, 1877-06-18
WONDERFUL BROTHERS.
One Commits = Murder nna tho Other
AErecs TO Hang for tho Crfme.--" sava.t by

Neck"
Lincoln tSts.l Correspondence Nte, rorx Herald
In Bloomfield, A little town In the County Of
1'olnie1 1teF ANIL James E.lmopl.on. polnderter,
the elder, was a smart, intelligent young mat
Of u, who Ind for years cared for mud protected
1lts younger brother jAmcs. The latter was u
feeble mind, but was remarkable for the alice
ioa displayed toward hi, broti,or. The slightest
wish OF PHin1cxtct was to James sacred CONT
mani, and tue affection Was returned in an
equal degree BY the older brother. Last
man nameti William Shaw, i and in the ilEht whicl,
cnsued Edmondson was struck on the head
with brick BY Shaw and seriously Injured. iic
was confined to Ills room fos considerable
length of time, and daslng his confinement very
"l'll get cscn with hEm,' "l'l! TX Shaw for
this" etc. These expressions were noticed atld
remembered by many people who called to sec
him. thouEh no'ody paid any grcat attention ts
roindexter James showed remarkable ITS OF
violent anger toward Shaw. whenever he saw bis
brothers. wound; nDd lonV nfterWard, when the
wound had healed, hc would ify tnta a violent
T. Ss, 3. ras' at sight OF the scar In a'' brothers.
One day last October Po!ndexter, whi7o sitting
with Its brnthcr, suddenly put Ills hand to h!s
head, complaining. That 4 aclsc1 terribly, and
wounI from which lie would never entirely rt-
rover. Ja1nts lad his usual paroxyan, and
rofndcxscr tried to soothe him, mentally End
Ing fault with hlnlse!f for ~ thnughttcssay
sleaklnE Of this subject before his ha'f'crazed
Thu next day James disappeared, aud that
night Shaw was found cut to picces with
butcher knife and quito dead In Ills room.
EInionlso1, because ol Tho former trouble he
Ind bad with Shaw and hts tllreata during and
since Ills illness. lie was arrested and thrown
Into prison.
f1l!cl the mI,id Of PoInicxtcr III regard to tho
murder. The actions OF his brother Jatnee, hls
disappearance and thu nlunlcr following upon
It pointed In his mind to his brother James rs
hi. muuth sealed. On tho THRU day JAMES re-
turned nnl confessed TO his brother tint he
t'ad murdered Shaw, and wuntcd TO denoMnca
himself at once and takc his ptace behind the
bars Will! Ills brother. But Pnn.lextcr refused
I" allow H.. fu the most Gintliug way md IN the
u1nst aacrcd manner ho commanded lis brother
nrrcr tn tell anybody the facts In tho cnsc.
Used to obcytng IIis btothcr's slightest wIsh ho
readily made the required promises.
attorneys that conld b found were employed
IN The defense. They lid ali that could 10
done, vet they wcrr cs1nv!ncel that l'otMicxtcr
was keeping back from them eono. Important
truth ala'nt tho matter. They Mrge!i upon hin,
Tho n.rrssity Of tonslding everything to his
attorneys; lint hr invariably replied thut he
hail told all nbout the case that o conld tell and
al he knnw. Tho trial ended, and tho 1nTy
brought In verdict Of guilty VI murder In the
nrst degrees, nnd, tle unfortunate man was
6"ntetpcl To 1u hanged on May 2, 1877. Tho
nsft.r1eys tried lty every means to get a now
trial, to lsnya the Supreme Court review tho de-
rlkion Of the lower Court, bnt in vain, and tho
sacrifice. A u last resort au appeal was made
u tiDv Phelps fur Interference; but after every
argument. ha.! bccn exhausted tho Governor
'rIn,y rcfuae.l to Interfere with the fulings OF
ftnaiPt Tia tuaf hnrn ng,I pa,ft1.
sirxter prepared for death.
TIN fatal day was drawing near, but the In
trrposing hand 1T Providence was also near. 4
few ,lays hcfore tho time Get ior tho judicial
murder lanes EdHpnlson was taken suddenly
III At DlNMfeld auh laid upon Ills deathbel.
1'heu, knowing that his 1ffU was drawing to an
cm!. hc rt,ntessed that hc, and not hfs l.rotlcr,
had killed William Shaw. Proper witnesses
down In writing. hs a Tnnttcr OF course, tho
prDptc were greatly cxcilcd. Tl,ere wcrc lint
few days lntcrycning nctoro tho ttme sct for tho
exestn,,tlon Wl,at was to be- 'one must, must 10 done
III money ralsed and Yo;lng man sent will. NIL
rosablo sprc1 10 Iay tho facts hcfDre Gov.
l'tlE!ps ut Jefferson ttity. Hlo0tnacld Is COLI
siderable distance trufn the railroad station,
gcr rode u, Tie i,cnrcrt railroad stnttnn, and
then hu*tencd to Jefferson CITY and laid tho
papers lHfnre tiov. Phelps. 1llJs WIS oil the
Annlay evening preceding tho. Tuesday wlcu
granted q Ecfptto to August y. md then tllu
lawyer begsn hs rtlc for . life. lilo frat
tclrurarhc'l 10 Dnxtar, tic ncarcst telegraph
station, thc result # hls mitsIon, aud then, rs
lastencd bark To Bloomfield with tho Governors
onler Of connntntinn. lie was not MI hour to
*non. aItl.o'lgl. his telegram had been received
before. Hut there wns io hanging ~ liloomlelsl
M that dny. atIl tho pcople wntG all Immensely
lIanpy. P0tndc1ter E1ln,undson cnul,l not
sEhrak whch first informal that Ills brother ltal