The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-15
MURDER AND MONEY.
The Case of acknowledgement of the
Prisoner.


Illinois has been indulging in the sensation
Of q murder trial which attracts more than Or
dinary attention, both from the peculiar cir
cumstance5 OF the crime and the fact that the
agency relied upon for conviction was circum-
stantial evidence. The following is q brief
statement Of the facts involved In the case
o. the morning Of the 9th Of February last
the Inhabitants of the quiet little village of
Jacksonville were startled by finding dead and
murdered in his Office Mr. Murray Mcconnell
one Of the Oldest and most promineng Of the
citizens Of the place.. It was shortly before
breakfast, and the hour when, in small town,
there is least apprehension Of danger or crime,
every one being moving. Within short time,
suspicion being of course intensely excited,
1Acts were developed which led to the arrest Of
VIM: A. Robinson, young man Of heretofore
good character: grocer by occupation, and
the son Of an an old and esteemed M citizen Rob
and the theory of the prosecution is that out
i'm the Western village was re-enacted ON q
small scale the Webster. Parkman tragedy,
amount, it is true. in this case was but small
some few hundred dollars-but the passions
aroused were the same.
- At all eysnts, this tragedy starts a suagess-
tive reflection. One of the great risks sttec d.
ing the loanlng of money does not ordinarily
seem to be taken into account. Lenders will
carefully weigh the security. the danger ot
loss by death, fire, fraud or other causes, but
they rarely take into estimation the peril into
which they may venture their lives. An igno-
rant or thoughtless debtor will always look on
the death OF creditor as relief, and in more
than one way it is. 1t is at least q suspension
OF proceedings. or temporary diversion, and
human nature knows that administrators do
not push and collect with the same vgor as
has made the DEBTOR wish, even perhaps un-
consciously, for the end of his creditor; and
more than once il has nerved the arm to drive
the fatal blow: Should the bargain be 9 hard
A0 tern Ho
ping-the conscience Of the debtor will even at
tempt to defend what his hand shrinks from.
In this case, SO far as We know, the loan was
usurious. In the statement OF the prisoner,
received in evidence, we find that he admits
that he owed money to the murdered man, and
RiNes us the items Of the transaction. Says
the accused: -AtI have been acquainted with
GENERAL Mcdonnell ever since came to Jack.
sonv,lle. intimately; have had business with
him; the first was on the 81 day Of May, 1867;
= borrowed money Of him-s42O. $500 at 40 per
year, At 10 per cent it was paid and taken T up;
Igave another note in September of that year:
Kelsey Bod signed the $4OO note; General Nc
Connell gave me gold coin mo coupons or
For $4O0. ut 10 per cent. interest from date;
don't remember when 1t was due; Messre Mil
ier Mayiold were securities; I executed the
ncss ,9S !, IN Sepeepber; the i7th, think; it was
Office; General McConnelland were present.
and no one else; it was in the afternoon late
3R H. the Day; Ipaid 4 hm Y, even s4Oo; 1think
. he gave mo $6;. i think the 6ota was drawn in
ciudlnR Daper cents 3 ivAnce IN the fret note;
psld the frst~n6te by 8iyitg him his note
first nosc; the othsr note was % evea s 500;
owed hlm that amount; know the note was
given for $780, and paid HIM that amount,
and ne paid me 35; destroyed that note on
Gambler; x dld not notify my securities that /
hed paid that note and executed another. !"
In more than one feature this statement il
vague and unsatisfactory. Was the forty per
cent. premium given in exchange forRold II
not, Mcconnell was asking and rece. wing hfty
per cent. tor this loan--a rate which, If exact
Cd. the debtor could not live under. On the
3d OF May. 1867, gold was not at forty per cent.
premium but at hlrty-Ave, 30 chat under the
most favorable construc5ion. MIR. Mcconnell
was getting some fteen per cent. from a maj,
who could only apparently pay his notes by
Great sympathy for the prisoner prevailed
among his neighbors and those Of ihe mur-
nered fse man: Every morning. we are told be
Ient their grateful presence to the otherwise
Krlm holl OF justice.
The prosecution depended entirely on cir
soa sls'@ht,a ls,a evidence--that r,mance-Hround OF
SaIo iaw-and thls tact stimulated uuusual in
ss ssless and discussion. Above we nave given
s1e Motive u urasd by the State In it's theory
a paosecuiion. 1t is Of course, In our lnait,
impossible TO even outline the testimony which
consists or vast mass or eight and indenen- !
dent facts. 90" pepsA'-
Some OF the Jurors in this case, when select
go. asserted their Willingness to convict a man
unwilling to do sc when the evidence is s,nrsiv
rarcurnstahtiai This diaiihction is more than
Soohsh; Il fact is; proved at matters little
now II - done. and lawyers and metaphy ysiciAns
both admit nov that OF tho two kinds of evi.
dence. that commonly known as circuiastan.
tial, when fuli and unDroken. Is moro rblisble
than thai which. ls properly known Ss airect.
u An0 yes men, or Q good manx men, as In This
= case, from sha -timsditys Of ignoEanea. ignnre
this fact. = = Ts'-----' -
It has. indeeds among iprofsssioYals men.
1rowp aimgst nxiometc to- assert aso;rcuu,-
HE than direct testiInony. This 10. however,
perhaps pushing the doctrine too tar. ana
s s1er,a.oly ogensthe advocate who preashsa &
Cfonmstsnces. nuts IhAtiHSessses ds sstHi;s stHfi;ss
'xno OF evidence--d0 not comet inSd court.oQ
themselves. Thew require TO be proved ~