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

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OF articles, clothes, two watches, and
other things of Huntley's in his pos
session, and made no effort to conceal
them, but said that Huntley, going to
America, had left them in his charge
What was
STILL MORE REMARKABLE,
from having bsen very poor man he
seemed to have become quite well to
do, and spent money lavishly. When
the village folk asked him What
have you done TO Huntley I" ne a. ways
looked embarrassed, but sometimes
said, "Oh, you will see him again il
you will only wait long enough" AS
1t was not known whether Huntley
was really dead, no action was taken
agalnt the other, and very little search
was made for the missing man Colds
borough soon after left this village,
and going to another some distance
Off settled there under an assumed
name. Eleven years later a skeleton
supposed to be that of VIM. Huntley
was found buried under bank near
the spot whore ne was last seen. The
important point of vcrihcation was a
very peculiar projecting side tooth,
which all who saw 1t recognized as
heloaging to the missing Huntley.
Upon exposure to the air the teeth of
the skeleton fell out, and this peculiar
tooth was, strangely enough, lost or
stolen Goldsborough was now APP
prehended, and had long trial. He
had able counsel, who made the most
OF the element Of doubt in the matter
and the jury overlooking the strong
element of probability in the evidence
against the prisoner. acquitted him
But the general impression of his
guilt remained, and tho account of
his trial incines the reader to believe
that the general impression was prob
ably correct
The law holds a man to be Innocent
until he is proved guilty; public
opinion, being more swayed by out
side influences, circumstances, and
chances than the law, is seldom so
merclful. But 1t is very unfortunate
thing whom public opinion does not
generally concur in the decisions of -
court of justice. 1t is often said that
1t were better that ninety-nine guilty
men should escape punishment than
that one innocent man should suffer
Now this sentiment cannot be founded
on humane considerations purely, else
it might be justly regarded as very
weak sentiment indeed. In world
where the innocent have been suffer
ing for the guilty for nearly six
thousand years, it might well be ques-
toned whether it would not be far bet
ter for one innocent man To suffer and
die, if need be, rather than in1ct on
society the injury caused by ninety
nine criminals at large, especially as
these criminals would be very likely
to cut off In their prime hundred or
so of innocent victims. But
THE POINT OF THE SAYING
is this; Though it is unfortunate that
crime must sometimes go UNPUBLISHED
ii is more unfortunate If wrong de
cision take the life of the innocent
and thus seriously shake public con.
fidcnce in the just administration OF
courts. For this reason the convict
ion.of Eliz ,FenningI and her execution,
July &c, 1915, were peculiarly unfor-
tunate. Not that she can be instanc-
ed as one of the unquestionably limo
cent victims OF judicial error. No,
the case was doubtful, and the dospt
involved in it has never been cleared
up. She was young servant girl,
charged with an attempt to poison the
family in which she was employed
That they had been poisoned by some
dumplings which they had eaten was
unquestioned. Some remains of the
dumplings anal zed were found to
contain a large proportion of arsenic
The -four from which they had been
made, and the yeast used, were both
examined, aud were found to contain
nothing deletsrious. A paper OF
arsenic bought to kill rats has disap
peared. The evidence against he &C
cused was entirely circumstantial J.
the poison was found in the food, she
alone prepared 1T, and, though the mo
tive for the wicked deed, a quarrel
with her mistress, was apparently in
sufficient, she was adjudged guilty
and put to death. Much pushc ex-
element prevailed The girl asserted
her innocence TO the last. Her body
was handed over to her parents, who
had 1t on exhibition for four days, and
crowds of PERSONS flocked to see it,
the most of them giving the parents a
fee, out of sympathy. She was buri-
ed publicly July 30, a procession Of
over 10000 persons followed her to
the grave Now. such illustrious
lawyers as Sir Samuel Romilly and
Curran believed firmly In this girls
innocence, and her case is usually
classed with the wronged victims Of
circumstantisl evidence. and yet, we
say, this Is by no means clear The
girl had long trial she was defended
by able counsel. The case was before
an able and upright judge.
THK REASON WHY CONVICTION RESULT
I'D.
was because the circumstances admit
ted but one conclusion, and no hypo-
thesis was brought forward that could
in the least make room for another
Neither the girl nor the lawyer could
suggest any means by which the
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