River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-06-05
osTRAcIsED AND BANIsHED
The Alleged Murderer OF Cora Burns
Homeless wandersr.

This week will see Orrin A. Carpen-
ter, the once wealthy and highly re-
spected citizen of Lincoln, q homeless
wanderer. He has sold his property in
this city and closed out his business,
and is going no one knows whittier He
is the first man who was ever banished
from the state of Illinois by mass con
vention of the people. His ostracism
has been complete. He goes because
he cannot live there. No one will buy
anything of him or sell him anything.
No one will speak to him on the street
or elsewhere. His wife and his beauti-
daughters are served in the same way
Friends and fellow church members.
who have known them all and been as
ISOLATED with them in many good works
for years past, treat them as strangers.
The feeling is unanimous; the ostra-
cism universal.
In spite of Carpenters acquittal of the
murder of Fora Burns, his former
housemaid, the belief in his guilt is
general The circumstantial evil
dence, which was strong and in some
respect damning at the trial, has been
made more so since then by fresh dis
coveries. and no one in Lincoln doubts
his guilt for q moment. When it was
known that Carpenter had been &C
quilted large posters were issued calling
meeting of citizens at the Court
House to take action relatiye to the
failure of Justice in his case. At the
appointed hour more than 1000 men
assembled, filing the Court House, the
ward. and the streets adjacent. Every
thing was conducted in an orderly man
ner, the best men in the county taking
the lead in the proceedings After
many bitter speeches had been made,
in which the administration of Justice
was severely criticised, the following
resolutions, with long preamble at
tached was passed without dissenting
voice.
Resolved, That we, the people of
Logan county, in mass meeting assem-
bled, declare that we believe in fidelity
to the laws as the only safeguard for
our liberties; and we are opposed to
mob violence and to extra-legal methods
in moments of public passion, but that
we are here to denounce the criminal
practice in our state as a disgrace to the
intelligence of the people and areproach
to modern civilization, and that If the
sovereignty of the people does not in
telvene to annul the criminal code Of
our state the only resort left will be the
| Il. 0f arip,irole Inv
committees selected by the people.
Resolved, Thoroughly believing in
the guilt of Orrin A. Carpenter of the
murder of Fora Burns, and concurrlng
in the almost unanim Gus voice of the
people of the county, we dispassionately
but firmly demand of the said Carpen-
ter that he leave Logan county without
unnecessary delay, and we command
our fellow citizens everywhere, to lash
the rascal naked through the world, so
that if the image of his victim does not
soften his calloused heart the string OF
public opinion will teach him that the
way of the transgressor is hard.
A committee of seventy five OF the
most prominent residents OF Lincoln
was appointed, with instructions to wait
upon Carpenter as soon as he should
return to this city, and formerly pre-
sent him with the resolutions. For two
weeks he remained away; but he then
appeared on the streets one morning,
having arrived home on a night train.
Messengers were sent out at once to call
the committee together, and the meet
ing was held at 2 p. m. A roll call
showed about half of the members pre-
sent, and in order to make up the full!
number substitutes for the absent
committeeman were drawn from the
crowd which had assembled. When
everything was in readiness the COM
mittee formed in line, followed by an
immense crowd and at the word OF
command from the chairman marched
to Carpenters Office. Here one sealed
copy of the proceedings of the mass
meeting and the resolutions of expul-
sions were left, and the procession then
moved to Carpenters residence, where
a large crowd had assembled out of GU
riosity. The committee, accompanied
by 100 or more of the citizens, marched
up the lawn to the front door, formed a
line in front of the house, and
awaited action. III. l.. Pierce, the chair
HAIL. Sb6DDSu W bllt tiOOl dIh hAACNhNo
loudly, and a moment later Carpenter
answered in person. The chairman
rendered him a sealed envelope, which
he refused to accept. Carpenter was
deathly pale, and appeared to be suffer-
ing from intense emotion. When he
could control his voice he said:
81 refuse to recognize this. j am in
nocent of the murder of that girl, and
do not know any more about how she
lost her life than you. | have been a
law-abiding citizen here for thirty years.
| thank YOU for the orderly way in which
you have come"
While this interview was in progress
the great crowd that had assembled IN
front of the house remained very quiet,
and no disorderly demonstrations were
made. The chairman then gave the
committee the order to counter
march, and it reformed, proceeded down
town and dispersed. The sealed en-
velope containing the resolutions OF the
mass meeting was left on the porch of
Carpenters house as the committee
withdrew. and not withstanding his re-
fusal to receive it, it was known that
he was we'll aware of its contents. In a
day or two Carpenters business part
ner reported quietly that Carpenter had
decided to leave town, and as subsequent
events proved this statement to be true,
no one has cared to hurry matters.
Carpenter had large business interests,
and it has taken him some time to
settle them. Tt is estimated that his
defense at the trial for murder cost him
not less than s15 900, and his business
was, of course, neglected for long
time. The sale of his residence this
week closes his career in Lincoln, and
it is now known that he intends to leave
in few days. 1t IS reported that he
will settle in Massachusetts,. No one
knows and no one cares so long as he Is
never seen in Lincoln again Lincoln,
ILL.,, Correspondence n. \. Sun.
Chiefly the seashore has been the
point of departure to knowledge, as to
commerce. The most advanced nations
are always, those who navigate the most.
Emerson.