The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-03-02

Der it now. I made short cut through
the woods to Mike Perry's house, where
I got the whiskey and returned pretty
near the same route, when I stumbled
over something and fell"
The jury rendered verdict against
him, and he was committed for trial.
His pockets were then examined, and
the ten-dollar gold piece, which Jim
Brooks had mentioned, was found.
Capon said that Sammis, who had tax
en- AN interest III him, had given 1t to
him. This was considered q very fiimsy
faisehood, and everybody was convinc-
ed that Jack Capon was guilty.
A messenger, with the news of Sam
mis- murder, was dispatched to Pitts
burg, where it created profound sensa-
ton. It turned out that the murdered
man had had nearly $40, ZOO in large
bank bills on his person. Sammis' bro
ther Mark, wholesale grocer, and a
very energetic man, accompanied the
messenger back to Steubenville, and en-
gagged special counsel to assist in the
prosecution of Capon. The latter was
tried and convicted, but the jury having
to fix his punishment, he was not SEN
fenced to death. but to Imprisonment at
hard labor for life.
The prisoner was overwhelmed with
grief because of his conviction. He nev-
er tired of protesting his innocence, and
his eyes were constantly red and swollen
from weeping.
He was taken to the penitentiary at
Columbus, where he was at first harshly
treated bnt his amiable disposition was
not long in making SO agreeable an i'm
preston on the keepers that many priv
ileges were granted to him. These he
never abused on the contrary, he prov
ed an efficient assistant to the prison au-
thorities on more than one occasion, SO
that they wondered how this good
tured man could have been capable of
committing SO heinous crime. Five
years passed by, when an event occurred
which proved beyond doubt that Ca
pom was after all an entirely innocent
man. A cotton broker, named Wilson,
at Savannah, Ga, had long been on bad
terms with his wife. Finally he charged
her with adultery, and sued for divorce
The wife thereupon accused him of hav-
ing murdered man on the 10th of No
vember, 1841, on the day after leaving
Pittsburg, Pa, and of having robbed
his victim of $50, 900 in $500 and 800
bank bills.
Sho said that she had to wash on the
next day when he had unexpectedly re-
turned to Pittsburg, her husbands shirt
which had been blood-stained, and she
had charged him with having killed
somebody. He had confessed to her
what he had done, and they had left
Pittsburg few days later and gone
south.
Wilson was arrested, and the authori-
ties at Steubenville were communicated
with. The Sheriff who had arrested Ca
pom, and who was still in Office, came
personally to Savannah with requisi
ton from the Governor of Ohio. When
he had his first interview with Wilson,
the latter, who was terrified beyond
measure by the prospect of the scaffold,
asked him whether full confession
would save him.
eff you are guilty, it may be the only
thing that will save your ife;" replied
the Sheriff.
Thereupon Wilson made clear breast
of it. He said he had waylaid Sammis,
who had left his horse at a house three
miles from Steubenville, and had attack
ed him with knife. Sammis had offer
ed the most desperate resistance, and
had compelled him to stab him 80 often
before he had succombed.
When the Sheriff arrived with his
prisoner of Steubenville, the exasperated
people there could be barely prevented
from lynching Wilson.
The Governor of the State, upon re-
ceiying certified copy OF Wilson's con-
fession, Immediately granted a full par
don to Capon, to whom the Legislature
which happened to be in session at Co
lumbus at that time, voted the sum OF
81, 600 to indemnify him for the suffer
ings he had innocently undergone.
1t is needless to try to describe Ca
pon's feelings at this change in his for
tunes. He returned to Steubenville,
where the people received him amid
manifestations Of unfeigned joy.
At the next term of the Circuit Court
Wilson was sentenced to be hung, the
court saying that the enormity of the
crime had been augmented by his cru
ely suffering an innocent man to be pun
ished for it.
Capon gave proof of genuine magma
nimity by going to Columbus and ask
ing the Governor to spare Wilson's life;
but the Governor refused to interfere.
So Wilson was hung at Steubenville on
the 4th of January, 1847.
FRANCE AND THE CENTKNNIAL.-A
meeting of French merchants and others