Mexico weekly ledger., 1880-05-20
SINFUL STEPHENS,
sallie Stephens Spoiled and
Poisoned.
AIhirtecn YcarO;d Girl RadI,
Treated by Her Father.
Vino s'OisOns Her 10
Hide His Guilt.

%omeFy county, is in our Jail await
ing trial for murder in the first de-
gree. He is charged with poisoning
his daughter, II years old, in the
year 1878. He procured n change
Oh venuc to Auarain and will, we
think, he tried at the coming term.
His attorneys hold that he is insane-
not that he vas insane then, but
now-and Was, tried on that plea in
his W county. Ten of the iurymen
found him sane andStwo thought him
not sane. We called on the prisoner
yesterday and from our conversation
should Judge him to he perfectly sane.
lie Is about 40 years old and has an
intelligent countcnance for II negro.
but has a lecherous look about his
eye and mouth. Stephens seems to
be In very good spirits and says he
has every hope Of being acquitted.
He says that when Audrain's cri.ni-
nails are taken to Montgomery county
they clear them and he thinks Au-
drain will return the compliment and
acquit him. His home was at Dry
Fork, about Is miles south of Mont
gomery City. From what we can
learn he was living there in 1878, and
his daughter, whose death he Is charg-
ed with, lived with him. His wife
was dead. 1t is supposed that his
reason for killing his daughter, was
to escape being charged with incest,
as facts which have developed 90 to
show, that he had cohabited with his
daughter for at least one year prior
TO her death that they has! both oc-
cuplcd the same bed for at least that
length Of time and q post mortcm cx-
animation revealed things which
would make the most hardened crimi-
nal shuddcr. 1t is thought that to
hide his terrible deeds he poisoned
his child and hoped to hide his ficnd-
ist work in the grave without detec-
ton. The remains Of the dead girI
were examined by chemists, vino
found not only traces of strychnine,
but a large number of gypsum seed
perhaps Il hundred. Gypsum seed is
an old negro poison. He was known
TO have bought ~strychnine the day
before thc poisoning. Gypsdm seed
not proving fatal it is supposed he
resorted to %strychnine which finished
the work.
Our facts are CLEANED only from
hearSay, but if true, Stephens mus
be n criminal OF the worst dye ant
will take y change of venue from An.
dram to 8 worrncr place-''dyine
Happy" He will either be acquitted
or condemned to death there ear
be no murder in the second dcgre,
in q poison case. We can not voucl
for the correctness Of what We hav.
cleaned in the matter, but have givcl
the facts as best we could CLEAN them
Young d., 5nucrit~ squirt tuns.'
Some young men think they were
made only to be pettcd and put II
office. How long would u very tai
cnted and learned young man prac
tlce law before made judge for tin
circuit court: Suulrt-guns viii not d'
for Notifications. We will not puff
boy for that position.-DaiIy Herald
"Squirt-guns!' Young Demo
Gratis, do you hear that: Port En-
mons processes to be Il young Demo
crat, and as such, asks for The sup
port of McXico's Democrats, espec
tally Acr young men; yet says the.
are ''sqnirt-guns.' We don't know
f to whom the above article refers htI
do know that Port Elnnons is 4 goo
example of a young "squirt-sun, '"n'
. Reddington Of an old ''squirt-gun.'
We don't believe in young Democrat
= crowdiug themselves forward anu ne
coming obnoxious; but we do be
lieve in their having Il show, and -
the flying mackercl' they will hav
while we are at the helm.