American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-01-19
THE SHADOW oNTHE WALL.
An Extraordinary Case of Circumstantial
Evidence.
from the Pittsburg Post.l

An Extraordinary Case of Circumstantial
~ Evidence.
From the Pittsburg Post.] IS
Captain James Stewart, who had gone
all through the Mexican war, was a man
of great force of character and of I'M
finching bravery. He had a winning
address and the most placid temper l
have ever known, but his principles
were as fixed as his feelings were lofty
He went to California in 1S49 and set
tied in Tuolomne County, then one of
the principal mining counties in the
State, was elected Sheriff, office that
in those days, when they were far re-
moved from State or Federal aid, car
ried with it all the dignity and response
Il bility which that ancient title implied.
In conversation with him he interested
- one-by relating many "reminiscences of
scenes in his early life while in that
--fT State, one case particularly, of positive
iFa and circumstantial evidence against an
innocent man, which give you in al
most his exact words:
James Lyons lived ON farm near So
e ~ nora, and many were the stories of per-
: sons having disappeared after having
80. been. seen near his place for the last
time. A roadway up to the mountains
had been made across the land of Lyons,
9 ~ but he was always displeased about it.
f1eis He cut down trees and let them fall over
the road; he built barricades to prevent
people from passing, although not
blade of grass grew upon that
part of the farm thus used. One
morning well respected teamster was
found near the Lyons obstruction rid
died with bullets
s=rE -ra A short time after this Jim Lyons
went to the mountains to take charge of
80. a water ditch; he gave his farm to his
,s-zs-.r brother, who afterwards sold part of il
to the Morrison brothers, who paid one
thousand dollars down, giving their
notes for the balance payable in one
year.
At the expiration of that time Mike
.-,,s Lyons came back to collect the notes
The Morrisons seemed very willing to
settle, they figured up the interest, and
thumbed over the notes, told Lyons
they would have to go to Sonora to get
go their money to settle, that they would
go down with him in the morning, he
could leave his papers with them and
they could figure up little more on
them and settle next day in Sonora.
Lyons left his papers, and the Morri-
sons destroyed them. Lyons called on
them for his money; they told him to
go to the devil.
Stung by this piece of sharp practice
Lyons hurried to Sonora and laid the
matter before lawyer named Watson.
The lawyer told Lyons he had no case
as there was do evidence at all to sus-
tain it, but, said he, we will bring the
suit any way. want to get chance at
: the Morrisons, and will give them the
best Safeguarding they ever got in all
their lives, and before 1 get through
with them they may wish they had paid
the money to the persons entitled to it,
The suit was brought, the trial came
on, and expected Lyons lost it. He
had no evidence to show there was any
amount coming to him, and the Nor
risons swore point blank that they had
made payment in full.
Then rueful mutterings were heard on
all sides as to the danger of the Morrison
brothers. IS I would not live on that
-srf farm for all the money in California, -
said one. /" Nor I, nor IL repeated
others Thus it went from lip to mouth
with shake of head which brought to
mind all the troubles of the Lyons place.
the mysterious disappearances and the