The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-09-26
5 NO. g..


three men were arrested on suspic-
ion, and upon what seemed very con-
elusive circumstantial evidence were
found guilty and con lemned TO Pc
nal serviLude for life. Three months
ago one Of these men was seized
with severe illness, aud when at
the point of death he soemnly de-
clared that he and his companions
were innocent of the crime for which
they were undergoing punishment.
No Importance was attached to this :.
declaration, but at the end of June
workman living in neighboring vii
lage, who had for some time been in
failing health, sent for several per-
sons of his acquaintance and con-
fessed that he and two Of his COM
rades had committed the murder
He gave the names Of his two accom-
|plices, but upon search being made
for them it was fou1d that they had
disappeared before the warrant for
their arrest could be issued. Furth.
er inquiry elected the fact that at
the dale of the murder an old woman
living near the spot had been asked
by one of these two men, who came
to her cottage in great hurry, to
dress a pistol wound in his leg, and
had threatened her with Instant
death If she ever revealed the fact.
This threat had served its purpose,
for the only weak point in the evil
dence against the three men who
we're first condemned was that none
of them had any traces of a gunshot
wound about him, and if she had
come forward at the time they would
not have been found guilty. The
Italian Minister Of Justice is taking
steps to have the two Survivors set
at liberty and their condemnation
annulled.
In 1861 colored man was arrest
ed near Louisville, Kentucky, on a
charge of committing a criminal as.
sault upon little girl. The circum-
stantial evidence against him WAS
overwhelmingly strong, and he was
convicted and sentenced to imprison-
ment for life. On the twenty first
ultimo dying negro confessed that
he, and not the man in the penitenti-
airy, was the guilty one. The Gov
ernor of the State ordered q commits
sion of inquiry, and it was shown to
a demonstration that the, circumstan-
tial evidence os which the unfortu-
nate fellow had been convicted was
. "a tissue of accidental circumstances
pointing to his guilt, but easily ex
plainable by the confession of the
real culprit and the evidence Of the
prisoner
In 1878 man named Dunlea, an
+ Irish emigraut, was convicted in
a Baltimore of burglary, and sentenced
: to imprisonment for ten years, pure
: y on strong circumstantial evidence.
t 1t now turns out that the real bur-.
a glar was an American German
named Blogotz, and that at the time
/ Of the burglary Dunlea was actually
G in Ireland. This he maintained
e throughout The trial, but he had no
t money to conduct his defense and
# suffered accordinglv.-- Exchange.
-. s<1s ss----------
PILLAGE In PENNsYLvAN1A.-The
: labor troubles in some parts of
Pennsylvania are taking on very
y annoying and offensive form--gene-
raj plllage. In Luzerne, Wayne,
Susquehanna and Wyoming coun-
% ties the idle miners have gone into
: organized robbery to secure the
e means of support. They send ont
q foraging parties strong enough TO in
9 tinidate farmers, and ask for sup
= plies of corn, potatoes, meat, -four,
and whatever other things they may
le desire. If their requests are granted
&c they load the supplies given them in
20 wagons anil haul them off; if refused,
'e it is all the same; they take what
IL they want by force, threatening the
8 farmer with violence il he resists.
re They dig the potatoes in the field,
strip orchards of their apples, and
"a gardens of their vegetables, barns OF
D. their grain, clothes lines of their
le clothes, and drive off cattle to the
e mines to be killed. The pillagers
ef make this regular business, an(
n are becoming so bold in their depre
dations that the farmers are organi
zing themselves into vigilance com
mittees for protection, after the ives