The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-10-03
miscellaneous.
rwo MURDER MYSTERIES,

on trial, the one in Saratoga county, NJ
Y, and the other in New Haven county,
Connecticut, and both have simultane'
ously reached point where public SEN
timent, which was almost unanimously
against the accused, has given marked
indications of veering around in the OPP
posite direction.
The leading facts in the Saratoga coun-
ty case were given in these columns at
the time of the murder Jesse Billings,
the richest man in the village of Balls
ton Spa, and one of the most prominent
in wealth and influence in that part OF
the country, stands accused Of the muir
der of his wife, who was shot through
the heart one evening as she sat sewing
by lamp light near window in the room
with her daughter. Billings was at a
neighbor's at some distance, when the
news of the murder reached him, and on
his return home was confronted by his
daughter, who, standing by the side of
her dead mother, charged her father
with the crime, and said it was the third
attempt. The case looked black against
him. He had for years lived unhappily
with his family, the wife charging him
with improper intimacy with married
woman named Curtis, who acted as jani-
tress of one of his buildings, and the
daughter siding with her mother A
gun belonging to Billings, and which had
seldom been used, was found seCreted in
an old well. Tracks from the point
where the shot was supposed to have
been fred fitted a pair of boots worn by
the accused on the night of the murder.
On the trial these facts were deposed to,
and the daughter, when on the
witness stand, bore very hardly ON
her father. Whilst some friends stood
firmly by Billings, the general sentiment
was strongly against him, and few doubt
ed his conviction. But great change
was effected by the opening of the de-
fense. Cross examination of some of
the witnesses for the prosecution tended
to raise some doubts. There was not the
slightest evidence beyond the charges of
Mrs. Billings, in the frequent marital
Quarrels, against the character of Mrs.
Curtis Mrs. Billings was confessedly q
woman Of strong temper and jealous
shrew. The alleged pre- 7ious attempts
on her life have no other foundation, 80
far as shown on trial, than her state
ments in similar CirCumEtanCes. The
testimony as to the tracks turned out
contradictory and inConclusive. Whilst
the case for the prosecution began at the
last moment to grow weak and unsub-
stantial, the opening Of the defense
promises to utterly destroy it, Witness
ses are to be produced Whe will corrobo'
rate every statement of Billings as TO his
movements on the night Of the murder,
and will prove that at the moment the
shot was fred he was at least mile off.
1t will also be shown that the shot could
not have been fired by the gun found in
the well, and that the real murderer was
O man who was seen after the murder
hurrying to the riverside, and who after
ward crossed the river and escaped. This
promised evidence, if not impeaChed,
must clear Billings, but will leave the
cause of the crime a greater mystery
than before. The interest in the case is
intensified by the fact that the most en-
inent counsel procurable are engaged on
either side, and that the leading counsel
for the State has never failed to convict,
and the leader for the defense has never
failed to clear his client. Whispers are
current of previous taint of blood on
both sides, Jesse Billings having. when
lad, killed his brother accidentally
when out shooting, and wealthy bach
elor uncle Of Mrs. Billings dying just in
time to secure his property to the father
of Mrs. Billings and his children.
In the Connecticut case Methodist
minister named Hayden is charged with
the murder of Mary Stannard, whose
body was found in the woods of North
Madison, under conditions which indi-
Gated that she was first stunned by a
blow on the forehead with stone and
her throat then cut. Mr.. Hayden was
connected with the murder bv the state.
ment of the girls halfsister, that Mary
had at several times told her in conf.
denCe she had improper relations with
the minister, and at last that she was
with child by him. When she left the
house for the last time, it was, she said,
to meet Mr.. Hayden and consult with
him about her condition. In the minis
ter's pocket was found a pen.knife on
which an expert in microscopy found
stains of human blood. Mr.. Hayden,
from the time Of his arrest, has preserv-
ed a perfectly composed demeanor, that
either argues conscious innocence or
hardened guilt. The case was very
strong one, and the conviction of the
minister guilt was general until the tes-
timony of the defense began. 1t was
shown that the girl had an illegitimate
child before she saw Hayden, and had
since been living out at service; that at
the time of her death she was not in a
way to again become mother, and must
have known it Another expert testi-
fed there was not the slightest trace of
blood on the clothes worn by Hayden at
the time Of the murder. But the most
striking testimony was that of the wife
of the accused. She swore that at the
time of the murder the blood stained
knife was in her possession; and that the
stains on it were caused by an accident
some time previous; that she had no rea-
son to doubt the fidelity Of her husband;
that Mary Stannard did not see Hayden
but herself on the visits to which the
prosecution attach much Importance;
and that she always had and still has
perfect confidence in her husbands de-
voted love to her. The testimony was
given in q manner that convinced every
one of it's truth, and deeply affected all
present. Nothing remains to clear Hay
den but satisfactory proof Of his where.
abeuts at the time otthe murder, and an
explanation of the story told by Mary
Stannard's hslfsister concerning the
murdered girls statements duplicating
him. And when he is cleared, the mys
terry of Mary Stannard's death will be
darker than before Cleveland Herald.
Mr.. Hayden las been triumphantly
discharged.
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