Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1877-10-10
Circumstantial Evidence.

Circumstantial evidence is very
good proof in its way, but it is not
IN all eases the souudest basis on
which to rest the sentence of death.
Four years ago Signor Pradoni, the
mayor OF an Italian town, Olgiate.
Olona, was attacked by three men
while driving to his country house
with one of his sons. He fired upon
his assailants, and, as he believed,
wHlndcd or frightened one, but was
atterward OverpOwered by the other
two aud murdered. Soon after.
wards three men were arrested on
suspicion, and upon what seemed
very conclusive circumstantial evi.
deuce were found guilty and con-
demned to penal servitude for life.
Three months ago one Of these men
was seized with u severe illness,
and when at the point of death lie
solemnly declared that lie and his
companions were innocent of the
crime for which they were under.
going Punishment. No importance
was attached TO this declaration,
but at the end of June a workman
living in a ueishboring village, who
had for some time been in failing
health, sent for several persons OF
his acquaintance and confessed that
he aud two of his comrades had
committed the murder. He gave
the names of his two accomplices
but upon search being made fol
them it was found they had disap
peared before the warrant for their
arrest could be issued. Further in
Quiry elected the fact that at the
date 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, t.
. diess a pistol wound in his leg, ant
had threatened her with instan
death if she ever revealed the fact
This threat had served its purpose
tor the only weak point in the evi
dence agains: the three men wh'
, were first condemned was that nom
! of them had any traces of a gnnsho
wound about him, aud if she ha,
come forward at the time the.
l would not have been found guilty
/ The Italian Minister of Justice i
. taking steps to have the two sur
vivOrs set at liberty and their con
demnation annulled. In 1861
= colored man was arrested nea
/ Louisville, KY, on charge Of com
l hitting a criminal assault upon
little girl. The circumstantial evi
dencr against him was Overwheln
\ ingly strong, and he was couyicte,
$ and sentenced TO Imprisonment TO
a life. On the twenty first ultimo
: diving negro confessed that he, an
p not the man in the penitentiar,
t WAS the guilty one. The GorprnC
!. of the State ordered a cominissiO
II of inquiry, and it was shown to
l. demonstration that the circumstaI
/. tial evidence on which the unfort,
Y nate fellow had been cOnvicte
was "a tissue of accidental circuu
a stances pointing to his guilt, bl
, easily explainable by the confcssiC
:, by the real cnlprit aud the evident
- of the prisoner In 1878 ma
g named Dnnlea, an Irish emigran
+, was convicted in Baltimore of bur
:. larry, and sentenced to impris0
is ment for ten years, purely on strol
n. circunstantial evidence. 1t no
10 turns out that the real burglar W
|S an American German named Gil
pr gotz, and that at the time Of q
r. burglary Dunlea was actual
II in Ireland. This he naintain
nj throughout the trial, but he had
n. money to conduct his defeuse al
ri suffered accordingly.