Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-04-01
A HAlRBREADTH ESCAPE.

In the year 1841, the now AourishinI
city Of Steubenville, Ohio, was . yer.
small place. Its population was note,
for its quiet and orderly character, an,
there was not single liquor saloon il
the place.
Crime was very rare, and the circui
judges often had occasion to congratu
late the people upon not having angl,
criminal case upon their calendar.
In consequence there was intense OK
citement in Steubenville, when, at al
early hour in the morning of the seven
teenth Of November, in the above men
toned year, the report reached the plaot
that the corpse of man had been founl
in the woods within hundred yards d
the last house of the town. and close K
the Pittsburgh turnpike, with every in
dication that an atrocious murder had
been committed. The sheriff, accompa.
MED by some fifty citizens, immediately
hastened to the spot indicated to him by
the person who had discovered the re
mains of the murdered man. That per
son was decrepit old woman, who had
gone out to gather brushwood. No one
would have suspected her under any cir.
cumstances of having had anything to dc
with the bloody deed, and, beside, she
manifested such unfeigned horror in de-
scribing what she had seen at the dismal
spot in the woods, that she was unhesi-
tatingly allowed to go about her bust
ness.
Upon arriving at the scene of the sup
posed murder, the sheriff and his CON.
panions saw at glance that terrible
crime had been committed. The dead
man was covered all over with frozen
gore, and seven wounds, apparently in
Aicted with sharp knife, were found
upon the body. His head was still GOV.
cred with a nice felt hat. His face pre-
sented most ehastly aspect.
A terrible gnsh extended from the
left temple to the right jaw. Another
cash was in the forehead. The victim
was dressed in o substantial fur coat.
He was apparently forty-two years old.
When his pockets were examined they
were found to be entirely empty. But
close to the body was found an old fash
ioned wallet. It was still open, as if its
contents had been taken from it, and as
it he who had emptied it had afterward
thrown it away.
At distance of about ten yards from
the corpse, near an old log, lay a pecu-
liarly shaped fur cap. It could not
have belonged to the murdered man,
for, as We have said before, he had his
hat on his head.
The ground was covered with snow,
and there were number of light foot
prints visible in it. These we're the only
indications Of the perpetrator of the hor-
rible crime:
The coroner was sent for, and until
his arrival the sheriff and his companions
went to the Ohio tavern, which was sit.
uated at no great distance from the
scene of the murder.
When the sheriff told the landlord OF
the murder, and described to him the
appearance Of the corpse, the landlord
exclaime d at once:
"Great God that poor fellow cannot
be anybody else than Mr.. Sammis, the
Pittsburgh cattle dealer. He was here
last night, and took supper with another
man from Pittsburgh, whose name was
Belson or Wilson, and who rode on
toward Pittsburgh Immediately after he
had left the table. Mr.. Sammis sat in
the front room with me and Jack Capon
for an hour, when the two went out TO-
gether."
Jack Capon was q dissolute but very
good natured fellow, about thirty years
old. who had decided aversion to work,
and still more decided prediction for
strong drink.
He could not get any whisky at Steu-
benville, and hence he often walked for
miles and miles in order to obtain
"wee drop" of whisky. When he was
successful he returned with his hat full
OF bricks to Steubenville, wh.re he
had frequently been punished by the
esquire for intoxication, with fine and
imprisonment. Still, everybody liked
him because he had an excellent, unset.
fish heart, and never forgot favor done
him.
"What sort of hat did Capon wear
last night ?" asked the sheriff.
"Why, no hat, but fur cap-made
Of beaver skin-with two ear covers"
"Was this the cap said the sheriff,
producing the fur cap which he had
found near the corpse of the murdered
man, and which he had thus far been
holding under his cloak. .r..ss
" Yes" exclaimed thelandlord, "that
Is Capon's cap, and no mistake; where
did You find it2''
The sheriff told him. Everybody
seemed horror struck at the idea that
poor Jack Capon should have committed
30 atrocious crime.