The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-04-13
InPRISoNIxG INNOCENT MEN.

IMPRISONISG INNOCENT MEN.
A singular case Of the convictlng of two
men Of crimes which they never COM
mitted, comes from Cambridge, o., and
we obtain the particulars from the
JeferSOrHan of that town.
About thirteen months ago the house
OF woman named JENNIE ARCHER, was
broken into, on dark, stormy night, and
she WAS robbed OF between two and three
hundred dollars. The next morning the
neighbors were informed of the robbery
Oy JENNIE, who was positive that the
thieves were EVERETT HESKETT and
THOMAS STEWART, two farmers who
lived in the immediate vicinity. AS it
had rsined hard during the night, the
rosds we're muddy and plainly showed
horse tracks leading along the
road, first to the stable of HEsKETT
and then towards STEWARDS. The
measurement of the tracks agreed ex-
sctly with the size of the foot OF HE'S
KETT's horse, and to render the matter
apparently beyond doubt, the tracks
showed that there WAS no shoe on one of
the horses fore feet, and upon inspection
it was found that HEsKETT's horse had
but three shoes on. Both STEWART and
HEsKETT were arrested. The latter for.
feited his bail, but was aiterward arrest
ed in illinois and sent to the Peuiten-
tisry for three years. STEWART was
sentenced to two years in the same
prison. The prosecuting attorney, some
time afterwsrd, was convinced that q
man called PETTAI, of Noble county,
had been connected with the robbery,
and he had him arrested and put under
bail. Last week FRANK Cook informed
the prosecutor that JOSEPH ODELL and
PETTAY were the parties who committed
the robbery, and they were placed under
arrest At the trial Cook testified that
PITTAY, ODELL and himself had held
numerous consultations in regard to
the robbery, but he backed out he was
sfterward given hush money. Corroo-
Grating testimony was brought in and at
last ODELL made full confession from
the witness stand. He acknowledged
that PEATAY and himself committed the
robbery, aud that be shaved his beard off |
ate returning home. PETTAY declares |
that he is innocent and that it is put
up job. One theory OF the horse tracks |
was that STEWART and HEsKETT came |
10 JENNIE ARCHER's TO meet the other |
two men, and found that the robbery |
hsd already been committed. Another |
is that PETTAY and ODELL purposely !
rode down the road to HEsKETr's in or
der to fix suspicion upon them. 1t is said
that PETTAY's horse had one shoe of .
jlst as HEsKETT's had. This is q
"nuch mixed" case, and one that will !
aotly "pOin. moral" 1t shows how
foolish Is the judgment of man, and how
weak in reality the circumstsntial some
times is. Such q case as this Is of more
practical benefit to y hot tempered COM
munlty than all the lectures and sermons
that ever were delivered. In the most
lswles5 districts the ruling spirit is de-
sire to- ";sir play and no fsyors" No
class of people are so quick to appreciate
noble action, as crowd of passionate
men who would lynch man if they
thought there was sufficient reason for 80
doing, and no one would be quicker IN
showing Their approval. When these
people see that il takes time and patience
to prove man guilty of crime (al.
though he may be convicted) upon mere
circumstantisl evidence, they will be less
hasty in giving way 10 lswiessness Tor
fear that they may murder an innocent !
man. Let them remember that many .
man has been hung or sent to jail for
crimes they never committed, because ,
The evidence seemed TO warrant il.