The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1879-06-03
ACQUITTED.
John Hcllahon Acquitted Of Hur-
der and Rape.
The End OF the q. Clair County
Sensation.

Probably no event ever occurred in Cen.
trail Missouri that created a much excite
ment or caused such q univenal feeling oil
horror ~ the report Of the rspe Of the
daughter, and afterward murder of the
father, farmer named Ellis, BY John Nc.
Aahon, near TabesvilIe, On the Usage river
The particulars of the affair, a. published
ln the BAzoo, are familiar to all our
resden, and At the time vere briefly ss fol-
lovs:
NJ. Ellia, . respectsble farmer, lived
about ten miles south Of Appleton, near
Taherville, On the Usage river. Ellis was
The fsaher of large family, and had .
erovo.ap daughter Who seemed to have It
trscsed the attention of one Mem ahon, .
hired man working for Mr.. Ellis. The
family, q usual, sat down TO supper on the
sd, and Ellis, the murdered man, and his
wife finished their meal and retired, leav-
ing their dsughter and the man Mcmahon
in the dining room. Az soon ~ the old
people we're out McMahon made indecent
proposals to the girl, and when she refused
to comply with bis bellish proposals. he
SEIZED AND RAPED HER.
Az sood - abe could free herself she ran Ia
her father and told shat had happened.
10 the meantime McMahon had fed. The
father pasrsued him, and failing to 6nd the
man, vas returning 10 the house to get help,
when McMahon emerged from behind .
tree, overpowered the old man. took hs gun
away. and shot him dead. .. 4
McMahon fed, and the most intense ex-
cieement was aroused. Parties secured the
country in ill directions NcAahon made
his way d johnson county and went direct
70 the house Of friend, in or near War.
rensburE, when he Vas arrested, and made
The following
srArEMENT.
On Thursaay last (22d) did not work.
vas lying about the hou'e, having been
hurt the day previoas by mule. There
he's been IN intimacy between myself and
Ellis daughter, which the old man learned
that day. The old woman saw the girl
III. me and she told the old man, Who got
enraged and took the gun to shoot me. The
son interposed end while the old man and
soo we're in the scuffle, the gun went OF.
blowing the top of the old mans head into
small pieces. He also stated that the brother
of the girl advised him to leave asd he did
20. a.r
The Coroner held an inquest and the
verdict Of the jury vas that Ellis came to
his death at the bsnda Of John Mcmahon.
HIS PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
took place 1t Tsberville, st. Clair county,
yesterday; bat to take up the chain Of At
tend.nt circumstances Ne will 90 little
farther back. He had engaged Major
Henry Neill, Of Warrensbafk, - his attor-
ney. On Last Sunday night the Major
paoed through hero 70 Appleton City. de
found thst the excitement had hsea some
what alIayed BY reading the account pub
liahed in the SUNDAY MORNING BAzoo of
IN interview With McMahou ct Warrens
bur1. aud Also McMahon aiatement publish
ed shove. From there Major WE'LL went To
the residence of Judge JEFF. Younger to see
him in regard to the matter, stating that
he was McMahons attorney, that the
.--.s:a. -o~,lI h. I,.oA - T>e,oevs1lo
on Wednesday. and hoped there wonld be
no mob, and that the Law might take its
course. Judge Younger promised him his
hearty CO operation. Judge Heath. Measrs.
Prier and Puriuton. and several other lead
ing aud influential citizens did likewise.
Previous TO this. about the time of
ELLIS FUNERAL,
DR.. Davidsos had observed that Ellis had
been shot in the mouth, and from the po-
sition Of the wound 1t could hardly have
been inflicted BY any other than himself.
After the funeral he mentioned this fact
and the affair began 70 aeune . different
phase. This, coupled With McMahon's
story, made matters begsin to look more
favorable for the prisoner. Ii vas then
thought that Ellis might hsve Shot him
self BY sccident, and the theory was ad-
,vsnced that this Vas another one of the ten
thousand other cases of "biowing in the
muzzle to nee whether the gun w.s loaded"
YETERDAY.
-
before too justices, one of whom was the
coroner Who held the inquest The re-
mains were exhumed, and il was settled
beyond al doubt that Ellis had shot him
self. The most important witness was the
hoy Who acknowledged to telling Mcmahon
TO leave when his father was killed. But
the boy was - excited At the time the gun
went OF he could tell nothing about IT,
The State made out the best case they
could, and after the testimony had all
been heard, Msjor Neill demanded the &C
quittal Of Mcmahon on the ground that
there vas not the slightest evidence against
him. He VS. consequently acquitted.
AS lAe a
THE RAPE BUSINESS
ia concerned, it y 2 question that viii never
come up. NcAahon said be loved the
girl and was willing 70 marry her, but
owing 70 what had transpised, although be
va in no wise to blame, he presumed il
would Be impossible.
NcNahoa says that be had been out In
tie yard and hsard loud and aasry talking
within he house. and il va someshing In
regard 10 himself Jest then Ellis and biz
son CAM ont Of Tie house. the former with
. gun and The latter With . pistol. Know
Ing Ellis passionate temper, be stepped ON
side. He heard The boy pleading With BIZ
father not 10 kill MoMahon, and oGesed Il
20 md 81 his brcther-in-lsv to help hin
catch him. Ellis said. "If you all shinl