The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-07-26

from the Chicago Times.

ne family llNeO near AHooA SieSh, Oh Inc
inc of the Chicago Alton and ST. Louis
Railroad, and their eldest daughter, Mary
Murphy was employed as domestic in
Pontiac, a distance of five or six miles
from her home She had spent Saturday at
home. and on Sunday afternoon left her
fathers house to return to her place of
service at Pontiac, following the railroad |
track, and walking the distance alone. She
was afterward, and on the same day, seen |
within about two miles from Pontiac, 60 |
ing in that direction. This was the last
seen of Mary Murphy alive. Her body |
was found eighteen days later, lying near |
the railroad track and bearing evidence of
having been murdered
In Bloomington there lived negro
named Wiley J. Morris He was an un-
fortunate negro. On the Saturday prior to
the Sunday when Mary Murphy was last
seen alive. he got into a fight, and Morris
whipped his antagonist so bad that he
Norris jumped Bloomington, bearing
some blood stains on his clothes which he
got in the fight. He was seen walking on
the railroad track toward Pontiac on the
fatal Sunday about one mile behind Mary
Murphy when she was last seen alive. He
was seen the safne evening in Pontiac,
when he told that he had been in fight at
Bloomington, and was escaping from the
officers From there he went to Joliet,
wearing the blood stained garment From
Joliet he went TO Michigan. After the
body of Mary Murphy had been found :,
the facts concerning Morris were learned,
and the theory was formed that he had ov-
ertaken the girl on the railroad track and
murdered her, and it soon settled into 4
firm conviction in the minds of the people
Michigan in the early part of 1860, and la
ken to Bloomington for safe keeping At
the next Grand Jury of Livingston county
he was indicted for the murder of the girl,
having previously undergone preliminary
examination before Justice Streamer, who
held him on the charge of murder without
bail. Morris protested his innocence from
the moment of his arrest. He had no mon
ey and had difficulty in obtaining his wit
nesses and in getting them to attend court
from Bloomington, Joliet, and from Michi-
gan. A. T. Harding of Pontiac became
interested IN Morris and became convinced
that he was innocent, and he was almost
the only person in Pontiac that was not
ready to hang him. Mr.. Harding agreed to
defend him.
The trial came on at the September term,
1860. jury was selected in the county
| where the murder was committed. The
evidence was all circumstantial, and far
from convincing, yet the jury partook OF
the popular prejudice and belief, and ele
ven were for conviction, but one, Mr.
Russ, cool-headed and clear-minded
man, held out, much to the disgust of the
detectives, and the disappointment of the
people
change OF venue was applied for by
Mr.. Harding, in behalf OF his client, OF
account of the prejudice of the people o
Livingston county. The court granted the
change of venue, and the cause was sent tC
kankakee Jail The cause came on fol
trial at the April term, 1861, the same
Judge presiding that presided over tn,
former trial The procf did not show ths
the accused was seen within mile of the
murdered girl. The theory was that HI
WAS wal iny II, :ha al mo 4 5ractiop wit h h.
girl, and was walking faster than she was
and had overtaken her The facts wer,
that he was seen a mile from her by som,
railroad iab0rers, and there was a possihil
ity that he might have overtaken her a
about the place where her body was found
He proved that he had fight at Bloom
ington on the Saturday previous and go
the blood on his clothes that was seen a
Pontiac and Joliet. The people of Pontia
were so firmly convinced Of his guilt tha
they brought every witness who knew an
fact that was against the negro. Man
came here as spectators. The story of til
girls murder waa in every mouth. Morri
was found guilty. The court refused I
disturb the verdict of the jury. and Vile
: J. Morris was condemned TO be hung on tn
third Friday in May, 1861.
. His counsel fought desperately for hin
and the fact that so many people in Kar
kakee either believed him innocent, or tha
he was not proven guilty. gaye him re
newed incentive to try and save his life.
y petition for a reprieve or communication
:, sentence to imprisonment was circulate,
and received the signatures of great m.
q ny OF the citizens of Kankakee who hear
;. the trial. When it was carried to Sprin.
~ field TO be laid before the Executive, II
Governor had been called away to Wasl
:. ington, and did not return to examine Il
petition until the day after Morris WI
10 hanged. The last words of Wiley J. Mo
rls, with the cap over his head, the rope
=, round his neck, his hands tied, and his fe
pinioned, where, "Yeu murder me, yt
, murder me, you murder me-" and wi
these words he was launched into eternit
:, Many of the citizens of Kankakee wi
. were here in 1861 will remember G.. g. II
dehrand. He was the son in law of NJ
n Houston, whe kept the old City Hotel
1861. He went from here to Galesbur
,r and was engaged in the burning of live
u stable and robbery of store or bank,
=, the winter Of 1862 From there hesent
=, the psnitentiary at Joliet. He escaped
49, less than year and went to Iowa and ioi
;. ed "Hawkeye Bills gang. He is now
- Jeffersonville prison, Indiana He /
;ts lately written to the Louisville Cour
49, Journel a history of the crimes that Haw
-, eye Bill'' and his gang have committed
in the West.
70 After ,narrating many desperate acts
cd these desperadoes, he says:
,ut Three years before this, in the fall of Is
no "Hawkeye Bill" il company with