connned IN prison 10 await hts trial
TEE SUPPOSED NuRDeRER
The name OF the prisoner Is William A. Robinson,
young man, formerly clerk In the Mansion House,
but at the fkne OF The murder The proprietor OF
small family grocery store, mis- stock OF goods in
the murdered man IN June last. lie is but twenty
six years OF age, wen educated OF pleasing
manners of corsess sn,s habits n every psrt,e
spected by every one. and possessing many warm
personal friends as any person In Jacksonville; Ia
Short lust about the last man In the world whom,
under ordinary circumstances. any suspicion wouip
have attached. But after three days OF patient in
most intelligent citizens IN which every circum-
stance that could be brought 10 bear upon the
carelnliy sifted, a conclusion has been reached
which directly duplicates him, aud u sufficiently
pressed in the language OF their verdict which is US
VERDICT OF THE coRosERs JURY.
the S soaT 81 Mgrras e
DO find as our verdict that the said Murray McC0n-
nell came to his death, on the morning OF February
g. 1853, hs residence In the city OF Jacksonville,
from and by reason OF blows wilfully and feloni-
Ously indicted with some instrument unknown 90
the jurors, In The hands OF william Alexander Rod
now THE ASSASSIN WAS DETECTED.
4 win now proceed to relate the manner in which
the assassin was detected and the circumstances
which indicate his guilt
THE INTEREST BooK AND THE PENCIL.
In previous dispatches 1t has been related that Oh
General McConneiis table q DooK lor calculating
interest was lying open at the pages which contain
sas as the o 9r oo h
ascertaining interest, would naturally trace down
the column from the top with the pencil until the
correct point was reached; out On this book was
page from the bottom to the top; that TINS pencil
and heavy, ana made such an indenture in the
paper that 1t could be readily seen on the next leaf
under IL; that tins pencil mark was about half an
inch long, where there NJ evidence that the lead OF
the pencil was broken on and the marx continued
for some distance by the wood OF the peBcl that
| ell with the point broken on.
RoBINsoNs NOTE.
These circumstances seemed TO justify the belief
| that the victim was computing interest when he
ceived the blow oil the assassin. Here them was the
starting point. II computing interest, what more
natural than that he computing Tor some persony
| And who WAS That peisonf Very likely some one
| against whom be had note. Following this tran,
the lrst effort was to ascertain AGAINST whom the
General had notes; and IL was developed that short
time before his death his son, George Mcconnell at
| his dlctation had made out schedule Of all the
noesand papers OF value IN his possession. brief
search among his papers suf,ced TO bring this list 10
lgnt His notes were then produced aud scheduled,
| and a note OF William A. Robinson discovered
| TO be missing and what was more startling, It was
note Tor precisely $500, which was the precise
figure at which the interest hook lay open. Nothing
whatever had been removed from the room alter the
murder, and search was Al once made for paper
upon which interest had been figured. and q little
piece OF paper abont two inches square was found,
on which, in the Generals own figures, was calcu-
lated the interest S400 from the day the Robinson
| note was date1 q the day of the murder,
RoBISsoNs EXAMINATION.
| He was placed upon The stand and his examina-
ton occupied some fonr or nve hours, IN which ne
admitted that on that very morning and III the very
time he had on some errand passed down IN 'front.' 0f
General Mct onuell's house and what was far more
| important, that he had seen Mrs. Mahoney on fne
1 opposite side OF the street. lie said however thar
| he had on light overcoat Other witnesses, how
| ever examined afterwards declare that this over
coat had been hanging up IN the store ali the morn
| ing Wnen afestloned about the note due McCon-
nell ne admitted the existence OF SUCH q note. lie
declared he had paid 1t on December ~, 1858, and
| destroyed the note. General Mcconnell kept no
books but II was MS invariable custom on receiv-
ing money 10 deposit II once and his bank account
shows no deposit OF this or any similar sum az or
near December 10. The schedule OF notes alluded to
near the commencement OF tins despatch was made
out previous TO December TO-
THE PRISONERS BOOKS.
Robinson was then asked IL he kept set Of books,
ana replied In the affirmative and that the pay
| ment appeared on the books. which were then sent
for, and II found that ne kept two isdgers one
old one and one new. The new one he said he made
| up by copying rom the old one, and, on examna-
Other win the exception Of the entries Of one weeks
| transactions. and that week includes the 10th OF
note. OF that week lie new book contained entries
| on the debit side on the dates OF December ], OF
% 3, 2! is s II q s
December II OF $40, which add up $40 10. and Tor
the credit side i an entry Of ,pad Murray McCon.
]. sas Of $ %; December s," " Of .; December
cember l., Of $40, winch add up $50 10. But
In the old book the item on the credit side Of s4oo
Seen thai the entries on the debit Side OF the book
the same as the entries OF credit on the old book
na In the e sa; ga place ne ss mas Sa aaaea @ @ guFes ,s res
ure which, added together, make forty IN the tens
place and exactly balance the entry on the credit
| Connen. These figures in the tens places and the
| entry of the item laid Mcconnel" were all
ink but in different ink from the rest OF the page,
ana tins ink is the INK with which entries were
| made on that ledger ON February rhe Gay OF the
| bles Robinson very closely, who wore precisely the
| same kind OF coat which Mrs. Mahoncy describes.
| General McConnell's residence somewhere about
that time Ia the morning; ana II the case depended
M ar e SeeS saa a anf neg r ase sn nsen
mistaken; but the evidence OF these books COM
petes the last link N the testimony. which, with
est loophole through which the criminal could have
escaped
deliberately planned theory for his detence IN
any accident should reveal that hrs note was
books az would, in his estimation sustain that
theory; ana these entries, instead OF establishing
his innocence, became the means or making bis
guilt conclusive, and cut or all defence.
When confronted with the discrepancy between
the old book and the and the facts that the dli-
ference was precisely the amount OF his note aud
that the entries IN the tens place made with
different ink, with the Ink used for entries on the
day OF the murder. he was completely bewildered.
He sprang from s chair as II for the rst time ap-
preclating the conclusive value OF the evidence
against aim, and, raising bis hand, exclaimed ex-
cltedly, Before God Tmade those entries in Decem
Der ~ He was undoubtedly agood booskeeper; but
his own skill entrapped HIM. lie confessed himself
at a loss 10 tell how the entries were the new
book aud not on the old and could only say, 1.-THE
new book Is rght.- tie disputed that there any
difference In the ink with which the entries were
made, although the difference was very plain aud
observable.
PROBABILITY THAT TuE MURDER WAS NOT rRE-
MRDTTArBD.
The character and the antecedents OF the guilty
man, aud the paltry OF <400 Tor which tins ter
crim mn va MI fha Ior