Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-11-14
MURDER WILL OUT.
An Innocent Man Hung-Justice
Fifty Years after Date-A story
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comparatively, are those who escape, in
; this world even, the just punishment fol
their crime. Yet some do, and, worse
still, there are many cases where the
innocent have suffered for the misdeeds
Of those who were guilty We have q
case in point that ought to have pub
licity, as it comes from source of high
respectability. 1t recalls the story of a
murder committed fifty-three years ago
and which, at the time, created pro
found sensation in the Green river
country" as follows:
In the year 1917, DR.. John p. Sander
son was murdered in that part of Barren
county which is now Metcalfe county,
Kentucky, and John G. Hamilton, a
wealthy citizen residing in the neighbor-
hood where the body of the murdered
i man was found, was arrested, tried and
convicted for the murder. The evidence
against Hamilton was wholly circum-
stantial, and so remarkable in its char
acter as to produce, not only in the
minds Of the jury but of the whole pop
ulation in that section, a clear conviction
of the guilt of the accused. 1t appeared
upon the trial that Hamilton was ira
der, driving stock and occasionally car
rying slaves to Mississippi to sell.
The family was aristocratic, one of the
sisters having married General Carroll,
of Tennessee, and the other Colonel An
derson, of the same State, and there ex-
listed, as was alleged, strong feelings of
envy against the family. 1t appeared
from the evidence that Hamilton had
just returned from a successful trip to
Mississippi, in company with DIR. San
derson, who was a wealthy planter resid-
ing near Natchez. He came to Ken
lucky for the purpose Of purchasing
slaves to work on his plantation, and
brought with him large amount of
money, and of which fact Hamilton was
apprized. They came through wild
! and sparsely settled portion OF the In
dian Territory" and Dr. Sanderson was
very sick during the greater part of the
| Journey. On their arrival in Barren
county they went to the residence of
Hamilton father, where DR.. Sanderson
remained for several weeks, and until he
recovered his health.
1t was shown that after his health was
restored, the two left the house in com
pany. Hamilton, who acted, as was
said, as guide to ascertain the point
where the road forked, and one of which
led to neighboring county, where sale
of negroes was to take place at public
auction, and which Sanderson wanted
to attend The forks of the road were
nine miles from where Hamilton's father
lived The two were seen together at
various points on the road, before they
reached the point named The last
place they were seen together was three
quarters of mile from the forks of the
road. A short time afterwards Hamilton
returned alone, and the night following
the horse of Sanderson came up riderless
to the house of Hamilton's father. San
derson was never again seen alive. Sew
eral days elapsed, and suspicious were
aroused that he had been foully dealt
with.
The neighborhood en- masse made
search for his body, 1t was found oHthe
road in the direction to the point where
the negro sale was to have taken place,
covered up with brush and briars, His
hat was discovered in hollow stump,
and under a log near by was found
brass horse pistol with the hammer
broken. In the head of the murdered
man was found number of shot and
piece Of the hammer of the pistol which
fitted exactly. Under the lining of the
hat there was list of thirty-three one
hundred dollar Mississippi bills, the num-
Der thereof and to whom payable.
When Hamilton was arrested the bills
corresponding with the list we're found in
his possession. 1t was shown that he
had borrowed the pistol from Colonel
Gorin of Glasgow, Barren county, and
that the shot in the head of Dr. Sander
son corresponded in size with shot pur-
chased few days previous by Hamilton
in Glasgow.
II was also proved on trial that Hamil-
tons sherry-vallies or overhauls were
concealed in his fathers barn, and there
was blood upon them. They were fully
identified by his sister This was the
evidence introduced by the State.
Hamilton alleged in his defense that
he and Sanderson were and had been for
years intimate friends; that they had
travelled together through wild coun-
try, and that, if he had had sinister de-
signs, nothing more than little neglect
Of Sanderson during his sickness would
have insured his death, and that he
could have thus secured the money. He |
said that Mississippi money was at dis |
count in Kentucky, and Kentucky |
money at discount in Mississippi that
he (Hamilton) was about to return |
to Mississippi, where he could use
the money of that State, while DIR. |
Sanderson wanted the Kentucky money |
to buy negroes; and that for mutual ac-
commodation and profit they made an
exchange of money. And he further
proved that he borrowed $1,000 of the
bank in Glasgow to make up the sum re-
quised for the exchenge As to the pistol,
he said he borrowed it from Col. Corin
to lend TO Dr. Sanderson, who wanted 1T
for his personal protection, and in part
ing with him at the forks of the road he
had given It to him. He alleged that his
negro servant had stolen his sherry
yailies, gone to a dance, where he got
into fight, and concealed them in a
barn until be 1.-THE negrol could have an
opportunity TO clean the blood from them.
His statements were not corroborated,
and he was convicted and hung.
The celebrated John Rowan was his
chief counsel, and defended the unfortu-
nate man with his accustomed ability,
but the evidence was so strong that he felt
he presented hopeless cause Indeed,
Judge Rowan subsequently declared that,
with one exception, he never had case
possessing as few points for a successful
defense.
Solomon P. Sharpe, whose tragic fate
a few years later sent thrill of horror
throughout the State, prosecuted Hamil-
ton, ana, being thoroughly convinced of
his guilt, showed hiIa 40 mercy. Ham
ilton's family alone believed him the yic,
tim Of circumstances, and the accused
died protesting his innocence.
Now for the sequel. In the year 1869,
Hon. Richard H. Rousseau, Of Ken
neky,th Minister to Central America,
was visited at .Tegucigulpa, Honduras,
by Col. Gibson, a rich planter, Who then
resided near Vicksburg, Miss, which is
still his home, and who told him that
some thirty or thirty-hve years ago man
was executed for murder IN the eastern
parl Of Mississippi, and that while under
II d. s..l1r..-. Il. - L.. -. g. tI.t