The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-06-15

It is puite common, and some may
think it fashionable 10 cry out against
circumstan,ial evidence; while the fact
is-snd fact not TO be disputed Il that
no evidence is more reliable.
Circumstances do not lie; they are
Trustworthy as far as they 60, aud the
only thing required to render their evi
dence indisputable is. tina. no link in
tn. chain shall be lacking
To be sure there is . liability to error,
but it is not through danger that the
circumstances may prove treacherous,
tut that witness may be mistaken in
his direct evidence, or testimony. Ab-
solutely and truly, direct testimony-
the recounting Of what man had him
self seen or hesrd-is always to be &C
cepted with caution; and it not un-
frequently happens that such testimony.
given in the utmost good faith. proves
fatal and treaci,erous.
Let me tell you q story r. illustrate
what / mean. 1t trsnspired about 90
years ago, on the shores Of the Hudson.
A young lsdy-I forget the name.
but we will supply. ictitiously. Mary
Adams was missed from her home Her
disappearance caused much excitement.
aud that excitement ran wild when it
was at length announced that she had
been murdered. Her body had been
found on the shores Of q tributary Of
the Hudson river. with bruises upon
her heed. which gave ample evidence
that her death had been q violent one.
Such bruises might have been gaiDed
by falling upon the rocks above the
spot where the remains were found,
but there we're other circumstances that
pointed in another and moro ghastiy
direction.
A young man named William Clay
pole was arrested under accusation Of
the murder of Mary Adams. A pre-
liminary examination before = justice
afforded sufficient evidence to bind
him over TO appear before . jury.
Claypole had waited upon Miss Adams
for year or more. and during the past
two or three months the intercourse
had not been of the hsppiest kind.
She WAS proved to have been gay and
laughing. loving. with light. volatile
disposition, heart wsr,s AMI impui-
sive, aud impatient Of restraint. Clay
p ole. it appears, had been exceedingly
jealous and cxacting; prone to fault
finding. and ready to make his afiianced
,nisersbls and fearful if she dare to
look smiliDgly upon another man.
1t was proved by several witnesses
that CIsypole had threatened Miss
Adams with terrible vengeance If he
ever caught her doing certain trifling
things again; and man Of the town
. man respectable and relisble- had
seen the twain together in angry dis
cussion on the very night Of the muir
der.
He had been on his way home on
foot. and, walking lcisurely along by the
rivers bank not q hundred yards from
where the dead body had been found.
he had heard Claypole use language of
terrible significance. aud one sentence.
spoken loudly and distinctly. he could
repeat word for word aud swear to it.
1t was a bright moonlight evening,
and he had gained but a short distance
from the angry pair when be saw the
managrasp the girl by the arm and
fiercely exclsim:
I'D rather kill you and throw your
body into this cold flood than live under
such torment - you've made me suffer
for the lsst::fe weeks. Beware! tell
you. woman. am desperate"
To This the man swore most positi ively
He remembered the circumstances and
the exact date. aud that WAS the evening
on which Mary left her home not to
return. william Clsypols was COM
united for trial. and in due tune he was
brought before the jury.
II snything, tho evidence before the
jury WAS more conclusive than had
been the preliminary evidence. There
was more OF it. and it all pointed di-
rcctly to the accused. In fact, if Mary
Adams had been killed, it was an sbso.
lutte impossibility that any one else
could have done ii. That she could
have killed lhereelf WAS . proposition
not to be entertained.
william Clsypolc told his story.
Most of the evidence be acknowledged
true.
He had bsen exceedingly jealous. and
be had threatened the girl. and though
he could not clearly remember ell that
hs might have said under the influence
Of strong passion. yet he would not
deny that the man who had reported
his last terrible speech on the river bank
had reposted il correctly.
He said he had been there with Mary
cu that evening. and hs remembered
that he saw the witsess on the road.
After seeing witness he spoke the angry.
impulsive words to Mary. He eould
only swear to the staple fact that very
shortly after using the language just
presented. he hsd become startled by
bis own fierce passions, and had sent the
girl from him-and bade her to 60
home, telling her he hoped be might
never 40 her again. With that she
had left him. and he knew no more,
Claypols's story bore the stamp OF
truth in everything save the bearing
upon it Of the facts already stated.
Everybody was sorry. Nobody BE-
iieved that William Clsvpole ever nour-
ishcd murder in bis heart Il had been
but tho creature of dreadful impulse
Yet the svidssce vas oil against him
all. ail-and NOT a point whereon to
hang doabe. and he was found guilty Of
murder.
One bright, PLEASANT day. while vii.