The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-12-30
A Leaf from a Lawyers Diary.

n
narrative has been obtained by us
from prominent lawyer in one of the
Eastern Kentucky counties. The facts in
it have not before been published, but for
their entire accuracy the reputation Of the
writer will vouch.
In 1856 l was the States attorney in the
judicial district in the State of Kentucky
l had gone to the county Of Done of
the counties in the district--for the purpose
of being present in the prosecution of the
criminals. There had been no court held
in that county since 1861, owing to the civil
war. found everything in the worst con-
fusion possible. Men had been murdered
in cold blood, and nothing was done with
them. Murder arson, robbery and all
crimes in the catalogue had been commit
ted with impunity, and the malefactors had
gone unwhipped Of justice, owing to the
absence Of law. During the war everything
was in anarchy; there was neither safety to
women nor innocent children-all suffered
alike. When it was known that there
would be Circuit Court held in that
county, the news attracted very large
crowd.
On Monday morning, November 8, 1865,
found large crowd in B, the county
seat of--O. Men, women and children
came, some the distance of thirty miles.
Guerrillas and bushwhackers came with
their guns and pistols, as though they in
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ed that none of their gang should be indict-
ed for the numerous murders of which they
had been guilty. Court opened, and the
sheriff returned his list of q grand jury.
The court instructed them as to their duty;
they were sworn and sent to their rooms. l
had determined in my own mind that every
person that had been guilty of felony or
misdemeanor in o. county should be
regularly indicted, if could in any way
obtain the evidence against. them.
There was case that was shrouded in
mystery. A young man, who was the pride
of widowed mother, had suddenly disap-
peared from the county about two years
before, and never been heard from. His
name was Chas. Belknap he was an only
child handsome, finely educated, and as
brave as lion. / made diligent inquiry.
l had about one hundred witnesses sum-
moned / examined them closely, and
when dismissed them l warned them to
tell no one what had transpired in tho grand
jury room. In that way hoped to keep the
real murderers in the dark as to what was
doing.
l could only gather the following circum-
stances in the case That young Belknap
had left his home in June, 1868, and was
riding very fine horse, with 81, 500 in his
possession. He failed to return at night,
and his mother became very uneasy about
him, and the next morning set out to make
inquiries concerning him. She went to the
house of Squire Mosely, who lived about
five miles from her, leading man in the
county, and told her story and made inqui-
ries concerning her son. The Squire told
before, and left in the direction of the town
of b; that he left about ten o'clock in the
morning. This was all she could hear of
him. No one else had seen him, and she
returned home broken-hearted mother.
She made inquiries Of every person; every
stranger that passed was interrogated, but
all in vain. She still kept up her search for
her missing boy, and about twelve months
after he had SO mysteriously disappeared
she was returning home from one of her
searches and met Squire Mosely. The
Squire told her he had heard from her boy;
that he was in Iowa. He had received q
letter from him, and that he would be at
home that he had left the letter at home,
etc. Mrs. Belknap went directly to the
'Squire's house without communicating her
intention to him, and inquired of the family
for the letter that the Squire had received
from her long-lost boy. The family seemed
surprised, and knew nothing about such a
letter having been received.
This was all the evidence / could get as
to the probable fate of her son. What was
/ to doP went to my room and studied
over the matter. How could ! say that
young Belknap had been murdered? His
body had not been found and who would
dare to accuse Squire Mosely of such a
crime? / lay in my bed that night think
ing over the circumstances, and it was near
four o'clock in the morning when fell
asleep. slept until eight o'clock. / got
up, washed and dressed myself, fully de-
termined TO indict Squire Mosely for the
crime of murder. went to the grand jury
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