Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-03-20
WEBS OF CIRCUMSTANCE.

tsnt Psrt-R osnapces of Innocent
Men who Have Been Convicted OF
Mysterious Crimes-The Most Re
markable Cases OF CireumstRn,ial
Evidence I'm the British Courts.
To show that truth is stronger
than felton," the folio wing incident
is given, AMI claimed by legal writer
on the subject to be fully authentica.
Ted. 1t occurred in an English coast
town, in the latter part of The seven.
tenth century. Two brothers we're
lodging at an inn in the town. They
had come into possession of some
property, concerning the disposition
or division of which they could not
agree and had frequent quarrels. One
night they had been drinking hard,
and had become so quarrelsome that
friends were obliged to interfere to
prevent a fight. At last they we're
quicted and retired without further
disturbance. They slept in douole-
bedstead room. In the hrst gray dawn
OF the morning one OF the brothers
was awakened by violent attack of
bleeding at the nose. Arising and
partially dressing himself, he walked
out To the seashore. Here he was so
unfortunate as To surprise band of
smugglers in the act of secreting a
boat-load of brandy casks, who made
him their prisoner. Not wanting to
kill him, and not daring to let him GO
back to tie town, lest he might betray
them TO this excise officers. they car
ried him off to their ship, without the
] IL 10
The Barbados. Meanwhile, the other
brother had been aroused by the hor
ror-stricken inmates of the tavern
who found him asleep, his brothers
bed being empty and the pillow
drenched with blood. The trail of
blood spots was followed to the sea
shore, and the conclusion was newt
able that the one brother had murder
ed the other during the night, and
had dragged the dead body out and
thrown it into the sea. The supposed
murderer was tried, condemned, and
hanged on the strength of the testl-
mony Of facts against him. Happily
for him he had a most
DEVOTED AND LOVING SWEETHEART,
who had not only made every effort
to secure his release, and TO console
him whom his death had become GER
tain, but had hired a servant to cut
down his lifeless body as soon as pos
sible, and bring it to her that she
might see it decently buried. What
was their establishment to find when
about to place this poor victim of
circumstances in his coffin that he
was not quite dead Medical aid was
summoned, the man revived. Then,
as there was great danger that the
law would seize upon him again il
the fact OF his resuscitation we're
known, he was hastily welded to his
devoted lady love, and the pair took
passage that night for the West In
dies. Landing at the Barbados the
first person tho man met was the
brother for whose murder he had so
recently been tried and convicted by
the Jaw.
In this case the law overlooked one
important principle, strenuously in
sisted upon by later authorities, which
was, to secure proof that a murder
had been committed. Sir Matthew
Hale declared that he would never
convict any person Of murser or man
slaughter unless the body Of the NOR
dered one had been found. This
necessary evidesce of the actual com.
MISSION of the crime was wanting IN
the conviction and execution, In 1890,
at Campden, EGG, of John and
Richard Perry, and their mother,
Joan Perry, for the supposed murder
of William Hanson, who, two years
later, reappeared in the village, alive
and we'll In this case justice was
doubly confused by the fact that } John
Perry, through some strange motive
of hatred, swore that his mother and
brother had committed the murder,
and that he mad simply been accessory
to the act. AS he told while in prison
other undoubtedly false stories, it was
charitably judged later that the man
was mad. But this judgment was
him or his unfortunate relatives from
the gallows.
Another instance wherein the fall
penalty of the law exacted for
A CRIME THAT HAD NEVER OCCURRED
was detailed, we are told, by Sir Mat
thew Hale as having come within his
personal knowledge. A gentleman
of somewhat hasty temper had a
niece placed under his guardianship,
who proved a most willful and in
tractible charge At one time, being
incensed against her for some act Of
way wardness, he punished her, and
she was heard to cry loudly. Don't
kill me, uncle, don't kill me" A few
hours later the child had disappeared,
and suspicion of murder was turned
against the uncle, who was her heir
at-law to considerable property. The
excitement increasing, he went in
search OF the child, but not finding
her where he expected he was Undue
ed by fear to bring another child Of
similar complexion and appearance,
and pass her off as the missing girl
The deception proved fatal one.
The gentleman was arrested, tried
convicted and hanged. Six years
later the niece reappesred, having