The Princeton union., 1880-08-12
STORY OE a DlssOLUTE LIFE.

sOWAs V1S0AASNOA CON0GySx Z o00ss III 1905
He Was possessed Of q fair fortune. Late
one night in the summer of 1867 he was
called from bed by q loud knock at his
door. He opened the door on crack
and peered out. Two men, one large and
the other STRIPPING, stood on the steps.
They asked the way to the house ot q
neighbor OF DinsmOre. As he was Civ
ing them directions how to reach there,
the large man threw himself suddenly
against the door and forced it open.
Dinsmore saw then that their faces were
black. They demanded sum OF money
that they said the farmer had in the house.
Dinsmore at once seized the larger man
of the two, and, being powerful man,
overpowered hum. By the aid OF his COM
panion, the surprised robber was enabled
to exticate himself from Dlnsmore's
grasp, and the two strangers ran into the
kitchen and attempted to escape from the
house by q window. Dinsmore' 8 wife and
daughter had arrived on the scene with
lights, but were SO frightened that they.
could not make any outcry for help.
Dinsmore followed the robbers and at
tackled them again. The struggle was
renewed, and the younger of the two des-
peradoes seized butcher knife that lay
in q cupboard, and attempted to stab the
farmer. The latter warded off the blows
and struggled desperately. During the
encounter, itwas discovered by the two
female Witnesses Of the fray, that the men
were not negroes, but were only disguised
as such, the black they had on their faces
being partly rubbed of in the struggle.
Finally the elder of the robbers drew
revolver and shot Dinsmore dead. The
two men then made their escape.
As soon as the members of Dinsmore's
family recovered sufficiently from their
terror. word was sent to the authorities
at Washington, and officers were sent to
investigate the affair. A boot-heel was
found In the kitchen. This had evident
ly been detached from boot belonging
to one of the guilty men. The ground
was soft from recent rains, and in the
morning the tracks of the two men
could be plainly seen leading away
from the house. The track made by the
boot without 8 heel was easily followed.
It led to house in the village OF Wash
ington. A notorious ruftian named John
Fogler boarded there. He was found in
bed. A pair of muddy boots stood by
his bedside. One of the boots was with
out q heel. The heel found In Dinsmore's
kitchen was tried to the boot, and it fit
tedl it exactly. Fogler was arrested.
He was identified by Mrs. Dinsmore and
ether members Of her family, as the man
who had shot her husband.
The leader Of the Washington county
bar at that time was the Hon. William
Montgomery. He was member of Con
gress from 1855 to 1850, and earned 8
national reputation by his debates on the
Lecompton question, taking Stephen A.
Douglass side Of the matter, and making
the memorable reply to Curry, of Ala
bama. His speeches on the Nicaraguan
question, IN reply to Qultman, OF Missls
.s1ppi, were also widely quoted and COM
mended as masterly presentations Of IN
ternational law. He was delegate to
both the Charleston and Baltimore Dem
ocraic national conventions In 1880. He
was man of great wealth, and lived
with his wife and son in an elegant
homestead near Washington village. His
son was sixteen years old In 1867, and
although well educated, having almost
unlimited means at his command, and
having the finest social and business
prospects before him, was given to COM
panionship of dissolute men and chose
their habits.
After Fogier's arrest, search was made
for his companion in crime, but no trace
of him could be found. It was finally
that William Montgomery, Jr.,
had not been seen around the village for
several days. It was learned that he and
Fogler had been together the night Of
the murder, aud that he had left home a
few hours after Fogler's arrest was an
nounced. While people generally could
not BRING themselves to believe that the
boy was the accomplice of Fogler, the
authorities were certain that he was. He
was traced to West Virginia, and at last
arrested and brought back to Washing
ton county. So great was the public;
sympathy for the father Of young Mont
gomery, that every member Of the Wash
ington county bar volunteered to defend
his son. Prominent among these were
Col. r. n. Gibson and William McKen-
nan, now Judge McKennan, of the Unit
ed States circuit court. Fogler and
Montgomery were. given separate trials.
FOgler was tried first. He was convicted
and sentenced TO be hanged !. As Mont
gomery's trial advanced public opinion
was turned against him. Although Mrs.