The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-02-02


Il really cannot pity him;
I The reasons plain to purblind eyes,
/ The BOBBY doesn't advertise"
MURDER WILL OUT.
An Innocent Nan Hung-JustIee Fifty
Years After Death-A Story OF Crime.
I It is said murder will out" and
I few, comparatively, are those who
/ escape, in this world even, the just
punishment for their crimes. Yet
some do, and worse still, there are
many cases where the innocent have
Uttered for the misdeeds of those who
" ere guilty. We have a case in point
that ought to have publicity, as it
CONES from a source Of high respeeta-
bility. 1t recalls the story of a mur-
I der committed fifty-three years ago,
and which, at the time, created a
profound sensation in the "Green
River Country as follows:
In the year 1917, DR.. John P. San
dersOn was murdered in that part of
Borren county which is now Metealf
county, Ky, and John G. Hamilton,
a wealthy citizen residing in the
neighbOrhOOd where the body was
und, was arrested, tried and convict
el for the murder. The evidence
against Hamilton was wholly circum-
-tantial, and so remarkable in
Is character as to produce not only in
the minds of the jury, but of the whole
IN MhnN 1aaFsrr, aT
VictiOn of the guilt of the accused. 1t
appeared upon the trial that Hamil-
ton was a trader, driving stock, and
occasionally carrying slaves to Missis-
sippi to sell.
The family was aristOcratic, one Of
the sisters having married Gen. Car
roll, of Tennessee, and the other Col.
Anderson, of the same State, and there
existed, 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 COM
pany with DR.. SandersOn, who was a
wealthy planter near NatcheZ. He
came to Kentucky for the purpose Of
purchasing slaves to work on his plan
tatiOn, and brought with him a large
amount of money, and Of which fact
Hamilton was apprised. They came
through a wild and sparsely settled
portion of the Indian Territory, and
DR.. SandeTsOn was very sick during
tine greater part of the journey. On
their arrival in Barren county they
went to the residence of HamiltOn's
father, where DR.. SandersOn remain
,1f co. rH vrraanr1 n.A rrwaNfT =,
covered his health.
1t was shown that after the Doctors
health was restored, the two left the
house in company, Hamilton, who
acted, as was said, as guide, to ascer-
tain the point where the road fOrked,
one fork of which led to a neighbOr-
ing county, where the sale of negroes
was to take place at public auction,
and which SandersOn wanted to at
tend. 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 a mile from thefo
of the road. A short time afterwards
Hamilton returned alone, and the
night following the horse Of Sander
son came up riderless to the house of
HamiltOn's father. SandersOn was
never again seen alive. Several days
elapsed, and suspicious were aroused
that he had been fOully dealt with.
The neighbOrhOOd en- DldSss made
search for his body. 1t was found on
the road in the direction of the point
where the negro sale was to have tax
en- place, covered up with brush and
briars. His hat was discovered in
hollow stump, and under log near by
was found q brass horse pistol with
the hammer broken. In the head of
the murdered man was found a num-
Der of shot and piece Of the hammer
of the pistol which fitted exactly.
Under the lining of the hat there was
a list of thirty-three one hundred dol
lar Mississippi bills, the numbers
thereof and to whom payable.
When Hamilton was arrested the
/ bills corresponding with the list were
found in his possession. It was shown
that he had borrowed the pistol from
Col. GOrin, of Glasgow, Berrien cOun-
ty, and that the shot in the head of
DIR. SandersOn cOTrespOnded in size
with those purchased a few days pre-
vious by Hamilton in Glasgow.
1t was also proved on trial that
HamiltOn's sherry-vallies or OveFalls
were concealed in his fathers barn,
and there was blood upon them. They
we're 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
or years, intimate friends; that they
lad travelled together through a wild
country, and that, if he had any sin
ister designs, nothing more than lit
tie neglect of SandersOn during his
sickness would have insured his
death, and that he could have thus Sc
cured the money. He said that Mis-
sissippi money was at a discount in
Kentucky, and Kentucky money at a
discount in Mississippi; that he Ham
iItOn) was about to return to Missis-
sipp, where he could use the money Of
that State, while DR.. 5. wanted the
Kentucky money to buy negroes, and
/ that for mutual accommodation and
profit they made an exchange of mon
ey. And he further proved that he
| borrowed 81 900 of the bank in Glas-
gov to make up the sum required for
[ the exchange. As to the pistol, he
said he borrowed it from Col. GOrin to
/ lend to DR.. SanderrOn, who wanted il
| for his personal protection, and that
in parting with him at the forks Of
/ the road, he had given it to him. He
alleged that his negro servant had
I -A.T0- ~ v-o1Tfou 70 n
dance, where he got into q fight, and
! concealed them in the barn until he
| (the negrO) could have an opportunity
/ to clean them. His statements were
not eOrroborated, and he was convict
ed and hung.
The celebrated John Rowan was his
chief counsel, and defended the unfOr-
tunate man with his accustomed abil-
ity, but the evidence was so strong
| that he felt he represented a hopeless
cause. Indeed Judge Rowan subse-
/ quently declared that, with one excep-
I ton, he never had a case possessing as
/ few points for a successful defense.
Solomon p. Sharpe, whose tragic
| fate few years latter sent a thrill of
horror throughout the State, prOsecut-
ed Hamilton, and being thoroughly
convinced Of his guilt, showed him no
mercy. Hamilton's family alone be
lieved him the victim Of eireum-
stances, and the accused died protest
/ ing his innocence.
Now for the sequel. In the year
1853, Hon. Richard H. Rousseau, Of
Kentucky, then Minister for Central
America, was visited at Tegucigulpa,
Honduras, by Col. Gibson, q rich
planter, who then resided near Vicks-
burg, Mississippi, which is still his
/ home, and who told him that some
thirty years ago a man was executed
for murder in the eastern part Of Mis-
sissippi, and that while under the gal
lows he heard him confess that he and
. eOmrade, both fugitives from justice,
were hid at the head Of the ravine
where the body Of SandersOn was
found. They saw him as be approach.
cd, dashed out and seized and dragged
him from his horse; that he endeav-
ored to use his pistol, which they
rr--anaboT from hfa hand and shot