The National tribune., 1880-07-01
Written for THE NATIONAL Tribune
The Unreliability OF Circumstantial Evidence.

- QUINCY, ILL.,, June rs. 1880
SIR Fife is indeed mestmably precious To maintain
it the millionaire would accept the cold crusts devoured
by the beggr and the shpwecked mariner parake Of the
flesh of his comrade in distress With all it's sorrows and
trials 1t is infinitely preferred physical extinction Such
being the feeling Of mortas what bitter anguish must
agtate the bosoms Of judges and jurors who are nstr
mental In bringing to bitter and untmey end the career
of totally innocent of any crime Yet the history of
law proceedings in Europe and America prove alas that
scafold with no guilt Of murder upon their souls
Some ten years ago while travelling through Southern
Illinois, stopped at the home Of Judge - for the
night Carrying with letter Of Introduction from
friend who informed met the Judge was an exceedingly
genial and intelligent gentleman much surprised to
free to say that mutual friend had stated that he the
was very social and that inferred from his exhi
oon OF contrary manner that he must be physically
ing under mental anguish for have en- the occasion
though God knows without intention, of the judicial
entirely innocent the real murderer is now lodged in our
county jail" "You excite my curiosity and symnabv
Judge VIII you indulge me in history of the case ?I
asked IS indeed painful subject for me TO dwell
upon he said but it should be reported far and wide
as means for guarding against sudden executions
You shall have the history About mile and quarter
to the north of where now sitting lives the widow
and children of James Frisbie. She Is noble woman
bravely struggling to hide her susrngs and to support
her young family She receives sympathy and material
aid from many parties but all these will not restore to life
loving husbS nd and devoted father Three years since
fOr
the murder of William Abbott The evidence was purely
circumstantia and ran follows One evening about
as two strangers were going along the road through
the wOodthe last you passed coming from Sthey 6e-
held man lying upon the ground over him another
with bloody knife in his hand James Frisbe held that
CORY weapon The travellers immediately took him into
custody and he was removed to the county town and
thrown into its jail Upon searching him pocket-boo
containing about $500, with the Of William Abbott
written therein was discovered AT the trial the evidence
of the two that they found Frisbie as Aforesaid
and they fully identified the pocketbook the one taken
from him. Several witnesses also produced who
that they heard Fsbe say TO Abbott at Tire county
town about month previous Well, I'll settle with YOU
for this before long spoken in an angry Frsbie
was called upon Tor his statement which about fol-
lows: de was returning from neighhOr's to his own
home, making the short cut through the woods when
stood the road side he heard scream 81 nnrdsr
he srang out into the road and there within
twenty feet Of him law man, while over him stood an
the pocketbook in his hand when he was qraspcd bv nc
But he was too powerful for to capture and il the
scuhe between us he escaped The pocket book was
up and put it in pocket intending to restore t to the
wounded man, for had the least idea he was Head
d i 6 ,has hsss o ny with the rn
petried with horror Without thought drew the Knife
from his bosom his blood indeed upon my hands
mark made BY me to Mr. Abbott about settling with
him. 1T had reference to the payment of bill and If
spoke sharply Mr. Abbott had tauntngy addressed me-
and you all know ne creditor He concluded
Such Is story gentlemen and in the Of God
Almighty and all men it is true charged the iury and
Heaven forgive me relying circumsfantal evidence
that charge against the prisoner Notwithstanding
had known and highly respected James Frsbe for tan
years. the evidence the trial clearly thought proved
him to be the murderer He found guilty OF aurdsr
n the first dsgrc and sentenced him to be hung on the
last Friday in October This in August and ON the
day named in October James Frisbie was executed
ofthe people county thought impossible
he could have committed the crime but there was he ev
dence Well poor Frsbie lies in his family burial ground
and have just visited the real murderer of William Alb
bott tie was only arrested yesterday Engaged in steal
ing horses he had been moraly wounded and wished to
make confession He fully corroborated Frisbies state
ment about the knife scuffie, pocket-book &C. But
visit Mrs. Frisbie and proclaim innocence which she
has never doubted While live she and her children will
be the objects of my care. This is ALL
The voice of the speaker trembed and his eyes were
sufused with tears.
Yours truly, AN ILLINOIS SOLDIER
One Of those roughclad big hearted miners who come