Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-04-14

OdCGN-
"Yes," exclaimed the landlord
'that is Capon's cap and no mistake
Where did yon find it?''
The Sheriff told him. EeverybOdy
seemed horror-stuck at the idea thai
I.oor Jack -GapoH should have com
mited SO ,atroeious a cgine. Mer
were Immediately dispatched to hunt
up Jack Capon. They did not find hin
at his wonted haunts in SteubenVille:
but a man who was well acquainted
with his habits said if he could bt
found anywhere it would be at the
cabin of old Sim Brooks.
Brooks lived in the woods on the
Pittsburgh side of Steubenville,
ubOut one mile from the spot where
the corpse of Mr.. Sammis had been
found. Like jack Capon, old Brooks
was fond of wh ,sky, and the two
would FIRE quently drink together I'M
I'll they we're utterly obliyious of the
cares and sorrows of this world,
which. as they thought, had not
treated either of them too well. So
to Brooks cabin went the men. Phey
knocked at the front bOor, which
was locked. For several minutes
there was no response. At last old
Brooks himself opened the door.
They saw at a glance that he was in
All alarming state of intoxication.
"Is Jack Capon here?" they ked.
"Ye-ye-yes," hiccoughed Brooks;
che is living asleep yonder, behind
the stove"
Then the drunken old fellow went
back to his lounge, aud minute let
er he was sound asleep again. The
men stepped up to Capon. He was
drunk also. His coat and shirt were
covered with blood. They exchang-
ed significant glances, and aroused
him not without considerable difficul
ty.
"What do you want?" he asked,
yawniRg.
''The Sheriff wants you, Jack"
''The Sheriff! What for hain't
done nothing.no
"You are suspected of having mur-
dered a Mr.. Sammis, of Pittsburgh.
Go away! murdered a Mr.. Sam
mis-! You must be looi y.
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? be -stammered out st
last. 4a asa
Don't you know anything about
them? they asked.
Ne-aoY You say murder was
comniEted9 TaEl
Come, come, Jack Capon, they re-
piled, you can't fool anybody by
pleading ignorance. What did you
do with your cap?
He looked about the room. -
Some one must have taken it away,
he said at last.
You left it near the corpse of the
murdered man.
Was it found there? Great Heaven
great Heaven!
He buried his face in his hands and
began to cry. Then he followed
the men, who also took old Sim
Brooks along. willingly, to the Ohio
Tavern, where the Coroner had
arrived. The Sheriff ap-
Peared soon afterward with some
men who were carrying the CORY,
frozen corpse of the victim. Jack
Capon was conducted to the corpse.
As be caught sight of it be recoiled
IN horror. It's Mr.. Ssmn1is, he gasp
ed out. Poor SamInis, who has muir
dered hiH?g7 7Egg .2qTq gkD
You were the last seen in his COM
pany, said the Sheriff; your cap was
found near the corpse; your clothes
are bloed-stsined; who but you can
be the murderer? frTf
l am innocent! cried Capon, des-
perately. ! got drunk at Brooks. l
don't know how l got this blood on
my clothes, nor how my cap got
near the,corpse Il have even for
gotten | was with this poor gentle
man. K E-eT3G !" y aFlS-!7 alfs@
The Coroner impanneled a jury, and
in the first place took them to the
spot in the woods where the murder
had been committed. Jack Capon,
roned, who had been heavily
was alsoEa conveyed thither.
The footprints near the point
where the corpse of the murdered
lad lain was not very distinct, but
hey seemed to correspond exactly
With the soles Of Capon's shoes. -.sa'
Returning to the Ohio Tavern the
Coroner swore Sim Brooks, who by
his time had become perfectly sober,
and who stated that last night, about
aalf-past ten o'clock, Jack Capon had
come to his cabin and asked him it
he bad any whisky. He had given
him half a dozen drinks, whereupon
Capon had wanted still more, but
he had no more. Capon had then
shown him a ten-dollar gold-piece,
and bad asked him if he knew where
any whisky could be bought. He
had answered if he would 90 to Mike
Perry's he might get some. There
Capon had gone and returned with
but without his cap, and
with his shirt and the front part of
his coat all bloody. Brooks added
that he had asked Capoh how he got
the blood on him. Capon was SO
drunk that Le could not give very
account of what had hap
pened TO him, but he said something
about having had a fall and hurt
himself. 3o- - s.assi ''...i ".
Upon hearing this evidence the
prisoner exclaimed:
Yes--yes;A that's true-Ildo re-
member it now. Imadea short cut
Though the woods to Mike Perry's
house, where ] got the whisky, and
returned by pretty much the same
route, when l stumbled over some
thing and fell.
The jury rendered a verdict
against him, and he was committed
for trial. His pockets were then ex-
amined, and the ten-d3llar gold-piece
which Sim Brooks had. mentioned
was found. Capon aid that Sam