River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-01-13

found near the corpse of the murdered,
man, and which he had thus far been hold.
ing under his cloak.
Eyes, exclaimed the landlord, shat is
Capon's cap and no mistake. Where did
you find it o.
The Sheriff told him. Every body seem.
ed horror.struck at the idea that poor
Jack Capon Should have committed so
atrocious crime. Men were immediate.
ly dispatched to hunt up Jack Capon.
They did not find him ut his wonted
haunts in Steubenville but a man who
was well acquainted with his habits said
if he could he found anywhere it would be
at the cabin Of old Sim Brooks.
Brooks lived in the woods on the Pitts.
burg side Of Steubenvile, about one mile
from the spot where the body had been
found. Like Jack Capod, old Brooks was
fond of whisky, and the two would fire..
quently drink together until they were
utterly oblivous of the cares and sorrows
of this world. which, as they thought,
had not treated either Of them any too
well.
So to Brooks cabin went the men.
They knoct ed at the front door which
was locked. For several minutes there
was no response At last old Brooks
himself opened the door. They saw at q
glance thai he was in an alarming state
Of intoxication.
"Is Jack Capon hcre!" they asked.
"Ye.es-yes, hiccupped Brooks; "he
is lying asleep yonder, behind the stove.'
Then the drunken old fellow went back
to his lounge, and a minute later he was
sound asleep again. The man stepped up
to Capon. lie was drunk also. iiis coat
and shirt were covered with blood. They
exchanged significant glances and
aroused him, not without considerable
difficulty.
"What do you wantl' he asked, yawn.
ing.
1.-THE sheriff wants you, jack"
1.-The sheriff! What fora | haint
done nothing"
"You are suspected orhaving murdered
Mr.. Sammis, of Pittsburg."
go away l murdered Mr.. Samms!
You must be loony."
"LoOk at yourself"
Capon looked at his clothes. The
sight of the bloody stains on them
caused him to sober up at once.
How did get these stains on my coat
and shirt!'' he stammered on. at last.
Don't you know anything about
them :" they asked.
mo, no You say murder was COM
mitted Z"
Come, come, Jack Capon," they re.
piled, you can't fool any body by plead.
ing ignorance. What did you do with
your capp
He looked about the room.
"Some one must have taken it away
he said at last.
"You left it near the corpse of the muir
dered man y
"was i. found there! Great God
great God -
lie buried his face in his hands and he
gan to cry.
Then followed the men, who also tool
old Sim Brooks along, willingly, to the
Ohio Tavern, where the coroner haC
meanwhile arrived. The sheriff appeared
soon aftcrward with some men who wer,
carrying the CORY, frozen corpse of thu
victim. Jack Capon was conducted to tn,
corpse. As he caught sight of it he re
coiled in horror.
''lt's Mr.. Sammis," he gasped out
"Poor Sammis, who has murdered him T.
"You were last seen in his company"
SAID the sheriff; "your cap was found
near the corpse, your clothes arc blood
stained; who but you can be the murder
er!"
81 am inocentl' cried Capon, desper.
ately. II got tight at Brooks. | don't
know how got this blood on my clothes
nor how my cap came near the corpse.
have even forgotten that was with this
poor gentleman.
The Coroner impanneled jury, and,
in the first place, took them to the place
where the murder had been committed
Jack Capon, who had been, meanwhile
heavily ironed, was also conveyed thither
The footprints near the point where thu
corpse of the murdered man had lam.
were not very distinct, but they seemed
to correspond exactly with the sOles of Ca
pons shoes
Returning to the Ohio tavern, the Cor
ener swore Sim Brooks, who, by this time
had become perfectly sober, and who
stated that Last night, about 10 80 o
clock Jack Capon had come to his cabiT
and asked him il he had any whisky
lie had given him halfa.dozen drinks
whereupon Capon had wanted stl
more, but he had no more. Capon hat
then shown him ten.dollar gold piece
and had asked him if he knew where any
whisky could be bought. He had answer
ed if he would 60 to Nike PerrY's h
might get some. There Capon had gone
and returned with whisky, but withou
his cap, and with his shirt and the from
part Of his coat all bloc ~ Brooks
added that he had asked Capon how h,
got that blood on hun. Clpon was 81
drunk that he could not give very intel
ligible account Of what had happened {
him. but he said something about having
had fall and hurt himself.
Upon hearing this evidence, the prison
or exclaimed:
ayes, yes, that's true-I do remember
il now. made n short cut through the
woods TO Mike Perry's house. where 90
the whisky, and returned pretty near the
same route, when stumbled over some
thing aud fell"
The jury rendered a verdict against him
a -