The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-09-06
TIE aaepERaroTT MuRpER.
Self Defense as justification.


AIdrich Confesses His Gqilt-BEt Pleads
Self Defense as q Justification.
We give this week additional particu-
lars of the murder at Dunlap, which is
the tragic termination of long series of
feuds in that vicinity. We stated in
last issue that the coroner's jury brought
in verdict that NJ. McDermott met his
death from the effects of shot fired by
Sylvester Aldrich. This decision was
based on the fact of previous trouble be
tween McDermott and Aldrich, the find
ing of newspaper in their house, frag-
ment of which fitted exactly with the
wadding of Aldrich's gun, and other cir
cumstantial evidence not necessary to
detail. When the shot took effect, Nc
Dermott's team became frightened and
broke loose from the wagon, leaving him
therein in a dying condition. He was
brought back TO Dunlap by man named
Wodke, living near, who had followed
them on hearing the team run away, and
died in about half an hour McDermOtt
was an Irishman, warmly attached to
his friends and bitter in his hatreds,
and during all the TOWNSHIP trouble ii is
said that he strongly supported Aldrich
in his feud with his neighbors. 1t is but
recently that an intense enmity appears
TO have sprung up between them. Nc
DermOtt was charged with improper in
timacy with Aldrich's wife and daugh-
ter, and this is thought to be the cause of
the difficulty. Be this as it may, it is
true that both parties had for some time
pastengaged in wholesale vituperatiOn
and abuse, even repeatedly threatening
each others lives. The preliminary eX-
animation in the case took place Mon
day, before A. j. Hughes, Justice of the
Peace at Council Grove, Messrs NichOl-
son, County Attorney, and Sharp, act
ing for the prosecution, and Bradley and
johnson & Bertram for the defense.
Circumstantial evidence for the prosecu-
ton was given during the entire day,
when the defense, after vainly attempting
to secure the discharge of the accused for
lack of sufficient evidence to convict,
placed Aldrich ON the stand. He con-
fessed that he killed McDermOtt, but
claimed that the deed was done in self.
| defense. 1t is stated that he believed
McDermott about to shoot him at the
time when he committed the deed OF
course this statement, coupled with his
admission of guilt, when viewed in con
nectiOn with his previous persistent de
NAL of the murder, must be taken with
considerable degree of allowance; yet
on the other hand, the acknowledged
desperate character of McDermott, and
his previous threats, afford good grounds
for the plea in justification. McDermott
is described as notably quarrelsOmt
and malicious man, always involved il
interminable strife and contention will
his neighbOrs. He always went heavily
armed, lived by himself, and was ex
tremely reticent as to his private affairs
Little is known of his antecedents before
his coming to Morris county, where Ii,
has resided several years; but a numbe
of ugly rumOrs as to his prior history
have been current, and it is claimed tina
he was at one time confined in a Cali
fornia insane asylum as Il monomaniac
He has committed various violent deed
since he has lived at Dunlap, men hav
ing heen attacked by him with hammers
firearms, knives, and other deadly weap
ons. He had a good claim, and wa
possessed of considerable property. Thu
Aldrich family also, as before stated, ha
not been held in very high repute, anC
have been in almost constant difficulty
since their residence at Dunlap. Aid
rich was admitted to bail in the sum O
$4,000, in default of which he will re
main in Jail until the next session of tn,
Morris county district court, when h
will be tried, and the facts that will de
termine the exact extent of his guilt will
be placed before the world.