River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-03-07
AN INNOCENT NAN HUNG.


On the 9Th o. June, 1929, Mr.. Robert
Bell, farmer residing in the neighbor-
hood of Norwich, England, was found
murdered and robbed in an unused by
road leading from the highway to his
house. Two laborers going at daybreal1
to small coppice near by, saw the body
in ditch, and, recognizing the farmer,
notified his family, which consisted of a
wife and one daughter. The proper au-
thorities were summoned, and a careful
examination was begun. Mr.. Bells skull
was cut in two places from the blows of a
blunt weapon, AMI there was one stab
wound in his heart and another in his
throat. In the mud GEAR by were the
marks of Mr. Bells boots, and of the bare
feet of another party. Lying in the ditch
a large iackknife was found with which
the stab WOUNDS had been inflicted. The
marks of Mr.. Bells boots were visible
from the road up to where the body lay
as were also the prints of naked feet.
These latter were traced along the road
leading frem Norwich, for about quar-
ter of mile, to a stone by the roadside.
Here they ceased, and it was supposed
thar the murderer had sat upon the stone
and put his boots on. Between the Stone
and the hedge Mr.. Bells hat was found.
The lining was wanting. On the top OF
the stone there was thin layer of mud,
and in it was the impression of corduroy
trowsers. In the yard of an inn about
two miles further on the lining of Mr..
Bells hat was found.
1t was evident that, after committing
the crime, the assassin had visited the
inn. INQUIRY showed that Mr. Bell quit
ted Norwich about seven o'clock in the
evening to walk home. a distance of about
three miles. The probability was, there
fore, that he was murdered between
eight and nine o'clock, while it was still
daylight. About ten o'clock the same
night a Jewish peddler called at the inn,
in the yard of which the hat-lining had
been found. He wore long boots and
corduroy trowsers. He ate little bread
and cheese, drank glass of ale and
quilted the place, remarking that he had
long journey before daylight. That
was all that was known about him at the
inn, but the wife and daughter of the
murdered man had an important fact to
relate.
Between six and ten o'clock the same
night, the peddler called at the farmers
house and informed Mrs. Bell and her
daughter that Mr.. Bell had sent him with
a message to the effect that he had forgot
ten some important business, and had re-
turned to Norwich, and that probably he
would not return home until next morn
ing. These facts clearly pointed to the
peddler as the guilty man. After MUIR
dering and robbing the farmer he concoct-
ed the plan of pretending to be mes
senger from him with view of relieving
his family from all fears of his prolonged
absence: thus securing time for his own
fight.
Officers were sent after the peddler,
and next day he was arrested, examined
and committed for trialas the murderer of
Mr. Bell. When the trial came on the ped
dler, whose name was found to be Abram
Lewis, told most extraordinary and, as
was generally believed artful story.
Before this, however, additional testi-
mony OF most startling nature was pro-
duced for the prosecution. In the ped
dlers box, in which he carried the goods
which he offered for sale, found a
small parcel containing ten shillings, the
wrapper being piece of newspaper. In
the farmers pocket was found the news
paper from which the piece used as a
wrapper had been torn. 1t fitted exactly.
The hostler of the inn at Norwich, at
which the famer stopped on the day he
was murdered, identified the peddler.
as h aving been in the inn yard on the
day in question, and as having asked a
number of questions about the farmer.
The hostler also swore that the knife
found by the dead man belonged to the
peddler. He knew it from the fact of
the peddler's having lent 1t TO him that
very day to bore hole in a strap of a
harness he was fixing, None of the mon
ey which the farmer was known to have
had about him was found on the peddler,
but it was supposed that he had hidden
it somewhere before he was arrested.
The peddler in his defence, proved, FIRST
of all, that he was a man of good charac-
ter, bringing up his family in respectable
ity. Then he told his story. He said
that on the night Of the murder he was
on his way from Norwich to the midland
counties. About hundred yards from
the stone before referred to he met man
well mufiled up; the man passed him,
and the peddler walked on. He sat down
on the stone to rest, and filed his pipe.
The paper in which he carried his tobac
co see whether there was any thing lying
near he could substitute for it.
Between the stone and the hedge he
saw what he supposed was an old hat. He
picked it uo, and tore out the lining, and
wrapped his tobacco il it. AS he did
this, he saw the man whom he had passed
Just before coming toward him. When
the man got close,to him, he said
Friend do you want to earn couple
of shillings2"
II always want TO earn money" the
peddler replied.
"If you will carry message to the
house on the bill, there" the man said,
II will give you ten shillings."
"What IS the messageW the peddler
asked
II live there, tie man said. AGO and
tell the folks that have forgotten some
important business, and am going back
to Norwich, and won't be home, perhaps,
until tomorrow"
The peddler agreed to go and carry the
message, and the man gave him ten shill-
ings wrapped in piece of newspaper.
That was the money and the paper found
in his box. He took took the message,
as before sworn to in the evidence by
Mr. Bell and her daughter
After eating his supper at the inn the
peddler, according to his story, went into
the yard and filed his pipe. Then he
transferred the rest of his tobacco to his
waistcoat pocket, and threw the wrapper,
the lining he had taken out of the hat
by the stone-upon the ground, where it
was subsequently found. The peddler
said that, seeing the farmer around in
the inn yard, he asked the hostler where
he lived, whether he was well off and
whether he had any children, with the
sole view of finding out whether it would
be worth while visiting his residence for
the purpose of selling mis- wares. As to