The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-10-12
.AWESIERN MURDER TRIAL
~ nfiFv 5rWFtr CAsE IN mAys-
JIELD, OI.IO.

agrff'a law ttntu OF
,nn,iuI Evidence -OUt Of the shade Of tho
G.liovs.
COr,,l oiocu.r u Tho Nrn
MASsrIrLp Ohio, Oct. 10.
T,otri.l f Ansel l.. Robinson, for the alleged
,nrscr OF Mrs M,ry Jane Lunsford In Mansfield,
!, March mt began In the Court OF Common
Plea. tn Uis cry. Judge 0eddis presiding, Sept 20.
The ur Ter was one Of the most orrible In the
annals ol oruie eQualled only In lite Atrociousness
by that Helen Jewot in New York many years AGO.
Indeed. there ore remarkable condolences in these
iso murders. Both OF the alleged muiderers were
,ime5 Robinson, and both OF the victims were the
ui.tresscs Of the accused. Helen jeweu was mur.
tered m her bed at night, the murderer using .
Ratchet to commit the deed, and amer he had com.
,efed his horrible work eudeavorcd to destroy the
violence Of his guilt By setting ERE TO the building.
Robinson wus known 10 have been on Intimate terms
NJ b her and wac the last person seen to enter her
iptrtmcns No saw him depart; but the tracks VI
he murderer were discovered In the rear, wher1 he
bad scaled high fence to make hls escape The evil
aenco against The accused was wholly circunstantal
hut twns so strong that the public was almost
unanimous Va the opinion OF his guilt. Tho trial was
cprthy one, and, from the high social position OF
Ne accused, attracted the attchtion Of the whole
tuu;rY. Able counsel were arrayed on both sides.
Ind tie arguments were probably the most labored
an eloquent ever heard at tie New York lar. Rob
oson was ayudsed not guilty, but his sceuittal by
We ju-y did not alter the verdict OF public opinion,
49, tt,'-who'hcr guilty or not Is known only
tlI.... .ui n MAX ar-he
noGr ms u,pX " CAIN.
tuh.r, and was stunned by his fellow men. TIE
witt 4 tHit saw him one or twice after Ills trial
A. C.ulD,t',Ut where his family resided, and re.
ncn1. e. hi- being pointed ont az the murderer Of
Helen Jtwet. 1t was stated "a fact that his right
49, bad been withcied, people believing It to have
teen l} Judgment OF the Amighty-who palsied
ihe am TIA. VAS raised to commit the murder, not
only as physical punishment for the offence but
70 brand him before his fellows ma the guilty man.
TIE murder Of Mrs. Luus ord like that Of Helen
Jewo'', was one Of unusual violence and horror
Her body was found the next morning lying angular.
" acros> The bed. her head TANNED down through the
stats and eyeryt' iug showing that terrible Strug.
gle lll iaken place. There w,ro three wounds on
Me throat, one through the wndpipo and outlet
clear down TO the spine; another In the mouth
coming out under tie jaw another over tho eve
evidently stab and another on tho bowels about
nnc inches long, layuE bare tue intestines. There
also
ralSrs or TEETH on TUE vrcrIu's GRys.
Crave suspciors atacted n Ansel Robinson,
Specialize citizen OF Mansfield and he was arrested
aud led for trial. Mr.. Robinson IL married and Inc
bitter "l SIX children For the past three years be
las resided In Mansfield, employed a, superintend.
mi Of B{uer Day 4 Co.'S agricultural machine
sotks, and ltli social position of rospectability
tie had been intimate with Mrs. Lunsford, but that
intimacy was not Known until after the murder,
when letters m his Handwriting addressed TO the
murdered woman were found in her trunk These
etters extended over period Of nearly tnree years
Md we're iul Of EXPRESSIONS Of love, Here is
y eciuen;
" pEA9 MoLIEr The lime passes away so hSvcy
: On you anl surpose It awwaYs will DC, Nocy,
10 we as YOU thst mS nina vii Ssyhyi aug
esi agane Tor you ar the nfst thins that when got
lake ne aud my dreams Oh You aSd Of ate sn
TIA. al wen and hope those few lines VII nni YOU
the wilderness INNS Of one that ever link Of Won
"a go.d Nsat, ana may Iae bcs'n-s OF Heaven resi-
POSSIBLE CAUSE or rHz QUARREL
which resulted in the tragedy shown In the fact
That Ms. lunsiort was on the eve OF a marriage
Which would probably separate her from Robin.on
brewer. That this fact had some connection vita
,nr tragedy was SHOWN hy letter introduced as ev
Nhch was found on her table marked With a spot OF
blood from the muricrer's nG.si.. 10 complete the
ihan Of oircumstAltsi evidence against the cusel,
peculiarly formed, and II found " Correspond
NTH lhe marks on the victims arms.
