The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-05-25
BONE SINGULAR STORIES.
STRANGE INSTANCES OF MrsLEAD-
ING TESTIMONY.
The Danger of Circunstantin Evidence---
Instances of Persons Hanged for Grimes
They Had Not Committed.

MI. DdNlu OIdlldlH Auee, Ill Tue
Washington Republic, gives some in
teresting instances of the misleading
character of circumstantial evidence.
In 1742 II gentleman IN his way to
Hull was robbed by a highwayman. lie
stopped at the next inu, and in describ-
ing his loss stated he always marked
his coins. Shortly after retiring to a
private parlor he was waited on by the
land ord, who. informing him he had
heard of his 1.-THE Travellers adventure,
asked the time of the robbery, and said
he suspected his h%ostler, who of late
had had plenty of money. Continuing,
he said that shortly before he had sent
the hostler to change a guinea, who re-
turned after dark, saying he could not
change it. The landlord noticed the
coin was not thc one he gave him, but
before he heard of the robbery he had
paid it to a c~ountryman. He suggested
that the hostler, who was then asleep
under the influence of liquor, lie
searched, which, being done, the marked
coins, minis one, were found in his
pockets. He was tried and hanged,
but years afterward the landlord, being
at the point of death, confessed he did
the robbery, managing to reach his inn
by a short cut, and, having paid out
one OF the coins before finding they
were marked, he took advantage Of an
errand he had sent the hostler on and
his drunken condition to place the
marked coins in his pockets, and the
evidence of the c%ountryman hanged
him.
The case of the innkeeper in Oxford
shire, Jonathan Bradford, has often
been told. Late one night two guests
heard deep groans proceeding from an
adjoining apartment, and, repairing
there, saw Bradford. with a long knife
in his hands, standing over the body
of a guest named Hayes, who, earlier
in the evening, had admitted that he
had a large sun of money in his posses
sion. Bradford stoItly maintained his
innocence, claiming he hal been at
tracted by the groans Of the victim,
and had just drawn the knife from the
wound when the other guests arrived.
The evidence, however, was strong
against him, and he was hanged. The
real facts of the crime did not come to
light for some years, but Bradford was
not innocent of the intent, If of the
deed covert act). The murder had
been perpetrated by Mr.. Hayes own
footman, who, knowing that his
master hal a large amount of money
with him, determined upon his death
and robbery. Going to his room,
therefore, he had stabbed him, rifled
his saddle-bags, and made his way in
safety to his own apartment only, as
it must have been, ten seconds before
the innkeeper himself arrived upon
the tragic scene. But, strange to re-
late, Bradford left a confession, which
had been kept secret, that, although
innocent of the murder, he had stolen
to the room of his guest with the mind
of effecting his death. He had heard
Hayes boast of his money at supper,
had deliberately planned to kill and
rob him, and vas stricken with amaze
ment when he found that the deed hal
already been done. He had been an.
ticipated by but IA few minutes in the
execution of his murderous design.
In Edinburgh, in the year 112l,
lived William Shaw, an upholsterert
with an only daughter named Cathlr-
inc. The girl was to be married tC
one John Lawson, a ieweler, toward
whom her father bore all the hearty
honest aversion known as Scotch
hate" John had been a wild lad, too
fond of 'hot Societies. and the lasses
but was entirely devoted to one lass
since his engagement to Catherine
Shaw. Old shaw had sworn that
Lawson should never enter his family,
and with violence forbade him to come
near the house. There was the son of
a friend of the family, named Robert
son, however, whom the father urged
his daughter to marry. The girls LOT
was hard enough, what with her love
for Lawson and the harsh treatment
meted out to her in order to bring
about her consent to wed her parents
choice. This state of affairs had ex.
listed for some weeks, when one evening
Shaw returned home in wrath, and
peremptorily ordered Catherine to az
cept of young Robertson without fur
Their delay, and prepare for marriage at
an early day. The girl angrily refused
to comply, preferrmg death to the al
tentative of sacrificing happiness. The
= Hhalltl llth NoAO oO lPAOhb tihtO i 7
was overheard by several ~neighbors
! and when Shaw left the room one
named Morrison heard him shut and
| lock the door and go down stairs to the
: street. All was still in Shaw's room,
| after this for awhile, but soon the
sound of low groans fell upon Morri'
sons startled ear. In terror he rar
to the %neighbors, giving the alarm,
and telling the of the previous furious
alteration. a crowd assembled about
the upholsterer's door, and GATHERINGS
voice was distinctly heard to murmur
"Cruel father, you are the cause OF
my death. You have killed me !"
l The door was then broken in by {
constable who had been summoned
[ and Catharine Shaw was discovered
: lying upon the floor bathed in blood
: and with a bloody knife beside her, ant
died without another word. At thi.