Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-04-19
Another Life Taken.

"
Monday evening Jonathan Stanley killed
Richard Finch. at the coal banks. on the Well
iington road. about three miles above this city
mere were four men with Stanley at the time,
all being his relatives. while Finch was alone.
Stanley went to Wellington. gave himself up,
was guarded during the night. and had . hear
Ing before Squire Terrell Tuesday morning,
Col. Rathbun appearing for the defense, and
AIR. BLACKWELL for the state. There were no
witnesses except the Stanley crowd, and an old
lady who lived near the place of killing. Tue
OLD lady was subpoenaed for the defense, but
she was not put on the witness stand. The
Stanleys claim that Finch had picked q quarrel
with Johnathan Monday evening. In q saloon. in
this oity. and had called him harsh names. &C.,
that Stanley avoided a fuss by walking OF and
leaving him; that In the evening as they were
going home they found Finch at the coal bank,
Where he renewed the quarrel, and finally got
OF his horse. and picked up = stone. with which
he advanced toward the wagon, In which the
Stsnleys were seated; that Stanley retreared out
of the wagon till he got near the heads of h,s
horses. all the time warning Finch not to come
nearer, and that % he kept Advancing Stanley
drew u revolver aud fred i've times, one shot
striking Finch and kIlling:hlm In . few minutes.
Mr.. Blackwell had no time to learn anything
soooI Tx Case y = .uune up Witnesses for the
prosecution. and as he had no way of dlsprovlns
anything stated by the defense. Squire Ferrsll
discharged the prisoner. Mr. b. has learned
more since the trial than be knew before. In
contradiction of the story of Finch seeking q
quarrel In q saloon in this city, none OF the
witnesses would state IN what saloon the quarrel
occurred, and a woll-known gentleman of this
city says that Stanley was introduced to him
Monduy evening by Finch, and they all went
and drank together. The Stanley crowd ledt
town first. and stopped at the coal bank, where
q sister of Johnathau lived, and where they say
they expected to get something to eat. They had
been there fifteen minutes before Finch rode IN.
One Of the crowd had gone some distance back
down the track. and raised q quarrel with q
man at work down there. The wagon had stop
ped on a shelving place between the blun and
the railroad, and having = slope toward the
railroad. Finch was shot IN the left side of the
neck, the ball going down and cutting some of
the arteries Of the heart, and causing death from
Internal bleeding. We learn that the old lady.
Whose evidence was not given. says that Finch
was on the lower eide of the wagon, and seemed
to be trying to get out of SANKEY'S way. This
seems to have been the case. for Stanley would
have had to be much higher than Finch In order
to strike him As he did. The wound strongly
indicates that Stanley was standi ny In the
wagon. and that Finch was on the lower side
OF it, and perhaps trying to get under the
wagon, or to get some OF the crowd between
him and the pistol. The case 10 . bad Que, and
We leave the public to draw their own conclu-
sions. 1t is rumored that sinca the examining
trial Stanley has left for parts unknown.