Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-04-14
VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTAyTAI
flE E5l EVIDENCE.

In the year 1s4l the now flourish
ing city of Steubenville, Ohio, was a
very small place. Its population
was noted for its quiet and orderly
character and there was not a single
liquor saloon in the place.
Crime was very rare, and the Cir.
cult Judges often had occasion to
congratulate the people upon not
having single criminal case upon
their calendar.
In consequence there was consider.
able excitement in Steubenville when.
at an early hour in the morning of
the 18th of November, in the above
mentioned year, the report reached
the place that the corpse of a man
had been found in the woods within
a hundred yards of the last house of
the town and close to the Pittsburgh
turnpike, with every Indication that
an atrocious murder had been COM
mitted. The Sheriff, accompanied
by some fifty citizens, Immediately
FASTENED to the spot indicated to
him by the person who had discover
ed the remains of themurdered man.
That person was ,decrepit old wo-
man, who had gone -out to gather
hkushFood. No one would have
snspected her, under any circum-
Of having had anything to
do withthe bloody deed, and besid-
es, she manifested such unfeipned
horror an describing what sheS had
seen at THE dismal spot in the woods
that she was unhesiSafingly allowed
to go ahoat her business.
,Uponafriving at the scene of the
supposed,murder the.Sberiff and his
companions saw that a terrible crime
had besR-eommitted. The dead man
was ceTered all oyer with frozen
gore, and seven wounds, apparently
inflicted with a sharp knife, were
found upon the body, His head,was
still covered witha nice felt=hat.
His face presenteda a-most ghsstly
aspect. A terrible cash extended
from the left tempIefo the right Jaw.
Another cash was in -the forehead.
The victim was dressed in substau-
tial fur coat. He vas apparently
forty-two years old When his pocE-
cts were examined they were found
to be entirely empty. But close to
the body was found an oldfashioned
wallet. 1t was still open, as if its
contents had been taken from it. and
asif he who had emptied it had af-
terward thrownit away. AT a dis
tanee of about ten yards from the
corpse, near an old log, lay pecnl-
liarly-shaped fur cap. 1t could not
have belonged to the murdered man.
for, as we have said before. he had
his hat on his head.
The Coroner was sent for. and un-
I'll his arrival the Sheriff and his COM
panions went 70 the Ohio Tavern
which was situated at no great dis,
tauee from the scene of the murder
When the Serif told the landlord
of the murder, and described to him
the appearance of the corpse, the
landlord exclaimed at once:
-'Great Heayensi that poor fellow
cannot be sanyone else than A1r.
Sammis, the Pittsburgh cattle-deaI-
eF He was here last night and took
supper with another man from Pitts.
bureh, whose nameI believe was
beIsoH or Wilson, and who rode on
toward Pittsburgh Immediately af-
ter he had left the table. o Mr. Sam
mis- sat IN the front room with, ,me
and Jack Capon for an hour. when
the two weus put together"
Jack .UapOn was q diss, lute but
very goed-natured fellow. abont
thirty years old, who had a deci;9ed
aversion TO work, and a still more
decided prediction for stron,y drink
He could not get any whisky at
SteubenVille, and hence he often
walked for miles and miles to get a
"wee drop" Of whisky. When he
was successful he refined to Steuben.
vile, where he had frequently been
punished by the Squire, for intox.
icatisn, with tine and imprisonment.
Still everybody liked him, because
he bad an excellent, unselfsh heart,
and never forgot q favor done
him.
wv nat sort of hat did Capon wear
last nightG" asked the Sheriff.
why, no hat, but a fur cap
made OF beaver skin-with two ear
covers.p