Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-06-02
THE McC0NEELL MURDER.

Tie trial of Robinson for the murder
of Mcconnell at Jacksonville, H., on
the 9th of last FEBRUARY, has been com
menced. The greatest difficulty gss
experienced in enpaneling a jury, as
more than hundred persons were
drawn in order to obtain twelve uaobiec-
tionable men. r--~ -r
The particulars Of the murder are
probably familiar to the most of our
readers, as it created great excitement
at the time Gen. Mcdonnell was one of
the wealthiest and most prom .nent
citizens of Jacksonville the murder
was committed in his office at nine
o'clock in the morning, and no positive
trace of the assassin could be found.
A grocer named Robinson was arrested
on suspicion, and is nov on trial for the
crime. The evidence against him is
wholly circumstantial and in substance
is as follows Robinson was seen to
leave the premises about the time the
murder must have been committed
schedule of notes was found on the
table in the Office, and also a bundle of
notes which correspondent exactly with
the schedule except q note against
Robinson of 800, which was on the
list but notin the pack ge. Upon being
accused, Robinson ella med that he had
paid this note the preceding December,
and showed his Ledger where it was
charged, and the books properly bal
aneed. But another Ledger was found
Of which the one mentioned was copy,
and there was no record of the note
upon the corresponding pages. 1t APP
peared also, that when the $500 was
charged upon the new Ledger as paid
out, the entries upon the opposite page
were. correspondingly increased by pre-
fixing figures to the original eutries
These figures, and also the $500 entry
were In different colored ink from that Cf
| the original entries, and the same color
as that which he was using at the time
the murder was committed.
The following is the most important
testimony thus far given against Rob
inson
William H. Worrall a milkman of
this city, tWenty-siz years old, testified
that he was delivering milk from house
to house last February, and for many
months previous on the 9Th of Febru-
airy the roads were quite muddy, though
frozen underneath delivered milk at
Murray McConnells house at about 9
o'clock was in front of the house before
the girl arrived for the milk, three
pints as usual, and testified positively
that before he reached the house he
saw the prisoner, VIM. A. Robinson, on
the pavement in front of the Mcconnell
premises at The northeast corner of the
lot; that he saw him going toward the
gate and enter it, and 90 toward the
front door or yard pavements saw him
last when about bali way between the
gate and the door Witness described
minutel y his dress as near as he could
remember; first saw Robinson after the
death of Mcconnell, at his grocery,
near the northeast corner Of the square,
on Wednesday afternoon, where he
re, ognized Robinson as the same man
he saw enter McConnelPs gate; had
seen Robinson fifteen or twenty times
before the day Of the murder. Witness
testified the time at which he saw
Robinson enter, MeConnelPs yard would
not vary from 9 O'Clock in the morning,
more than five minutes; saw boy at
the same time on the pavement; Rob
inson was not walking in haste nor
sluggishly, but at an active gait
Gross .cammea-He declared he
saw one hundred other people the morn
ing before he saw Robinson, but c u d
pot give the name Of one; his wagon
was turning around corner, coming
out of an alley into Main street, on
which McConnelPs house is situated
witness was within thirty feet of the
gate when he lost Sight Of Robinson by
reason of this wagon it was foggy
morning, but clearing up at the time
he saw Robinson; witness conversed
with Mr.. Stevenson when in Robinson's
store, the day after the murder, and
told him then and there that he thought
he saw Robinson 90 into McConnell's;
he had known of the $1,000 reward
| before he went to the store.
The next witness, and the one sbar-
ing with him the responsibility of giving
the most implicatory testimony, was
Mrs. Eliza Mahoney, residing on North
Main street. She testified that she
lived north of McConnel's house, in
double house, in a portion of which
Robinson formerly lived for several
months he had left about a week be
fore the murder; witness left her house
about 9 o'clock that morning, for the
square, passing by McConneIl's house
on the other side of the street; when
opposite, she saw the prisoner Robin
son in AIcConnell's yard, on the pave
ment, coming toward the gate; saw
him come out of said gate, and 60 north
after closing the gate. On the night
after the murder, Robinson came to her
house at 8 clock she was preparing
to retire; Robinson knocked and gave
his name she heard his voice, and rec