The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-04-30
AN UNEXPECTED CLUE.
4 STORY OF CIRCUMsTANTIAL EVIDENCE

4 STORY OF CIRCUMsTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
As the Rev. John Craig was returning
home to Weston-Super-M Mare, in the west Of
England, on the night Of September u, 1881,
he was accosted by a young man in the garb
of a sailor, who asked the time 1t was nine
o'clock, and there was sufficient light to ena-
bic the clergyman to take a good look at the
sailor. He was above the medium height,
with smooth face, dark curly hair, and a
small scar above the left eyebrow. lie car
ried a thick stick in his right hand with q
dogs head or the top. The clergyman rode
on, and the sailor pursued his course in the
same direction.
Soon after daylight on the morning OF
Sept. 18th, James Butler, a wealthy resident
of Weston, was found murdered in his bed
room. He was a widOwer with one daugh-
ter, Emily, aged eighteen, a very lovely girl
Mr.. Buffers skull had been fractured with
some blurt instrument. The desk in his
room was rified and some three thousand
pounds sterling were missing.
A search of the premises disclosed the fact
that some person had entered by a small
balcony from the garden. There were marks
of footsteps beneath and soil was on the bal
couy Among the bushes in the garden was
found a stick with q dogs head for a handle
which was covered with blood and hair. The
fact came to Mr.. Craig, who testified that he
had met the young sailor the night before
and that he carried a stick precisely similar
to the one found. There was no doubt that
the fatal wound had been inflicted with the
stick, for the hair on the top of it correspond
ed with that Of the murdered man.
Constahles were sent off in pursuit of the
supposed murderer. He was traced to Bris-
tol but there the officers lost sight Of him.
Several ships had sailed early that morning.
but whether the young man had left on any
of them could not be ascertained.
Those were not the days of steamboats,
and telegraphs, and all the authorities could
do was to wait patiently and see what would
turn up.
BY the death of her father Emily Butler
had become heiress to his estate, and as the
will specified that in case he died she should
come into possession OF the property at the
age Of eighteen, was virtually mistress Of a
splendid domain. She received several offers
of marriage, but rejected them all, and kept
within her own dwelling.
Soon strange things were whispered
around, and at length it was openly said that
the young lady at the Oaks, as the dwelling
was called, would become mother This
event did actually happen in June, 1882,
much to the surprise and CONSERVATION Of
all respectable people in the neighborhood
Immediately after the child's birth she had
him christencd Charles Ransom, and an
nounced that she had been secretly married
to the father, who bore the same name. Who
he was or anything about him she refused to
tell.
One month later, that is in July, 1882. a
person was arrested in Bristol answering to
the description of the young sailor who was
supposed to be the murderer Of Mr.. Butler.
The Dover Castle, a West Indian trader, had
just arrived in port, and he was captured as
he put his foot ashore. Investigation show
ed that the Dover Castle sailed from Bristol
on the morning of Sept. 81, 1881, the day af-
ter the murder oE Mr.. Butler.
The young man, who gave his name as
Samuel Carter, expressed surprise when told
he was arrested for murder, but when in
formed that Mr.. Butler was the victim he
sank to the earth. He solemnly averred his
innocence. but admitted that he had in his
keeping on the day of the murder a stick
with a dogs head handle, and said that he
had lost it, he didn't know where.
When confronted with Mr.. Craig the lat
ter instantly identified him as the sailor who
had met him near Weston on the night of the
crime and asked him the time. There was
the same smooth face, the dark, curly hair,
and the scar over the left eve.
Il H. 10, 1,f+
Castle with the stick in his possession the
afternoon preceding the murder, and that he
did not return until four o'clock the next
morning, lis excuse being that he wanted to
spend the last night at home with his rela-
tives. 1t was also shown that his shoes were
dusty as though he had been walking along
a country road.
Carter persisted in his denial OF all knowl-
edge of the murder, but was convicted and
sentenced to be hanged.
What had become Of the money taken on
the night of the murder was not disclosed ON
the trial.
The very day on which Carter was sen
fenced the Sheriff of Gloucester received a
letter from the manager Of bank in Exeter,
Devonshira, saying that just about the time
when Mr Butler was murdered a man who
gave the name OF Crafts deposited $4,000 in
the bank saying that ne was going to start
business in Exeter as a saddler, and his father
had advanced him the money. As it was not
usual for a stranger to deposit so large asun
in notes, the manager examined the notes
carefully. He found that they had beer
counted and arranged 91OO at a time, and
between each lot a small piece Of paper wa:
| placed right in the centre. On one of these
scraps there was writing, and with car,
| peculiar to the manager he had placed tht
| scrap in small drawer with other like odds