Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-06-12
ON A JURY.
A Strange Case Of CIreuTnstanffaI EV'
fdence-Mystery of Murder.

n Strange LDSE Oh LAFeuE1l8Bl1hlAEoA
iderce-Mystery Of Murder.
The following occurs in the experiences
Of a New York juryman, as related in the
columns Of the World:
An extremely odd instance of circum-
stantial evidence occurred in one trial
which is worthy of being recorded. Work
men, going 10 the morning TO the building
at the corner of Broadway and Leonard
street, found there man who, not being
able to give any good account of himself
or what he was doing in that place, was
handed over to the police, taken to the sta
tion-house, and detained for examination.
He was previously searched, and bro
ken-bllded knife taken from him. Hard
ly had this been done than a porter,
belonging to a store in Leonard street, about
eight buildings from the corner, came in to
announce that the store had been broken
into during the night. It had been entered
from the seuttle, boxes ransacked and
several drawers forced open, in one Of
which he had found about three-cuartsrs of
an inch Of a knife-blade. The sergeant i'm
mediately thought Of the brOken-bladed
knife taken from the suspicious man, and
compared the tWO-they fitted exactly.
Upon this detective was sent to examine
the new building, and discovered from the
roof rope hanging down about twenty
feet to the adjoining building, whence was
a clear level to the store entered. Around
the open drawers were noticel drops Of
candlegrease, and the end of candle was
found in a pocket of the suspicious mans
trowsers. After the verdict, the prisoner
was identified as one convicted of burglary
several years ago, but whose sentence had
been postponed on condition that he would
leave the country. This he never did, and
so, being adjudged guilty, that overlooked
bit of the knife-blade cost him five years OF
hard labor at Sing sing.
One Of the mysteries Of large city came
out in a trial for manslaughter. The de-
fendant was standing at the door of a sa-
loon when he saw a tipsy man coming
down the street, followed by jeering, buzz
zing crowd of boys and girls. The man
picked up large piece of paving-stone and
was about to throw it at two Of the child
rem, who were running away from him,
screaming, when the prisoner knocked it
from his hand. Upon this, the man struck
him; they elinched and the assailant was
thrown down. Rising to his feet, he stag
gered onward a few PAGES and again fell.
Being picked up, he was found to be
dead from conclusion Of the brain.
The prisoner was acquitted, but it
came out that nothing had ever been
discovered concerning the identity of
the dead man. He was advertised, his
body exposed at the morgue, and every
means taken TO secure publicity; but all 10
no purpose. No trace-nOt even the slight
est clue-Was ever found as to who he was
or whence he came. CONJECTURE would ex-
haust itself In vain; he may have been
utterly friendless and alone, or he may have
left mourning family in some distant
quarter. He is buried in Potter's Field and
has vanished from tie earth as though be
had never here appeared. It invested the
case with a certain weird interest, this
spectacle Of man coming from nowhere
to die and vanish into oblivion.