The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-12-20
Circumstantial Evidence.
AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

On the 18th OF September, 1868, a
farmers boy discovered on the banks of
White river, about three miles north of
the city of Indianapolis, the dead bodies
of Jacob Young and Nancy Young, his
wife, two reputable persons of that
place. The post mortena examination
disclosed the fact that Mrs. Young had
been killed by pistol shot, the ball en-
tering the back part of the head and
coursing upward through the brain un-
til it lodged upon the inner surface of
the frontal bone The ball proved to be
cartridge pistol ball Mr. Young had
been killed by the discharge from a
double-barreled shotgun, which was
found by his side, with one barrel ex-
ploded, the other barrel heavily charged
with ten buckshot, and standing cooked.
The position and course of the wound
upon Young and his wife proved conclu-
No pistol was discovered. The day after
the discovery of the murder it was ascer-
tanned that the shot gun found by the
dead bodies had been purchased from a
pawnbroker in indianapolis on the day
of the murder. The gun was identified
by means of broken thimble and pc
culiarity about the locks, and the man
who had purchased it was accurately de-
scribed by the pawnb oker and negro
servant who was present when the pur-
chase was made At the time of the
murder a gentleman and his two chill
dren, who were fishing some distance be-
low the scene of the murder, heard the
report of firearms in the direction of the
place where the bodies were found.
Five minutes before the report was heard
the children saw the deceased and dnOth-
: e. toOnlan walking on the sand bar near
where they were killed. A farmer and
his son, driving along the road within a
few hundred yards Of the place, heard
two reports, one loud like a shot gun,
and the other sharp, like pistol, and so
near together that it was difficult to dis
tinguish them. A man and his wife liv-
ing quarter of mile from the scene,
heard two reports, and a scream between
them. The witnesses agreed that the
time was about four o'clock, P. NJ. The
horse and buggy of the deceased were
found hitched in the road near by.
On examining the neighboring ground
the well defined tracks of woman wear
ing number three gaiter, making long
steps, as if in flight, were traced from a
point near the dead bodies, through the
woods to place where they intersected
the track of a buggy, going in the direc-
tion of Indianapolis and drawn by an an
imal wearing small-sized interfering shoes
The tracks of the woman and the horse
and the buggy were all accurately meas
ured. These were the clues, and the
question arose, Who bought the gun:
Who was the woman in company with
the deceased? Who drove the buggy in
which the murderers fled from the scene
of the tragedy?
The pawnbroker sold the gun at nine
o'clock in the morning. Between the
hours of eihgt and nine three applications
for q second hand gun had been made, al
as many auction stores and pawnbrokers
shops, by q man having sandy hair and
complexion, and at the third place he had
inquired of bright little girl, who tool
him to the door, directed him across the
street and saw him enter the establish
ment where the gun was purchased
which in seven hours afterward, haG
slain Young. Five witnesses identified
William J. Abrams, q reputable carpen
ter OF Indianapolis as the man who pur
chased the gun. Mr.. Abrams was arrest
ed, and attention was then directed to ths
subject of the horse and buggy tracks.
The afternoon of the murder Sila:
Hartman had hired a horse ana mare
from a livery stable. The mare wore
small interfering shoes, aud shoe taker
from her foot was applied to the tract
made in the woods near the scene of tht
murder, and it fitted exactly. A plaster
cast ~ tho shOa xuas fol on1 1r-oS aop,
pared with thousands of horse shoes
without finding one that would go in it
Hartman was lodged in jail.
Some farmers coming to indianapolis
the afternoon of the murder met Young
and his wife going in their carriage il
the direction of the place where the,
were murdered, with lady sitting in the
same seat with Mrs. Young. A few rod.
behind the carriage Silas Hartman, driv
ing the livery stable mare, was seen by
the same parties. He was recognized
but when they attempted to speak tC
him he turned his head and drove b,
them without returning their salutation
Several of these witnesses testified tha
Nancy 4. Glenn, the wife of leading
grocer in Indianapolis, was the lady who
occupied the seat with Mr.. Young wife
in his carriage. Silas Hartman, who
followed in the buggy, was her brother
A close watch was placed upon Mrs
Clem's movements, but her arrest wa,
delayed three weeks. This delay in hel
arrest insured her conviction.
The confederate Abrams was in iaiI
and had difficulty in raising money tc
pay attorney fees. He sent for his broth
er. and directed him to go secretly tc
Mrs. Clem's house and get several thou
sand dollars. and to tell her that the
money must come" The brother obey
ed these directions, and Mrs Glenn Weld
ing to the demand, went into a cellar
where she had a package of bills conceal
ed in a stovepipe hole in chimney, anG
gave Abrams brother several Thousand