The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1874-02-05
Hsborough County, Ohio Thursday February 1874

there are certain odds and ends {
it that point away from him to al
other or others. The man who frs
found the body said he saw no track
of a man near it, cnly the tracks of
woman or women. Not distant from
the spot was an old well, into wbic
the body would have been thrown b,
the condemned had he killed her; tn
presumpt on is that he did not xii
her, but that she was killed by som
one unable to convey her corpse tt
that place fconcealment. A freedman
testified to seeing two females pas
tnat wav on the Sunday in question
Mr. Tinsley found a coal-black CHG
non near the scene, which was no
claimed as Mrs. Ranaall's. A certain
young lady witness, with raven tress
es, possessed at least of n motive
equal to that alleged against Ran
dali, admitted that she knew Randall
was married, had seen n letter from
his wife to him, had written to her, etc
Is it not barely possible that her infor
nation of the marriage may have
been derived from the very letter
found by Tinsley, dropped there by
some one-not Kendall?
''Tbese things that l have briefly
mentioned are, of course, inconclu-
sive, but I could notlet John Randall
die without bringing them to public
notice. JUSTICE"
On the day of execution, Randall's S
counsel published a card, in which
they said:
"Tte communication in yesterday S
Gazette, signed Justice, directly i'm
putes to us a gross negligence in
defense of our client We can only
say in selfjustifcation, that the line
of argument indicated, and the course
of investigation suggested by the
facts alluded to, were peremptorily
objected to by Mr. Randall himself,
and were accordingly abandoned
by us"
Randall was hanged in accordance
with his sentence;-dying without
confes ssion or denial.
After the execution the sheriff for
warded to Mr.. Ordolf sealed letter
from Randall, written on the eve of
lis death. We give an extract:
Il did not do it, nor consent to it,
nor know of it until the awful deed
was done beyond remedy. I would
willingly have sacrificed a thousand
lives for her, as 1 now sacrifice life
and reputation to screen the one who
is really guilty. With Mary perished
every desire in me for life. I long
for death-even the death of the gal
lows But I would not die, leaving
you forever under the horrible be-
lief that I am the murderer of our
darling. Oh, adjure you to credit
me when I swear here, in presence
of God and eternity, that I am inno
cent. Mary, who knows me guiltless,
will meet me joyfully beyond the
tomb"
Indiana Randall was said to be a
raving maniac. From the first arrest
of John Randall she had exhibited
symptoms of a m;n1 unsettled by
the weight of sudden and overwhelm-
ing grief. Her family gave out that
the loss of her lover under such fear
ful circumstances had temporarily
affected her physical and mental
health, and her friends and acquqint-
anres were requested to forbear their
visits until her recovery was an
She was seen rarely, and
the closest surveillance.
As the day of Randall's execution
it was rumored that she
grew worse, and on that day it was
whispered that she was so violent
as to require strong restraint and
And it was so. She was
mad, but there was terrible method
IN her madness. She sought to break
from her confinement and rush to
TIE place of execution; she shrieked
aloud avowals of her own guilt, and
declarations of the innocence of John
She prayed to be permit
ted to rescue him and die in his
stead. Alas! poor wretch, she was
beyond the vengeance of law.
Could her guilt have been fully es-
tablished, she was now insane, and
it YVES too late to save the one now
'1 knew" she cried, "that he had
gone to see his wife, perhaps to re-
turn with her, and I watched daily
'or their coming back. Constantly
alone in these watches, I managed
to get one of Johns pistols from his
room. and this 1 carried with me,
but only for self-defense. Imet them
that Sunday afternoon, and my soul
was in tumult of emotions as John
accosted me and introduced me to
his wife. His wifel Yes, I knew
it was she before he told me. I had
known for months of his secret mar-
riage. Suppressing my feelings as
much as l was able, I enlelvored to
be calm. We had met just beyond
the path which leaves the main car
riage road, and cuts off about a mile
Of the distance to the house. AS we
oOJ11J NOT oil rida T c11npacta1 fbat