The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-03-30

on SCOTS, which lay on the carpe
close by.
This extraordinary story was not be
lieved by the coroner's jury in the face o
all the damning evidence against Scott
1t was shown that he had seen the peddle
produce his wallet from the valisa in tn,
blacksmith shop; that he offered TO ac
company the peddler to Doncaster, an(
that he had taken up his quarters at til,
same inn, and slept in the same room
with the murdered man. Besides this
he was captured with the valise in hi:
possession, and what better evidence o
his guilt could there be?
Scott was sent to Jail, and in due course
tried for willful murder. Out of charity
young lawyer undertook his defense
The evidence for the prosecution was
clear and convincing, and Mr.. O'Bren-
afterward Sergeant O'Brien-the prison
er's counsel, saw no chance for his clients
escape. The principal witnesses agains
him were the blacksmith, John Steele, his
son Richard, the men that were in the
smithy when the peddler and Scott tirs
met the landlord of the inn, who sworC
that Scott urged the peddler to 90 to an
other inn, and the officers who found Scott
with the peddIer's valise in his posses
sion.
The hammer with which the murder
had been committed was produced on the
trial and shown to the jury. One of them
remarked to the court that it was black
smiths shoeing hammer. Mr.. O'Brien
quietly asked TO be allowed to look at it,
and he examined it closely. Then he
stood up and handed it TO the prisoner
Scott glanced his eye over it for mo,
ment, and then handed it back to his
counsel. The next instant he clutchcd it,
drew it from Mr.. O'Brien's grasp and
scrutinizcd it with the most intense inter
est. Then he leaned on the dock and
81 oke in hurried tone to his counsel.
The latter, with flushed face and hasty
movements, made his way to the side OF
the prosecuting officer, and conversed
with him in low tone for several min
utes. The prosecuting officer then spoke
with the Judge, and after few seconds
beckoned an officer and whispered to him
few words Mr. Steele, the blacksmith,
was recalled to the witness stand by Mr..
O'Brien, who said:
"bIr Steele, you are an old and eXpe-
rienced blacksmith, are you not?'
g Yes, sir" Steele answered, with a
perccptiblc tremor in his voice.
"Did you work at your trade in Holder
ness?'
"Yes, sir, when was a young man"
Anything peculiar in the manufacture
of horse shoe nails in that district, Mr..
Steele?"
"Tthink there is, sir"
"Pray tell us what the peculiarly is,
Mr.. Steele"
"rhe head is divided like in the mid
de-
Anything like the head Of that nail
used as a wedge in the handle of that
hammer, Mr.. Steele?" the counsel asked
handing the witness the weapon found
near the body of the murdered peddler.
The witness hand shook like leaf as
he reached it out for the hammer, his
checks grew deadly pale, his lips became
parched, and though he held the hammer
N his hand, his staring eyes were fixed on
his questioner.
Anything like that nail?' Mr..
O'Brien repeated, calmly looking at the
witness.
eyes, sir" Steele replied, at length,
with difficulty.
"Should you say that nail had been
made IL Holderness, Mr.. Stcele?"
'It locks like it, sir,' was Steele's re-
ply,
"Mr. Steele" the counsel said, moving
almost close to him, and standing so that
Judge and jury could see both witness and
interrogation distinctly, did you ever see
that hammer before you saw it in this
court?"
The witness gave gasp, and then re-
covering himself, said;
"Yes, sir; saw it in the hands of the
Coroner"
At this juncture there was disturb
ance in the court, and the officers were
seen striving to prevent a young man from
quitting the room.
The young man was Richard Steele, the
bIacksmith's son.
Let me co. he said; chats the old
scoundrel that did it. He knows that
hammers his, we'll enough. He knows
that he planned the whole thing and led
me into it. I'll turn Kings evidence; rll
blab the whole story. Let me 60 and I'll
hang the old villain, though he is my
father"
The scene that followed cannot be de-
scribed. Suffice it to say that a nolle
prosequi was entered, and Scott was trans
ferred into an important witness, Steele
and his son being duly indicted and tried
for the murder Of the peddler. Scott
swore to the blacksmith's having taken
the nail from the horseshoe, remarked
that it had been made in Holderness, and
driven it into the hammer head as a
wedge The hammer was furthermore
identified as having belonged to Steele,
and testimony was given which showed
that the blacksmith and his son were alb
sent from home the night of the murder, a
marketmar swearing he passed them near
Doncaster, going in the direction of Wick
hill, at three O'Clock on the morning of
the 21st of June. But the evideno> hat
settled their fate was furnished by SCOTS
valise, which they had taken at the time
of the murder of the peddler. 1t was dis
covered in the ash-heap at the back of the
smithy. Steele and his son were con-
victed and sentenced to be hanged, and
both made full confession to the follow
ing effect:
Steele, Sr., resolved on the robbery and
murder, if need be, of the peddler imme-
diately after he discovered that the man
was possessed of large sum of money.
After the peddler and his companion had
quilted the smithy, Ste,'e closed it, and
communicated to his sob his design re-
specling the peddler. The son, who was
protligate man, assentcd to the scheme.
Both were about to start after the two
men and get ahead of them by a bridle-
path; but the smith changed his plan.