The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1880-06-29

At Greenfield, Dsde County,
Friday. for the Murder
Of s. G. Ham.
A Detailed Account Of the Affair
Furnished the Bssoo BY
an Eye witness.

CARTHAGE, Mo, June 20
Yesterday afternoon Thomas B. Hopper
w. hanged At Greenfield, Dsde cou",y,
in The pseseoce Of quite eso~d oi
spectssoss. There we're huodreds Of visitors
in the city. but ~ the hanging sss not
made in public. Of courss the majority
were compelled to remain on the OUTSIDE.
He protested his Innocence to the l.~:. and
cove to his attorney, when on the g.liow-,
. written statement regarding his
case, which will be published.
The circumstances in Connection with the
al .is ere % fol'Oss:
On Wednesday, August q, 1879. Sam
uel A. Ham, vish his wife and three little
orphan grsnd-childres, vere living in the
northern edge Of Cedar county. About
shutdown
THREE MEN Rode VI
and stopped ~ the gate and asked the
children who we're coming nut Of the ysr,i,
On sheir way to the sprinx, il Mr.. Hs"
lived there. They said they were on the
hunt fos some mules. They were told that
Mr.. Ham vas in the yard The men then
got o6 their horses end too Of them got
over the fence end went mp to where Mr..
Ham wss end asked him IL he hal seen the
i mules. Ham told them that he had no
knovledye Of them. and turned around AMI
vent hack to where his wife Was standing
and told her to
TAKE HIS POCKET BUCK;
tha, "thess men mean no good; they will
kill me for my money" Mr.. Ham tod
him, "if you will 20 aoc get the axe and
chop come wood will help you to carry
Ham and said the; wanted To light their
pipes She told them tn 20 I, the furnace
under the cane mill aud they would tind
E ire. .rhey did so al came back tO the
house where Mr. II ,m and his vile we're
when one of them, y. I. Earnest, drew Z
= We WANT YoUR MONEY"
Q Ham turned To run IN the house when tb
O osber-r. B. Hopper-sa,d, "shoo,," and
. Earnest shot, the ball striking Ham in thu
!, back Of the head, killing him instantly
Mrs. n. called loudly for heip, ''murd~r
q murder :" The men ran tn their horse
= and rude rapidly away. The nsighbos
: soon gathered. The nsEt morning tn.
parties Were tracked south on the Rscoc
and stockton road and towards Humans
willie on the Coplinger mill road.
p sUsPiCION
10 resting on Hopper, EarSs.t and Robertson
d sho we're living little north Of Humans
: VILE, w. +. Snyder, sheriff vi Cedar cOuG
=" ", and pOsse. arrested them at their home
;" IN Saturday. Hopper and Earnest wei
10 iully identified BY M.s. Hem. and the
= were all bound over To await the action 9
The grand jury. At the September ter,
IL the Cedar circuit court they YER
y al indicted. A severance wAs taken b
:" The defendants and Earnest put upon hi
tr1al
IL AND COAv,CrhO.
-. ID. p. StTatton appeared n the leading At
iorney for the prosecution and J. b. Upto
D" for the defence. The case was taken I" Oh
~upveuse court and wss reminded.
Va change Of venue va then taken in the CT
,o IL Hopper and Robers0D, to Dade county
sxs convicted and Robertson Ma acquitted
ne Mrs. Ham failing to identify him, a.
h, did not come in the yard. The case v;
. then taken to the supreme court and ther
T. affirmed.
J" Hopes vas tall, symmetrical, rObu
er man Of thirty eight, light .uburn compile,
e 'on, With IN intelligent but decisive loOl
b He did not show
IN Low ANIMAL DI>POel1lON
II in his face, bot hi. light blue eyes, proiec
Of ing brow, reetding forehead, and promiae'
m ean marked him . man Of strong in
~ pulee and decisive action. He spoke in
Of mild, subdued snd kind manner He Ia
Du given up ell hope Of escape, but said
T. wss innocent, and Vas twenty-five mils
- away when Han vas killed. When asks
:" how his conviction We brought shout
u ssid: my psos tuition W, worked up
Z, the vigilance committee. Of which ! "
once . member. betrayed the visiisnt
acme Eve years ago to save . mans lif
and that 10 the reason they swore again
M men