The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-07-23
A Case of CircumstantiaI Evidence
MURDER trial was concluded a few

verdict of guilty and sentence of impris-
onment for life, which has some remarkable
and singular features. As case of cir
ly to be relied upon, it is almost without
parallel; and for certain circumstances con-
nected with it, unexplained and unexplca-
BILE on any ordinary theory, it is still more
interesting, 1t involves some exceedingly
respectable people in Indianapolis, and al
together is one of the most remarkable
trials on record in this country.
The accused was one Nancy e. Glen,
the wife of a leading grocerin indianapolis.
The charge against her was the murder,
four years ago in September, of Jacob
Young and his wife Nancy Young, also re-
spectacle people of the same town. This
is Mrs. Clem's fourth trial, she having on
the first trial lost an acquittal by the obsti-
macy of single juryman; on the second,
as now, been convicted and sentenced to
imprisonment for life, though reversion of
judgment was granted by the Supreme
Court; on the third, escaped by disagree
| A'Sh" "a NiiS Jbh esiiN iiO", Oii VhS hNuiViij
found guilty and sentenced to State Prison
for the remainder of her days. Meanwhile,
one William ]. Abrams was accused of the
same crime and found guilty of murder in
the first degree; and her brother, Silas Hart
man, who was an accomplice, committed
suicide in Jail on the night of his sisters
second trial, when she was found guilty.
1t is, perhaps, only result of the intense
excitement the case has created in Indiana
that the Supreme Court is accused of hay
was granted after Mrs. Clem's first convic-
ton; but, at any rate, there is no hesitation
in the Western papers in making the accu-
sation.
Jacob Young and his wife Nancy were
found dead on the 18th of September, 1868,
on the bank of a river three miles from
indianapolis. The woman had been killed
by pistol ball through the back of her
head; the man by a charge of buck-shot
from a double-barrelled gun, which was
found by his side. The two shots were
distinctly heard by persons in the neighbor-
hood, one party hearing also a scream be-
tween them; and another party having seen
Mr.. and Mrs. Young walking with another
woman on the river beach five minutes be-
fore the shots were fred. 1t was clearly II
case of murder. Mr.. Youngs horse and
buggy were found hitched to fence in the
road near by, but why he and his wife were
there and who was with them twas useless
even to conjecture.
The first clew was the gun found at
Youngs side. There was some popularity
about the locks, and it had a broken thimble.
Such gun, it was found, had been pur-
chased at a pawnbroker's in indianapolis
that morning, by man who was exactly de-
scribed by the pawnbroker and his assistant.
A man had inquired for gun at three diff
ferent places between eight and nine o'clock
that morning and at one of those places a
little girl had directed him to the pawn
brokers' where this gun was bought, and
had seen him enter the shop. He was final
ly identified as William j. Abrams, re-
spectacle carpenter of the town, and he
was arrested and lodged in Jail.
Next, the ground where the murder was
committed was carefully searched, and
there was found well-defned impression
of No. 3 womans gaiter," worn by a
person who had taken long strides, as if
hurrying from the spot where the dead
bodies lay, until the track reached tn at of a
buggy drawn by two horses, one wearing
smallsized interfering shoes. After it was
settled who bought the gun and Abrams
was secured, attention was turnedto these
footprints of woman and horse.
In a livery stable in Indianapolis, after
careful search, was found marc who wore
small interfering Shoes One of. these ex-
actly fitted the impression found near the
scene of the murder. A plaster-cast was
taken and compared with the feet of thous-
ands of other horses in the town; it fitted
none of them. Silas Hartman, on the af-
ternoon of the murder, had hired horse
and this small interfering mare. Some
farmers swore that they met him driving
behind the Youngs' carriage, though he
, failed to respond to their recognition
Others testified that they saw person
whom they believed to be Mrs. Glen sitting
in Young's carriage at the same time. Hart
man was arrested at once, but Mrs Glen
was left at liberty for three weeks longer
She was not arrested for three weeks
but she was closely watched. Abrams, tn,
confederate, was in Jail and wanted money
to pay his lawyers. 1t appeared on tn,
! trial that while Mrs. Clem was thus left n