The New York herald., 1871-12-23
THE M'CEHAN-NYERS TRAGEDY. |
THIRD TRIAL OF THE ACCUSED.
Poor Yallandigham's Client.--His
Career and Prospect Of Escape.

DAYTON, Ohio, Dec. 19, 1871.
There IL not more notable case on the criminal
fecOd OF the West than that OF The State OF Ohi0v
Thomas McGehan, now undergoing the third trial
In this city. Not only Is 1t notable as q crime CON-
mitted under circumstances the most helnous, bur
It u Identified with the accidental death OF one OF
the most distinguished advocates at The western
bar, and certainly the most notorious man Ia the
political history OF the nation, for the vain
effort to illustrate his theory that Thomas s. Myers
shot himself that Clement L. Valandigham lost his
Life.
In order. however, to prepare the readers Of the
HERALD for better understanding OF the case, es-
pecially in view OF It's present termination, brief
Testatement viii not be Without interest.
On the night OF last Christmas Eve five men,
armed WITH b0ulders, slungshots and rev0lvers,
tored the gambling saloon OF the American at
Hamilton In Butler county, OMo, the residence OF
the Hon. Lew campbell, and, without any warn.
ing or indication OF their bloody INTENT fell upon
one Thomas s. Myers who was seated at the faro
table. absorbed ut play, and. after innlcting five
wounds upon Ills head, shot him through the abdo.
men with . large Smith Wess0n revolver, and in
less than thirty seconds after entering the saloon left
him dying upon the floor. These five mon were
Tom Mcclellan. jack Carver, Dan McGlynn, Ich
Sneely and Jim Mcclellan. Half an hour
before the murder they met at o drinking
saloon In neighboring street, where they
concocted the attack. with Tom Mcclellan as leader.
Sheely had been sent In advance to reconnoire and
when he returned and reported 10 McGehan the
latter was beard to say, myers is round at the
American without God damned friend; let's 90
round there and Kill the damned big son OF
D-h." After tae murder he was seen lounging
POOut tue uo0r OF the saloon and being encountered
by Joseph Myers, brother Of the murdered man, he
... ssS n ssp e remark k that ne Myersl ala not
Is stairs DEAD whis passing through T a' the S DARK
ana deserted streets Of Hamilton hours after the
Ing things And When reminded ss that Myers yer was
soss fuss about one ss ss s
Wien taoy are taking them by the score every day
McGe6aa was Immediately suspected OF the mur.
hun COMPANY. ana fearing the wrath OF the people
Of Hamilton, they a applied Tor change OF venue
ness against scGehan at lebanon, % Where Mr. Val.
ae1ss Sss vsf y sUiasa supporter ea his s' asn
guslled counsel in the bitter days when
camors lor lls bead, and It was more from sense
o. gratitude and reciprocaton that Mi. vailandig
nam defended MCGehan thap from any pccunlary |
ogasiierauon although it Is un .erstood that his fee
would have been large. The jury disagreed on the
ibe second time to Dayton where the second trla. |
LOOK place last TALL A verdict OF murder IN the |
presen Que WAS ON the rrnd @ a One ,e %
s9e Jurors haa expressed an opinion as TO tne gunt
oi tne accused before being sworn as Juror.
What invests the case with interest Ia the
TACT that at the time OF the muiuar there were al
least dozen prominent citizens OF Hamilton |
Dne OF them saw The murder Carver,
Jointly indicted with the others, Testified that |
struck. Myers one Of the nve blows on tine head |
Which stunned him for q few seconds and that when
IL I 10 b @ wbS ne sS sNs
pistol IN Ills pocket, California style, to deaden the
sound and bale detection. But McGehan's coat |
stunned ~ ATTEMPTED 10 draw S,s revolver,
easssS ,ao .uscesa S as own R
leading 70 Mr.. yaandigham's ralal experiment.
notner Myers clothes nor bis skin was powder
SKIN ana clothing were 80 marked as TO be plainly
discernlble. II followed. taen. that the shot which
klued Myers was discharged at sucn distance
from his u0dy to have exhausted space the |
puexpioded powder particles, and made It plain |
that Il impossible Tor him 10 hold his revolver
ii sucn distance from his body anu In just such
position rs 10 lnfct the wound and leave no trace
nysrs was Ss Dg giant. he weighed over two hun.
dred pounds. and could have thrashed any three OF
his murderers. There had been bad blood between.
pom ana ns bis Sso
ION infamous. Myers knew too much about
state Of terror iof several years. L is pOpulary
Deu6VcO JH3t No OlU Tie uuItloI lOE WHICH JOIN
Gr,iln suffered death on the gallows nearly TWO
1ears ago. and 1t Is known that he narrowly escaped
0rraignment for other capital crimes
Myers was shot In the right side Of the abdomen.
on y limo with tue navel, the ball penetrating IN
ward and backward. outing piece out OF the
aorta. great vessel Of the heart about an inch
aud half above the blfurcatlOn, which caused
rapid 0utp0urlng OF blood Into the abdOmlflaf cav
ity and death IN Q few moments. The bail did not
come through. MIR. Vallandigham enot himself In
almost exactly the same spot, but the ball took q
moro superficial range and passed planting down
ward aud lodged perhaps in the left groin. for no
post m0rten was made IN his case.
MoGenan Is q property holder in Hamilton and
was . democratic s'sriKer' for many years,
although during the war he f0rsook the party
aud hired himself out for dirty work t0.the republ
can party. He Is very intelligent shrewd fellow
and = capital manager Of men. He liz stout built
man, with small head, thickly covered with dark,
clustering, auburn crspy hair His eye b large, OF
M uncertain grayish hue, that sometimes appears
dark and wicked, His nose is sharp aud hooked,
VITA thin nostr1s, that dlate when he Is moved
py passion. His lips are thin, compressed and
turned down at The corners. He wears chin TUT
OT reddish whisker and dresses IN good style. Ills
complexion IL norid, ana the testimony goes for
OF against hm his color changes and his express
sion Of lace indicates the terrible anxiety aud con-
EiUt within.
There Is not particle OF doubt entertained, oven
by hs best friends rs TO his guilt bit he and they
hope TO secure an acquittal Dy some lo0phole un-
covered W the law, which he Is battling for the
third time with u powerful array OF legal talent,
plenty or money and the assurance oil the deyn.