Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-06-24
CirCumstantial Evidence.


Circumstantial Evidence.
A remarkable case, showing the
danger Of circumstantial evidence,
has just been concluded in Toledo.
Nearly three years ago, Robert
Sharpe was found dead with shot
and slugs in his brain. A man nam
cd Harrington, who had been on in
innate terms with the deceased, was
arrested for the murder. The evil
dence was wholly circumstantial, but
SO successfully "worked up" by the
detectives, that Harrington was con-
victed and sentenced to the pcnitcn-
tiary. His lawyers became intcrcs-
ted in his case, and although IIarring-
ton was poor man they determined
to fight his cause to the end. After
q long and arduous struggle through
the District and Supreme Courts, an
order was obtained, and that trial has
just been closed.
The main points in the evidence on
which he was convicted were the sim
ilarity of the shot in the body of the
dead man with that of the Shot bag
belonging to Harrington; the cor
rcspondence of pieces of q neWspa-
per found near the scene of the sup
posed murder, and assumed to be
part of the gun-wadding, with a torn
paper i'll lIarrington's residence and
piece in his vest pocket; and that
the motive for the murder was to be
found i'll the alleged fact of Sharpe
having come to Toledo with several
hundred dollars Of money, which
Harrington knew, and that no one
else was so intimate with him.
On the second trial it was rendered
doubtful whether there was a SINH
larity in the shot. 1t was clearly
proven that the pieces ofpapcr allcg-
ed to have been picked up at the
scene of the murder were not there
at the time of the finding of the body,
nor for a day or two afterward, and
the inference was unavoidable that
they were put there by the detectives
to aid them in working up" the case
against Harrington. 1t was further
proven that Sharpe was destitute
when he arrived in Toledo, and that
Harrington was doing his best to aid
him in procuring employment. To
crown all, an 0libj was clearly and
satisfactorily proven. Harrington
was declared innocent, and the jury
voluntarily gave him a letter, signed
by every member, repeating, in en-
phatic terms, their belief i'll his Gu
tire innocence or any knowledge of
the supposed murder, and bearing
testimony of his uniform good char
acter. Tho public sentiment unani-
mously coincided with this verdict.
The former employer of Harrington
Immediately took him back into his
service.
1t causes an unpleasant shudder to
reflect that a perfectly innocent man,
Of good character, suffered two years
of degrading punishment, and mar
rowly escaped an ignominious
death for a crime Of which he knew
nothing. 1t is another warning
the danger Of an implicit trust in
wholly circumstantial evidence, and
a protest against the detectives i'll
"Working up case" against one they
choose to suspect.
The Fastest Train in the World.
The new express train from Ply
mouth to London will probably bt
the fastest train in the world, in tht
part of its journey which lies ovcl
the Bristol and Exeter and Grca
Western Railways. Leaving Exeter
at 10 80, it is timed to reach Padding
ton at 2 .45; including stoppagc o
five minutes at Bristol, and tho in
cvitablc and vexatious ten minutes
at Swindon, the journey of 1874 milc'
will occupy four hours anda quarter
The Irish mail, hitherto considered
the fastest train, occupies six hour
and thirty-iivc minutes between Lon
don and Holyhead, being at the pact
of only 10 miles in four hours and
quarter. THE fastest train on thu
Great Northern line is between Lon
don and Peterborough, rs, miles
which is done in one hour and thirty
seven minutes; but the Great Yves
tern accelerated express will rul
from Swindon to London, n miles
in one hour and twenty-seven min
utcs. The IL AS train from Padding
ton will perform the journey to Ply
mouth in only five minutes NOR
tine than the new up express.
A GENTLEMAN. -- The subjoinC
paragraph, clipped from ali cx
change, is a valuable little volume ii
itself:
"No man is u gentleman who
without provocation, would troa
with incivility the humbest of hi
species. 1t is vulgarity for which nj
accomplishments of dress or addres
can ever atone. The man who dc
siros to make every one around hin
happy and whose greatest solicitud
is never to give offence to any one
is a gentleman by nature and 4pcciti
though he may never have worn
suit Of broadcloth, nor ever heard o
lexicon. There arc men in ever,
tM oh of whose hearts there is solici
tude for the welfare of mankind, an,