Morning journal and courier., 1880-09-11
Circumstantial Evidence.


 Correspondence of Cincinnati ConmerciaLl
 'I remember once defending, at Craw- fordsville, Ind, y said Senator Voorhees,, "a man named Owen, indicted for the murder of his wife by poison. It was twenty odd years ago. Owen was respectable farmer, in good circumstances, and consistent church member. He had been twice married. He had several children by his first wife his second was childless, circumstance which peculiarly affected her mind and temper She would not permit his children to reside with her, and compelled hin to find a home for them elsewhere. She had frequently threat ened suicide in consequence of these trou- bles.
 ''One night Owen was awakened from sleep to find her dying. He called in assist ance and sent for a physician, but she was dead before any one arrived. Her sudden demise excited suspicion, and three days af- ter her burial, this was communicated to him by friend, who further informed him that arrangements had been made to disinter the body and submit it to investigation Owen was greatly agitated at this intelligence, and after short pause replied If this is done and poison is found in Kezia's stomach I will
 be accused of her murder, convicted and hanged. But am as innocent of it as that tree, pointing to one near which the Econ- versation occurred.
 "That night he transferred all his property to sor, disguised himself and fled the coun- try. Tho body of his wife was exhumed and an autopsy had. Enough strychnine was found in her stomach to kill mule There was universal expression of horror at the discovery, and large reward offered for the arrest of the fugitive. After some months he was found in Canada, living under an as- sumed name. He was brought to Crawfords- vile in irons. and it was with difficulty that his execution by a mob WAS prevented 'fJoe Mcdonald (now my colleague in the Senate), Sim Wilson, once Representative in Congress, and subsequently, Minister to Ven ezuela, and myself defended him. There was a formidable prosecution-Lew Wallace Judge Gregory and others appearing against him.
 'It was proven that short time before Mrs Owen's death her husband had purchas- ed strychnine at drug store in the neighbor- hood telling the druggist that he wanted it for poisoning rats. But he asked the drug gist to charge it to him, fact upon which we laid great stress in the argument, insist ing that had he entertained a criminal design in buying the drug he would not have put the damnable evidence of the fact on record daughter who visiting her fathers house when the poison was brought home testified that he handed 1t to her step-mother in her presence, cautioning her to be careful with it. A brother of his wife, who was greatly embittered against him, and was a witness for the State, admitted upon cross- examination that Owen's treatment of his sis ter was invariably considerate and kind. There was entire failure to establish the fact of his having improper relations with other women
 This was all we had to base a defence The odds were fearful There was the re- mark if the marked hesitation of Owen when first informed of the suspicious existing against him; his admission that if post mo1'- tenn examination showed that poison was the cause of his wife's death, he would be accus- al of adD niSta chase of the poison his transfer of his prop erty and flight, all combined, nearly irresisti- bly, led to the conviction of his guilt. MT. Voorhees, he said to me, however darkly things may appear against me, 1 am not guilty and I believed him. We fought the case like tigers upon the reasonable doubt which we deemed the evidence had got ex- cluded, and won it.
 t'Such an uproar as followed I never wit messed Owen was taken to Wilson's private residence, pursued by a crowd crazed with disappointment and thirsting for his blood Wilson, Mcdonald and stood at the front gate with pistols in our hands and checked the approach of the mob until Owen could escape from the rear of the house in con- veyance that had been provided for him.
 ''Owen went to Texas and died there, I presume as have never seen nor heard of him since. His wife had committed suicide He knew it, but preferred to keep the fact to himself to avoid scandal and expose her."
 One Way to Play sPOssum.
 From the New Orleans Picayune.l
 Nothing is more savory to 8 southern ne- gro's palate than 8 roasted fat opossum. One old negro hunter captured fine specimen the other day and feeling hungry stopped to cook it in the woods. He built a fire and dressed and spitted his meat but, being very tired as well as hungry, he fell asleep while the 'possum was roasting. As he slept, a '1ow-trash" negro came upon the scene, doubtless attracted by the fire and the smell of roasting meat The new conner approach ed cautiously with one eye on the 'possum and the other on Uncle Eph, who slumbered
 First, he shook the old man. who turned to an easier position, but would not awake. The stranger took in the situation, and then pro- ceeded to take in the 'possum. He, too, was & 'possum- eater, and he made short work of the dainty roast. He ate and ate till but the bones were left. Uncle Eph was still sleeping and it occurred to the vsndal that he would make Eph think that he had been to supper, so that when he awoke he would not suspect the theft Then the "low-trash' negro pro ceeded to 'possum grease Eph's hands and face and mouth, and to pile in the old mans lap the gnawed bones.
 Nights have mornings, and sleeping must have it's waking. Uncle Eph hawoke aud inn thought of his 'possum. It was not on the fire; it was not anywhere to be ,een but there in his lap were the bones hat had been gnawed. On his hands, lips md beard was grease and the smell of 'pos- ,um. He wes self-convicted. He concluded hat he had eaten the 'possum, yet he could not remember the pleasure the eating had given him. Weighing all circumstantial evi- fence carefully, the old man slowly pronoun- ed judgment:
 'sDat's fac. rse been eatin' dat 'possum. 'se been eatin' it in my sleep.'
 But then his stomach why did it not stand 'ut as a witness in the case It felt empty, md yet it should be full.
 Its certain shor I've done eat up that oossum. Must have done it when I'se sleep. But, " and the old man placed his hand sadly ,ver his really empty stomach, ''but it inter- eres lessn any 'possum ebber did eat p
 Dr. John Lord, of Stamford, the renowned historical lecturer, has gone to the Pacific lope He will lecture in San Francisco.