Centre Hall reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1868-1871, 1871-10-13

A murder trial of extraordinary int.
rest was closed short time since in the
Brown county Gircnit Court al Mi Stcr-
ling. The facts are of thrilling interest.
Two years aud half ago two men started
from Texas in wagon, labeled Ia large
lettera. "P. Kimball, Dallas. Texas
They travelled through Arkansas and
Missouri, and crossed the Mississippi
river at Hannibal.
Almost Immediately afterEard Kimball
was missing. bat his travelling companion
continued ON In Pike county, offering 10,
and finally selling the team and wagon,
aud ON reaching PittAtield, Pike county,
registered his name as Wm. III. Stout
The body OF the man kimhAll was shortly
alterWard found lin d slough In Pike
county. esidsntly having been murdered
Nothing more was heard Of the sup
posed murderer after leaving the hotel
at PiltSiield for over two years. In the
mean time the counties of Pike and
Menard. where the murdered man had
relations residing. each offered $500 re-
ward for the apprehension OF the murder
er. Finally, same six months ago detec-
tivea got track Of VIM. H. Stout. q tele-
graph operator of Grand Island. Aebrasy
ka, who answered the description ol
Kimbail's companion. They got a
reauisition, went to Nebraska, arrested
him aud brought him 20 Pittsfeld. from
where the case was taken by change OF
venue 10 Brown county.
On the trial. the City Marshal Of Hanni-
bal identified the prisoner a. kimhalls Y
companion when passing through that
city. Three Others recognized him aa
the one who crossed the river mt that
point with kimbaIl, while others testified
that he IN the same man who continued
ON with and sold the horses with the
wagon.
On the other hand, IL was in evidence
that the prisoner Stout handled the
dispatches in reference TO himself as the
suspected murderer OF kimhail. aud was
thus advised just when he might eKperi
20 be arrested. aud vet made mo- effort tn
escape; that while confined In the Pitts.
Geld Jail, the prisoners confined witt
him broke out and escaped, bnt he re.
fused 10 go. and went himself to the
TAILOR aud informed him Of the escape ol
his fellow prisoners and that when
asked why be did not escape also. replied
that lie wns " innocent, aud would stas
and fight IL out ON that line il it took all
summer.
Pour entirely Trustworthy and reapon.
sible men--one Of them o member oi
the State Constitutional Convention
came all the way from Grand Island
Nebraska, distance OF seven hundred
miles, at their own expense, to testify In
behalf Of Stout, whom they believed was
an innocent man. and did testify that for
three moaihS before the murder OF Kim.
bah. and for SIX months thereafter. the
prisoner was not aud could not have been
absent from Grand Island three days nj
any one time.
The dispositions of four other residents
Of Grand Island were read In testimony,
TO the SAME effect, and with the additional
proof that the prisoners name was on
the register in the Grand Island Hotel,
aud that be was i'm bel there the very
night il il supposed kimball was MUIR
dered. Yet, strange TO fay. Brown
county jury concludes that All this eyi-
dence in the behalf Of the prisoner IA not
sufficient grounds upon which to base d
- reasonable doGbt" OF bis guilt, and
therefore return a verdict OF guilty, aud
send him TO the penitentiary for 20 years.