The accused WAS kent under close est until
,ept 20, when lEs tr!ul was b'cun, Numerous ans
lb.e council wee employed Tor the defence.
hessrs. Burns, d eSe, MaJson. DURHAM, Carpenter,
md Gass Ntile L. scouting ~ orney Stevenson
Engaged Judge sample, aud Messgs. May. CoWen
AND JenneT to assist him IN the prosecution. A
y hole day wus consumed IN mpa G ling a Jury
Twelve "uupreigd.ced' men were finally obtained
out OF a panel VI one hundI Ell and four. ami q the
afternoon Of the second day the prosecution opened
Me with raj statement OF the facts Of the
murder, and the circumstances whcA pointed to -
accused as Tic suily man, saying ihey Elected to
prove the
WiLrUt, btLiBERlrg, AND MALICIOUS MURDER
OF hrs. Lunsford by knsel Rvtir son.
The defence iolow vel with an ela1orate statement.
presenting what they deemed other solutions oftIe
son wholly guiltless. remarkable cir cumstlntial
statement was related Of person named ROose,
k.9"h 70 be Oh term, o. iatimsey vito Mrs Inns,
went home after midnight. AMI was heard oy hi,
Wiie In the basement usiag washihx utensils. On
going 10 lis bedroom hi, WIFE observed marks OF
blood on his shirt, and she supposed he mad been
Engaged In one OF his not uuusua scufi's l! being
known 20 him that his wife had observed the blood
spots he returned to The basement ard SQUADS
were heard OF some things being placed IN tie
,tove, and toe ,mel OF Ournins clothing W.. early
again he had on clean shirt At brsskfssI TIE next
morning MS wife
SAW ON HIS ARM A RING OF BLOOD,
tpuNrenty marking the line no 10 which she wash
Ing extended. A bloody knife was also found con.
cenlei In the basement, subsequently Roose in
duced lis wife % remove to IndiIna, promising to
follow her wi,h the furniture; but instead OF doing
60, he et for the tat West, aud has not since been
heard FROM. Mrs Roose was prompted to reyea
thee facs because Of the neglect and III treat
meut she received rom her husband. Tue defence
eahud special attention to the fact tdJt sians VI
GOOD htd cen lCuud on Nr. hObtueOu'a clothing,
that NJ article o. nis dress was missing; and that
though the tragedy was so violent ami bloody, tlc
sccur,d wore tie same dress on the day following
Tho murder TIA he lad worn during the entire
Necti ! hc marks Of the teeth on the arm OF tue
muf rcd woman Were asserted by ire defence not
on not TO correspond with the marks which won d
Llge Teen made ~ the teeth Of Mr. Robinson, bu.
10 present wholly unlike and contradictory appear.
III =.
On the third day the prosecution began taxi NJ
h.tmuuy. Robinson occupied the prisoners box,
aud re himself with wonderful equin!mity, In no
"aY iiusira Ing tie appearance Of a man charged
Wiz 20 emOua O crllne. The principal evidence
N1s 4s to Tue discovery o. the murder aud
THs APPEARANCE or rHH BODY.
Robinson was among those called upon 20 20 TO
Vie scene OF the tragedy aud helped to raise the body
from toe bed and compose tie limbs Ths BODY was
almost Ia"ed, snd 10y on rs back, with the mead
crushed down between ito stats. There was 10
blood below tie vaisI, hut under the mead Of the
bed there were pools oil bo3 !, gnl tue head of the
murdered woman and the he'd clothes Ncre covered
with gore. There were TlraE 0f blood o. the door
& me aud about the window, where there were
Il UUb marks on G 4ch side lust es ope woull make
IN trying to raise II ~; and blood was spTiak Ell ~
the window sill and On the weather board outside
,rn Robinson was tod tAst Mrs. Luns;uru YVES
mur tered, he replied, Murdered :" aud, Whcu he
Nert up AID saw the todY. ho exclaimed 80 IN
Gll' E1pinsuA volunteered to 20 Tor thc COTV.ef
L"renzo d. Myers, ~, porter, mai some
ooSyEEsATIoS WITH ROBINSON IN BEER sALoos
Tie lay arcT tie murder. RObuson spoke OF havin,
Known The Murdered woman, and said he was az hCl
Louse The uigrt before she having seLt for him g
AK lis advice as 10 whether or no sle shOul. TEL
hu Ebcrsor, the man she was Ell sc:ps TO MARI,
.H - - aH.av