The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-04-12
A HAIRBREADTH ESCAPE.

In the year 1841, the now fiourishinp
city OF Steubenville, Ohio, was q very
small place. Its population was noted
!or It's quiet and orderly character, and
there was not single liquor saloon in
the place.
Crime was very rare, and the circuit
judges often had occasion to conpratu.
late the people upon not having a single
criminal case upon tn ir calendar.
In consequence there was intense ex-
cltement in Steubenville, when, at an
early hour In the morning of the seven
teenth OF November, in the above men
Goned year, the report reached the place
that the corpse of man had been found
In the woods within hundred yards of
the last house of the town, and close to
the pittsburgh turnpike, with every in
dlcatlon 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
cnmstances of having had anything to do
with the bloody deed, and, beside, she
manifested such unfeigned horror in de-
scr1blng 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 SUD-
posed murder, the sheriff and his com
pamons saw at a glance that a terrible
crime had been committed. The dead
man was covered all over with frozen
gore, and seven wounds, apparently in
hlcted with sharp knife, were found
upon the body. His head was still COW
cred with nice felt hat. His face pre-.
sented most ghastly aspect.
terrible cash extended from the
left temple to the right jaw. Another
cash was In the forehead. The victim
was dressed In a substantial fur coat.
ne @ was apparently forty-two years old.
When MS pockets were examined they
were found to be entirely empty. Bnt
close to the body was found an Old fash.
ioned wallet. It was still open. az il its
contents had been taken from il. and as
II he who had emptied it had afterward
thrown it away.
AT distance of about ten wards from
the corpse, near an old log, lay a pecu-
harly shaped fur cap. It cculd not
nave belonged to the murdered man.
!or, 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 were the only
indications of the perpetrator of the hor-
rible crime.
The coroner was sent for, and until
ms 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
exclaimed at once:
Great God that poor fellow cannot
be anybody else than Mr.. Sammis, the
Ffttsburgh 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.. Samrnis sat in
the front room with me and Jack Capon
for an hour, when the two went out to
gether."
Jack Capon was dissoiute but very
good natured fellow, about thirty years
old, who had decided aversionsfo sfowork,
and still moro decided pred;lsction fol
STRONG drink.