Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-07-06
AN INNOCENT MAN HUNG.
A Black Page In the History Of Cir
cumstantial Evidence.

the arlst0cracY OF Old VIZ
yinia no family was more distin-
yuished than the Clymers, and of
hat family Colonel James Clymer,
whose terrible fate is herein told, |
was one of the most esteemed mem
bers. He was gentleman of no.
bic presence, high education and
great wealth, and was Justly be-
loved for his many amiable quail
ties and his unbounded generosity.
Until the age Of thirty-eight, Col.
Clymer remained a bachelor. At
that time he married Miss Julia
Merwin, whose family was very ex-
tensive and of equal consideration
with the Olymers. Mrs. Clymer
was of quick and irritable tenn
per, and differed in religion and
politics from her husband. Con-
slant misunderstanding and biok-
erings soon arose between the new
ly-wedded pair, and what made
matters worse, the lady brought
into the family an ill-natured, sus-
picious confdante in the person of
an elder sister. This woman's
method Of procedure was the source
of perpetual discord. She set her
self to pry into the history of the
colonel, and soon discovered that a
mulatto girl residing on the prop
erty had, previous to the colonel's
marriage, been the object of his
illicit love. Miss Merwin excited
the jealousy and aroused the natu-
rally unamiable spirit of Mrs. Cly-
mer, by every means in her power,
but chiefly by her insinuations re-
specting this girl. From morning
till night the colonel was badgered
and misrepresented. The birth Of
a son a year after their marriage
did not heal the breach, as one
would have supposed it would have
done.
The wife's sister famed the flame
of discord with her ever.restlesi
tongue, and the wife herself seized
every opportunity to mortify hel
husband in public. Fanny, thu
mulatto girl before spoken Of, wal
employed to nurse the baby SO as tc
be continually under the eye O.
Mrs. Clvmer, who vented on thu
helpless and unresenting slave al
her spiteful animosity.
Colonel Clymer became restless
and dissatisfied. lie lost his former
gay and buoyant spirits, and sough
distraction in business, applying
for and ily,obtaining a position
in the excise department. His ney
occupation brought him into coils
ion with people, and he became un
popular. This fact must be born
in mind, as without doubt it aG
fected his subsequent fate. Here
too, is an instance of the violen
temper of his wife, and as material
ly contributing to his doom, an in
cident must be mentioned. Whel
engaged, toward the close of th
financial year, in making up his Of
fetal accounts, his wife asked hir
: to do something for her. Being i
| the midst of Il calculation, til
, colonel did not attend to his wife
request. She grew enraged, and j
. a violent paroxysm of pasSio
caught up a number of valuabl
: papers and attempted to thrui
. them into the fire. Her husban
0 was obliged to use violence t
6 wrench them from her, and sa,
: them from destruction.
b Colonel Clymer soon becam
: careless as to the management {
+ his domestic affairs, and his viii
# and her sister were left to oontr,
n everything. Henceforth the unto
g tunate girl Fanny led a miserab
e life, for it was upon her chiefly thi
d Mrs. Clymer vented her wrath.
n 1t was the third year of Mrs. Ol
If mer's marriage. One day TIE chi
It now two years old-happened
t, fall and bruise its face. Mrs. Cl
mer declared that the nurse, Fann
l. had designedly knocked the chi
II down. Fanny with tears in h
/, eyes, protested her innocence. MI
rs Glymer would not listen to her, b
e. declared that she should be whippe
N The same morning, as the colon
1t was starting on horseback to
s, town at some distance, and VIII
c. Fanny was holding the child
y. him to kiss, Mrs. Clymer said:
re Colonel, wish you won
lc bring me q good raWhlde; ! want
r, use it on somebody you know"
to Fanny turned deadly pale and
G. most dropped the child. From h
be confession, from which, in conjur
as ton with other testimony, the ia,
of this history are taken, it appei
ur that the continual persecut
in which the girl had undergone b
ad had its effect upon her. This i
n outrage was uubcarable. The &
I'M had been tenderly brought up, ]
in master had petted and londled b
on and until he brought home a "
10 she had never known what a ha