The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-11-20
TIN HEALY. MURDER TRIAL
a synopsis Of the Case.
VERDICT. mot GUILTY"

OHC vi lhc uoSI NnPOItuuC CIlhuoi Sii"'s
that we have ever had in La Sale county, was
that OF John Healey, on the charge of having
murdered William J. Nixon, at La Sale, on
the 9th Of June last. The affair has been the
especial topic Of conversation in this city ever
| since the trial began, and the Chicago Times
and 7riJuse deemed it of sufficient importance
to have reporters here to furnish them daily
reports Of the progress of the case. His
Honor, Judge E. S. Leland presided, and a
jury, composed of twelve citizens, all men Of
most excellent character and good judgment,
had the subject under consideration eight
days, and then rendered verdict that, We,
the jury, find John Healy not guilty of the
murder Of William j. Nixon, in the manner
and form as charged in the indictment" The
instructions given by the Court for the pris-
oner were exceedingly clear, and, If strictly
observed, could have left them but little il
any discretion in the case. 1t was matter of
absolute guiftor perfect innocence of the pris-
oner. There we're no middle grounds, and
the jury performed their duty under their
solemn oaths to obey the law and evidence in
the case, Every doubt must DO in his favor.
The instructions were, that it were better
that an innumerable number of guilty persons
should escape punishment than that one limo
cent man should be executed, and that should
only onelfac be wanting in the chain of evil
deuce, there can be no legal presumption of
his guilt That fact was the numbering of
Nixon" ast -...tr
The case was one resting entirely on circum-
stantial evidence. Healy and Nixon were
neighbors- In the clearing of piece of
woodland, one was to have two loads of wood
to the others one load. Healy thought
Nixon was getting more than his share.
Healy had been unwell and was confined to
his house, and sent his boy to see whether
any one was taking the wood The boy dis
covered some one loading wood in the lot and
reported the fact Healy lett his house, went
up the road leading past Nixon's to the wood
lot and met Nixon's hired man, Louis Foil
rand, with load of wood and asked him,
Where are you taking that wood z" The
reply was, wherever you want it, Mr..
Healy." But when they reached Nixon's, the
boy stopped and went into the house, saying,
/" want, to see Nixon about this wood" Soon
after, Nixon came out and, one witness swore,
picked up rock and seemed to have q pur-
pose to fight Healy. Another witness, who
seems to have. been present, saw no rock.
Nixon ordered his man to drive in the wood,
and then Healy' drew revolver and shot at
Nixon, so several witnesses say while an
other, Healy's boy, testiGes that it went off
into the ground by accident. On another oc-
casion Healy pursued Nixon with an ak, and
cut him in the head with it. Nixon had
Healy arrested for this latter otfense and had
been to the magistrates court on the day of
his murder to attend to the case, and Heay is
proven to have used some language of q
threatening nature towards Nixon Yet the
positive proof that Healy waylaid Nixon is
wanting.
Nixon wentt to his barn to feed his horses,
at about half-past nine o'clock in the evening,
on the 9th Of June. Soon after. his wife
heard two shots. She was alarmed and called
to him, but he did not respond. A boarder
at her house, happening to be coming home
from town, heard her, and arousing the neigh
bors, search was made and Nixon found dead
near the barn. There was frightful bullet
hole through the lower jaw, and two smaller
ones in his chest, running at an angle OF forty
five degrees downward, the theory being that
he was, on his back when these latter wounds
were inflicted. The public naturally pointed
out Healy as the culprit, and he was tried by
a jury of able and honorable men, and is de.
clared not guilty and we have no criticism or
fault to find with tho jury. They did their
duty under the law and the evidence. The
moral conviction that Healy is guilty, which
rests in the mind of the public, and the legal
knowledge of the jury, arc two very different
things. Innocent men have been hung on
stronger evidence, and guilty men may have
been set free. where there were more impor.
tant facts against them; consequently it is
not sale to form any opinion. 1t is better to
accept it rs il is. aumu ~
0. c, Gray, Esq, and Mr.. Bull most ably
managed the case for the defense; and Mr..
Bmnrhald and Mr.. llough presented their
case for the state as fully as possible, making
all the showing OF the testimony it was capa
N,~iI'T - r - GGI