The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-01-28


near the village OF Potosl Washington county. Mo-,
by two aends named Charles Jolly. Jr., and
John Armstrong. These men worked around the
lead mines that vicinity and were notorious for
their dangerous and worthless character. They had
both been In the army during the war and probably
did good deal or the murderous bush hacking 30
| common In tho southern part Of the State. They
| had both been married, but their wives not live
with them nor DO they any Of Their relatives ap.
parently take any interest In them.
| The murder was
DEvILISH WORK
| and seemed to have no motive, except the heiish
instinct OF semi-DIutish nature maddened by In
toxication can be calico motive. The victims were
| David Lepine, q miner, o woman named Fanny
1 Christopher, who lived with him as his wife, Mary
Christopher her sister, and two children each little
one claiming one OF the sisters as It's mother. They
! lived In log cabin about a mile ana halr from
P0tOsi in lonely SPOT situated half mile from the
main road. 1t Is said that tho house bore very IN
different reputation, and the character OF neither
| female occupant would stand comparison with that
! or Diana or C@sars wife. However that may be
there none left there to tell whether SIN or
virtue dwer there. About eleven O'Clock on Satur-
day night, 18th of November 1859. the two murder
ers, Jolly and Armstrong, who had to Potosi to
| purchase whiskey for Sunday debauch, drove
/ up In wagon to the door OF Lepines
! cabin and entered They were drunk. They took
| their jug OF whiskcy In with them, which might
intimate that they entered with the intention TO
Continue the nights debaucA, and not at that mo-
ment for the purpose Of murder.
PROVIDENCE IN HIS WISDOM
always provides u witness to bring murder home
In this the witness a little boy twelve
years old, Leon Jolly, brother of the murderer.
They left him IN the wagon to tend the horses but
getting cold. he went towards the house anu was at
once attracted by
NOISE AND sCUFFLE.
Looking through the window he saw his brother
struggling on the floor with Mary Christopher
while Armstrong was holding back David Lepine and
the other woman. Jolly then from the noor ana
shot Lepine dead with revolver, putting four balls
into him; then, Knocking Mary Christopher 10
the earth with blow OF his fist, he put the pistol to
| her head and scattered her brains over the cabin
and over his own face and person. Armstrong
meantime had seized On axe and struck dead Sarah
Christopher To make the bloody business sure. he
then hacked and chopped at his victims until their
! heads were severed from their bodies. All this
while the two poor children were weeping specta-
tors OF this awful tragedy from their little bed the
corner OF the hut. While they lived the murderers
| conceived that their devsh work was imperfect.
Armstrong, SEEING one OF the children by the feet
| DASHED ITs BRAINS OUT
against the wall. Then klndng some dry leaves
which lay on the hearth. he threw the other inno-
ceat upon the burning pile. Jolly-more merclful
or more eager for the contamination OF the crime
snaches the child from the flames and beats its head
against the ground until life lis extinct. All this
was witnessed BY the vvr, .ox
| Leon through the Window and all this dreadful
story he told calmly enough at me trial. which oc-
CURED on the I'D or December following III Pot05l.
SET THE HOUSE on FIRE
and jumping fato the wagon. drove on to Joly's
| brOthern-aw's In the ne9hbornood, where they
remained till Monday and then ned to the house or
i Inn NJ Dstln
| county, where they were captured tnat evening,
securely tied and brought back to Poto.i next day.
the courage OF Deputy Sheriff Breckinrldge, VINO
nately In doing 80 was compelled to use his pistol,
causing the death OF one man.
GOVERNOR M'CLURG
furnished the sheriff with guard OF thirty soldiers
under command or Captain Edward Lehman. and
under their protection the prisoners were conveyed
to the jail In ST. Louis, whence tney were carried
back to POt0si Tor trial. There was much difficulty
In fndng jury, for who IN that whole vicinity were
not preudlced against the two. aends ? The trial
lasted nearly two days, the principal witness being
the boy Leon Jolly. They were defended by Mi. j.
]. Brady. They were convicted, OF course and
SENTENCED TO
in the jail at Potosi, the 9th or January 1871.
The Inurderers are
half French half INDIAN as was their victim, LIE.
pine. LII the scale OF humanity they must take the
lowest place. They neither read nor write, and
NEVER HEARD or RELIGION.
POtos was not considered SAFE place for them,
intense the feeling OF adherence at the bloody
They were therefore conveyed at once nnder mill
tary escort back TO ST. Louis JAN TO await tine coming
visIr TO THE PRISONERS
In this miserable building, which Is not COM
modious enough for village purposes, visited the
semDrutal, unintelligent conyicts-the lowest spe-
cimens OF intellectual humanity, though IN
physique fair specimens enough OF the wild beast
] ever saw, upon entering the wrctched edIfce
| called Jail, with Mr. Remand. the deputy jailer,
CHARLES JOLLY. JR.
| lie unlocked and swung back the heavy door OF
the nearest cell on the ground moor at the right OF
the entrance and called into the darkness. Jolly.
come out Here's a gentleman wants to speak TO
you" A tall, athletic young man. OF about thirty.
obeyed the summons by stepping to the
a aS0r eas sna nonshasnt manner he looked
little surprised, evidently, that any visitor wished
to break the m9notony OF that dismal eel. He was
forehead, from under which q tangled lock OF hair
hung down to his eyebrows. HIS costume, h's under
clothing especially, was filthy In the extreme, show.
ing that he mad not drawn much upon the resources
OF the Mississippi since his incarceration. the ex-
preston OF the face was hardly degree above that
Of a wild animal, although his features were not
irregular, but rather straight, decisive and promi-
nent The expression OF the eyes made them most
unpleasant to look into which, indeed. it was d,f-
cult to do In consequence Of their restless and
Having nothing Of consolatory character to say
to the unfortunate wretch l felt somewhat embar.
raised at opening the conversation; but on alludng
for which he was about to suffer, he answered, IN
quick and restless manner 1--WE didn't do IT, sir
We weren't there. They are going to hang us for
what we didn't don "But. Jolly" said .you
were in Potosi that evening, and you had been
drinking whiskey. Besides, You had gun and an
axe with you. Now these poor people were all
killed In horrible manner. III you did not do 1t,
have you any idea who did," eyes, sir. here
were lots OF people going TO that place-nigges anu
white people. Some Of them done IT, ! suppose.
We weren't there at a.n "But your brother swore
that he saw you and Armstrong numbering the fam
n.y." "They bought my brother to swear against
us. They bought him with clothes and money. We
hadn't a fair trial at oil. We had no
one to speak for as, and they bought up the boy
with money to hang us; nv brother.n-law told INC
sou Upon this point he seemed resoute, though or
course there was not the slightest probability OF
truth in It. Upon asking hum his age he said he did
not know, but no heard that 1t was In o book at
home. He said that he was married aud had one
chad I'm Jefferson county-a boy eight years old
and IL 10 see him he went there, when they ar.
ctad i'm father Ia q Eron