Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-07-26
A Bold FIREMAN.
A Rcmarkable TriaI.

having in 1t an element of romance
sufflclcnt 10 form the groundwork of q
sensational novel, WAS lately concluded
In Missouri, and has now been follow
ed by the execution OF the condemned
man. The circumstances of the case
were as follows: PoindeXter Edmond
SOD, who did not bear a very good
reputation in the neighborhood in
which he lived, had frequent disputes
with a man named Sha " ,one of which
In September last ended in q savage
hand-tO-hand fight. During its pro-
gress EdmOndson attempted to use a
knife, but was prevented by an oppor-
tune blow from brick in the hands of
his antagonist, which felled him TO the
earth and rendered him unconscious
for scne time. The blow left deep
SCAR on Edmondson's head, and he was
afterwards often heard declaring yen-
geance against his enemy. In the
month of October Shaw, who was re.
turning home from work one evening,
was fired at by some one hidden Ia
thicket near by, end died in about an
hour. His friends, remembering Ed
mondson's threats Of vengeance. bold.
ly asserted that he was the murderer,
and warrent was at once issued for
his arrest. Ho could not be found. but
a search was instituted and he was at
last discovered at railroad station
several miles distant making inquiries
as to the arrival and departure of
trains. When arrested he stoutly as
serted his innocence, claiming to be
able to prove that at tho time the muir.
der was committed he WAS at home In
bed. He was committed to jail, from
which he escaped in u few DAYS, but
was subsequently captured. The trial
took place in February last, and al.
though the evidence was purely of q i
circumstantial and presumptive char.
acter, the chain was complete and ofj
such strength that no theory of the de.
fence could break it.
The attempt to prove an aiibi was q |
complete failure, and the jury returned |
q verdict of murder in the first degree.
The case was appealed to the Supreme
Court on the ground that the indict.
nent did not allege on what part of the
body OF the deceased the wounds were
inflicted, but the Court refused to sus.t
tainthe appeal. When the jury re-
turned their verdict they added to it
recommendation of mercy, asking q |
commutation to imprisonment for life.
This and q petition from citizens were
presented to the Governor, but he de-
clined to exercise his prerogative and
signed the death warrant on May 18th.
And now comes the remarkable part
OF the story. About this time the con-
demned mans brother John, a partly
idiotic youth, died from fever, and his
friends declared that on his deathbed
he had confessed that he alone was the
and that his brother was in
noceDt. This story naturally created
great excitement. 1t was published in
almost every journal throughout the
the heroic devotion of the
man tOa half-witted broth.
er and his willingness to suffer for him
were all dwelt upon and aroused much
sympathy. The Governor was appeal
ed to, and q delay in the Carrying out
of the sentence asked for and obtained.
30 that the statements of the various
members of the family as to the dead
boys confession could be prepared. |;
The affidavits were made to the effect
that when on his deathbed the Youth
had stated he loaded and fred the gun
which killed Shaw; that the condemn L
ed man knew nothing of 1t until the
deed was done, and that he (the BROTH
cry had intended to confess previously,
but refrained, counsel for the defence |,
having intimated that there was Ger.
tain to be an acquittal. The Governor
aad the Attorney General considered
these statements carefully, and at last
came to the conclusion that they were
3 mere invention. During tine trial
the same witnesses had sworn that at
the hour when the murder occurred
the prisoner was at home in bed with |,
his brother, thus proving an alibi for
the brother. Besides this, II wss known II
that the dead boy was at that time Sc
riously Ill and could not have partici-
pated Ia the crime. There was now
nothing left for Edmondson but death ,
On the gallows, and he seemed resign
ed to his fate. But during the tempo
rary absence Of the Sheriff from jail 4
week ago last Sunday the prisoner and
three others succeeded In escaping.
Entering the jailer's room, they each
armed themselves with gun and thir-
ty rounds of ammunition and made Il
their way boldly into the street. Twoll
of them escaped, but Edmondson and L