The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-12
FARMER LINSDAY HANGED.
FINDING THE BODTdND MURDERER
or FRANCIS COLTIN


4 hf Z rtWi III AnlntinH the ANiul rimcs
SYRACUSE, Feb 1.-THE npding uf the
body 81 Frances \. GOWN floating in seneca
river. in the viii re of Biliwinsville, on the -
Of June, 1s,3, stirred Onondali county from
ccntre to circumference. Suo-epIent develop
ments showed thai the holy nal lain in the
water Upward Of six months, anu wis therefore
rccogniz ble only by r,pcr' and articles found
upon II. Toe skull of the uni iriun ite man was
crushed. demonstr ting that murder mad boon
committed. A chain VI circumstances, among
which was the possession Of a MORTGAGE which
WIS made in the mime Of the murdered man,
pointed 20 Bishop Vadrr.a midile.agei farm
labor"r living IN b ddwinsvlc vider was ar
rested, anl after few hours confinement he
made full confession, divGlgiug the name Of
the M rdcrer as that Of owen Liusd ~, a farmer
residing in II ldwinsvnlc, and acknowledging
that lac had been an accessory to the crime.
I.nsday W s arrested. aud at prclmin any ex-
animation the evidence al luccd against both
men WIS sufficient to warrant their being held
for tri L.
Lnsday and vaier had been co'npanipn
from their youth up. living In tho same house
and working about the farm togther Colvin,
the victim, was miser, and lived at times alone
In the woods. Nv labor and economy he had
nnassed some SOD in cash and convertible
y Ter. which he usually carried with him. He
h id no family and no friends. AZ the time ~
the murder he was In the employ Of Daniel
One dav IN November, iS12. white Nader. Coll
y,n, and Insd,y were working n the helds,
much money GOWN had. Tnis tact was ascer-
talncd In due time. ana the plot for GOWNS
murder WIS lnd hv Lin-dny. The crime was
cunsumm ted on the morning OF Dec 10. ls13
On that morning Colyin hc.ul tue milking 4
De !icl liusdays cows, as was li' CUSTOM.
der saf near bv. Tut Lin -day dad not appear
iill the WORK had fairy began. Suddenly lie en-
tered tue harm. and with cn'-l ke tread an
prD arhcd Cplyiu from hind aud teiled him to
fractured END derth ensured almost tns'au-
tlneously. Iius inv AMI Va icr then dragged
the b,IA TO tue loft overhead and robbed IL.
.rre. ii,d two ro,e5. Iinedov handed $500 to
Nader, together with the 'pers. viii ia al or
wHli proved of service ia lea ltns d ths app.e-
hens 10 of I - murderer. water having 4. pre-
sCutcd htmself us Gown nnd ceiVcf the money
for thom. For these crimes Nader IL now under
Indictment.
The body II Colyin was left hidden In the hay
toe river and tur,w 1t in. six months passed hv,
when the body was found by party Of fisher
u. fore the trial began. It was understood th.t
Nadcr would tnrn states evden e. hence the
indictment found against owen Liusday rs
principal IN the murder Of Francis A. GOWN
The 1RiAL
Lusday's trial began 1t the Court House In
this city GA the 18th Of January, lisa. BishOp
Nader was pr tuced by the pros cation a. a
witness. AVID after long and able argument he
was admitted to the stand. \ mol, pros rn VS.
thefeupOu entered upon his indtrt mcnt. tder's
testimony was clear and straightforward. aud
WAS zorro bofated by Giro Imstantial evidence IN
many particulars. Ten DAYS were occupied In
hearing testimony and the argument OF counsel,
when the case was submitted. After delibera-
ton II seven hours duration the Try rendered
verdict az murder IN the first degree. Lnsday
listened without the least emotion. This iudtf-
ference he maintained during his nineteen
MONTH Incarceration.
Ily the laws DELAY his Original sentenc, to be
hanged on the 26,h OF the following March was
postponed. His case was ttS,n from one court
To anoil er. until It re ,cned the cliri II ltst re-
fflaa - 4 HH.HsN &.
some time. whcn a decision ifnrming The de
crccs of the courts below was handed down.
Gov. Hidden was pciitiuIrd u commute the
sentence tut all chorts proved the, and the
sentence was executed to-day.
4 ives have exeried the nsevvs to the utmost 10
saw" the NE 81 the errins man; money was Law
tsnly used. Iinsdey's father nlo~tgaging his
farm 10 pay the legal ices uf the trial.
his LAST HOURS.
The condemned man passed HI. last night on
earth in waSefuine--. He arose at ! o'clock on
bed until after o'clock ths morning, wnen he
feli into slumber Of one hour ana n nalfs d rt-
ton. lie rOnvcrsed calmly and pleasantly with
flrE SrN rep r'er and others VINO kept vigil
with him. A. times he Laughed ani joAed. lie
seemed 20 stuuiouslv avoid taking OF hts ap-
preaching doom, and parted remarks tending
in that direction. lie smoked continually, and
courted tue company II those present. Ill ad-
hered 10 his protestetions Of Innocence. and ex-
pressed hope many times during the night
that Nadcr would " tell the trutu.'
Another futile effort made this morning
to get Nader to cay something TO save Linsday' :
neck.
Lnsday awakened by his wife few min
utes before 5. HIS daughter aud parents ais D
gathered about him, and prayed with hin. lie
took hnai fnrewe Of them In the most affect
inc manner c1nsoling them by the assurance
that they would meet In heaven.
After the reading OF the death warrant In the
corridor a procession was formed, which
marched TO the gAlows. A the doomed man
emerged into the yard, a terrific hurricane, ac-
cumpanied hv rain. sprane up
Wuue una r. the beam the OH iating clergy
man, tue Rev. Mr.. Manning offered devOlt
prayer. In which he ap1e Ned 70 the condemned
man TO die p~ntent. Linsday listened alien
lively, and replied ia these words:
HANGED.
81 am innocent. gentleman, Of This crime. |
| know nothing II this matter whatever. / never
had lisp said 10 M IN re-rd 10 IL 10 the word.
| am A. innocent If tnis cr'mo - any man in
| this company. | am innocent before nltu and
! GOD. rhists all have Il saw"
the fatal moose Ma tnen pi1ced over his he al .
thu black cap shut out forever tie d Eh' of This
| world, aud at tnirtl-onc minutes sftef u
| o'clock the drop teii, ans Linsday's uiuinned
| body snot up, desceudins with terrihlo iud
| ON heinz cut Gown half an hour Later tue
| neck was found to have been nr ken.
Tue corpse was taken IN charge hy his family.
! Tho |. ra ~ ,eVa nd the TeNos pn,.iNc -ubstdv