Morris tribune., 1880-08-12


~ Or must it ever be
That her face shall see,
Only in dreainsp
I'D. A. HalIosOeu. in the Boston Journal.
STORY OLE A DlSSOLUTE LIFE.
From a Happy Home to Career OF Crime.
A recent letter from Pittsburg, Pa, to
New York paper, says: Robert Dins-
more, farmer, about hfty years OF age,
lived with his family near West Middle
town, Washington county, Penn, in 1867.
He was possessed of fair fortune. Late
one night in the summer of 1867 he was
called from bed by loud knock at his
door. He opened the door on crack
and peered out. Two men, one large and
the other a STRIPPING, stood on the steps.
They asked the way to the house of a
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,
oyerpoweTed HIM. By the aid OF his COM
panion, the surprised robber was enabled
to extricate himself from Dlnsmore's
grasp, and the two strangers ran into the
kitchen and attempted to escape from the
house by window. Dinsmore' wife and
daughter had arrived on the scene with
lights, but were so frightened that they
could not make, any cutlery 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 cupboard, and attempted TO stab the
| farmer. The latter warded off the blows
and struggled desperately. During the
encounter, it was 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 off in the struggle.
Finally the elder of the robbers drew a
revolver and shot Dinsmore dead. The
two men then made their escape.
As soon as the members of Dinsnlore'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
" 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 heel was easily followed.
1t led to house in the village OF Wash
ington. A notorious ruffian 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 a heel. The heel found IN Dinsmore's
kitchen was tried to the boot, and it fit
tede it exactly. Fogler was arrested.
He was identified by Mrs. Dinsmore and
other 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 1856 TO 1860, and earned &
national reputation by his debates ON the
Lecompton question, taking Stephen A
Douglass side Of the matter, and making
E the memorable reply to Curry, of Ala
bama. His speeches on the Nicaraguar
question, IN reply to Qultman, OF Missls
s1ppi, were also widely quoted and com
mended as mastery presentations OF IL
ternational law. He was delegate Il
both, The Charleston and Baltimore Dem
ocratic national conventions IN 1850. HI
was man of great wealth, and lived
: with his wife and son in an elegan
homestead near Washington village. Hi
son was sixteen years old IN 1867, an(
although well educated, having almos
unlimited means at his command, anC
having the finest social and business
prospects before him, was given to com
, partnership of dissolute men and chose
| their habits. -lgHa4g,l 81
4 After FOgler's arrest, search was made
for his companion in crime, but no trace
! Of him could be found. 1t was fnall,
: remarked that William Montgomery, Jr.
had not been seen around the village TO
several days. 1t was learned that he ant
> Fogler had been together the night o
! the murder, aud that he had left home
: few hours after Fogler's arrest was an
, nounced. While people generally coulC
not bring themselves to believe that tn
r boy was the accomplice of Fogler, tn
{ authorities were certain that he was. III
was traced to West Virginia, and at las
arrested and brought back to Washing
, ton county. So great was the public
sympathy tor the father of young Mont
I gomery, that every member of the Wash
4 ington county bar volunteered to defent
d his son. Prominent among these wer
n Col. r. M Gibson and William McKen
: nan, now Judge McKennan, OF the Unit
: ed States circuit court. Fogler ant
: Montgomery were given separate trials
Fogler was tried first. He was cenyicte'
: and sentenced to be hanged. As Mont
s gomery's trial adv anced public opinio
: was turned against him. Although Mrs.
r Dlnsmore and her family positively iden
i titled the young man as. the companio
d of Fogler, and other cireumstan
b ces pointed, with terrible directness
n to his guilt, he was acquitted on tn
: testimony of two witnesses who swore /
e an alibi. Fogler was hanged, and o.
|. the gallows madeS confession in whicl
: he solemnly averred that Montgomer
q ! was an .accomplice. The community wer
g entirely convinced of his guilt befor
e that, and following his acquittal an in
Investigation into the manner in which tn
d testimony as TO the alibi was produces
u led to the disbarment OF two of Mont
j. 1 gomery's counsel Leroy Woods Taylo
a and James B. Ruth-from their priv
g leges as attorneys. They were prom1s
It ing and brilliant young men, and thei
d disgrace resulted in the death Of both c
f them in the course of q few months
!" Young Montgomery was Stunned by a
d classes. His father was broken down b
., the moral certainty that his son was
t. murderer, and died in 1871. He left to hi
nj unfortunate boy q fortune of $75 ,00t
g with an appeal to him to forsake the sa
1t mode of life he had chosen and go I
+ some distant part OF the country and b
ri come q new man, The young mans ms
[e ther, once the life Of Washington societ,
u became almost q reclnse in her elegaI