The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-06-21
Rural Happenings.
AMurstsrer Convicted.

10 LAe county Jan ~ cyOaho''' "H''' ~ J"'
she made the acquaintance OF negro nance
George Alexander who was imprisoned io
larceny After being released they were mar
ried some time last March they went from
Sycamore to DeKalb to rent II house. Soor
after this he shot his wife with double
harreled shot gun. The gun was over-charged
and both barrels were cmpted at once, tearing
oft half the poor creatures head, and fearful
w bursting both barrels of the "fusee." Alex
ander was arrested the next day, lodged IN Jail
and indicted by the grand jury early last week
His tral commenced Thursday morning and
vas finished Friday night at O'Clock. The
Jury retired agreed in twenty minutes, and on
Saturday morning came into court and an
aounced their verdict As the sealed envelope
containing it was passed to Judge Upton, a
breatbless silence pervadcd the court room,
which was dcnsely packed, almost to suitoca-
ton, to hear it announced. The prisoner, a
young man about 81 years of age sat motion
less, cool, and apparently regardless of the
verde, o. lis consequences. The judge opened
x and read;
We. the Jury, find that the defendant, Geo,
Alexander, is guilty Of murder, as charged in
ist,c indictment and that he suffer the death
iseraly
No sooner were the last words read than u
low rumble or murmcr of applause began to
manifest itself from four or five hundred spec
,satoys present, which was promptly checked,
.lowever, blythe sheriff and his deputies The
verdict was received by the prisoner with his
usual careless Indifferent manner. He was
shortly afterwards taken to his cell by the
guards being closely followed by hundred
men, determined that no opportunity to escape
should offer itself There were two theories of
ADMINISTRATIONS insanity and accident The
first OF these vas abandoned, however, and the
defendant stoutly protested his innocence, and
sill as firmly adhercs to it now. The evidence
IN the part of the prosecution showed that
Alexander started from the house with his gun
IN his hand, being somewhat vcXed at his wife
I,he gun was loaded when he left the house
.2ltAoueh but one barrel WAS capped After
;1l4ssing out he called ais wife, and in Il moment
areport was heard, and the gun exploded.
Charley George, formerly Of Worthwhile, La
sale county, testified that he heard the expo
sion and saw two persons, man and woman
ali, and shortly after saw the man get up and
rot recognize either He went to the scene
ind found.the dead body Of Annie Alexander
The defendant testified that his wife called
him back after he had left the house to 20 duck
bunting, The gun was over his right shoulder
With the muZzle in front, and which he held
IN his hand; he halted and talked short time
With her; they had no i'll words, but were on
GOOD terms There was lot of brush and
hedge where they stood; as they were about to
separate he stopped to kiss her goodbye;
thought the gun must have caught in the
brush it exploded at that instant He did
not point the gun at her, and did not cock it;
some boys must have done that at the house.
II was almost dark When the gun went off
% knocked his head out of gear; did not re-
,Member much that occurred alterward; the
sun Jared his head, and he thought likely it
hit his wife, and he went back next morning
20 see about her and was arrested Found his
'ti,roat cut in two places and thought 1t must
have beer caused by the explosion.
DR. Ne-bit, offs Wamore, testified in rebutal
That he scwcd up the cuts on AlcXanders
neck; one was about two, and the other four,
inches long they had the appearance Of hav.
.ng been done by some sharp cutting tool or
eazor. and he thought it impossible 10 have
seen caused by the explosion of the gun.
\ motion for II new trial was entered, which
Hill probably be ovcrrulcd, and sentence pro-
louEced this week.
Eight o. nine murders have taken place in
CHS County Dekalb) within my recollection,
and this Is the first instance where Jury has
said death " to the pcrpetrator.
OF course, Dr. j. A. Freeman was acquitted
az YOIkyille in the famous trial against him
Tor an attempt at rape. Blackmaling dcvel-
sped itself all through the trial. which lasted
yearly four days. Several witnesses, who went
from Sandwich, recollcct 1,0r Il great deal
more than when they testified
Propositions for celebrating the ga Gus
Fourth Of July are being made on Il grand
scale II you want lots OF fun, wish to see the
sights have the best old.iashioned picnic YOU
Gave witnessed for twenty years, come to Sand
Fich Ii IS understood that the cXGoy. John
L Bcveridge will deliver the Grafton
Mrs. Joseph Mcclure Of tins city, died Of
tancer Of the stomach, June Ia, aged ~ years
Funeral services were held at her late resi-
icnce ou Monday.
FREQ Abel, David Hickey, and William +.
Donklin, have taken unto themselves wives.
and have already "sct 'cm up"
Monday night the eastern bound freight
ram Was '.ncoupied and the two parts OF the
:rain tried to pass on the same track. The re.
suit was that II or Is hogs were killed other
property destroyed, three cars thrown from
The track, one man seriously injured and one
veg oil u brakeman broken.
The newspaper war and battles with the
.:lergy' arc Ia be fought over again
Yesterday Charles Wallace was fined 81 for
Osing drunk, and another citizen the same
amount Tor assautlng, beating, etc
The young folks entertainment at the Pres
Dyterian Church, the other evening, was one
If the best ever seen in the CITY
Saturday the 4ycar old boy Of G. VI. Xii.
Durne diCd OF scarlet fever lie Was buried
.. Oak ElGgc cemetery Sunday.
Yours, EX l'No.
DAyTcS, June -, ls19-Our town and the
surrounding country was visited last Saturday
D. terrible strong wind and ram storm, al.
riost a ornedc. Old residents say it was the