Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-04-15
A FATAL BLuNDER
The UnFeiability 0f CircumsEa..
tial Eyldencs.
f1s- wesifAF k@sts<ktaa was Hung 90
Tsssiaaoas " hisA. lfty Fsass L4ssE.
as DseiaFed q, 80
Eal.e.

fIozisvil.s Cssm.aesu Al
One " tbe FepoEtea speeches u the late
iona Ro~aB. lIf shs eaFiF keuanekv Tar.
~as his defe3se 81 Isaac Dssha, Charged
~lse ssaEa ia Massa Coaaky, q which
oaly tsso e eiss are nov klowh 70 exist
+ Tha Vi l4nes a.aiast lleslla ~as psFely u
r. su aptive character, aAd Row ah's ad-
dress - the tiFy aas dssalsd naialy 20
poinaaz oat sire dan ess from bslay guided
I - such ssiieilce No yeFiiet Was reached
I IA this case hat the action of Covering
Dssha IN par,toaiag his son 10 the court
FosEn istieatsd - slany people shat 40
hope Was eatsrtaiae.i iar aasiias fasoT-
atle % tne sceEssd IL thirey -nius other
eases Joan k0~an was smplo ed IN ths
dafenss of persons thargad With murder,
the defenss being successful with but
single sxcepeioa- Ia this case. though the
I prisoner died on the galiops, subsequent
I events sustained the eminent lawyers p0-
slti0a with regard - Convictions upon pre-
sanPtive evidence aI0as. 10 may lie men
tionsl that this case occurred before the
trial OF Isaac Desha-
There are yet living in kentucky many
survivors 0l the days when much Of the
travel necessary ia the transaction Of
business with distant points was per-
formed GA horseback. The head Of one OF
the LEADING Short-h0ra interests In this
state has described 20 the writer his
early experiences Ia travelling 10 aud from
Charieston, > C., oa horseback. before
/ any railroads existed In ths South.
One night, nearly sixty sht years
since, rlderless horse appeared at the
home Of a skeaithy farmer OF Barren Coun-
", named Hamilton IL was recognized
ss the animal that had been ridden by DIR.
John Z. Sanderson, wealthy planter
fron the vicinity OF Natchez, Miss, who
was visitins Kentucky for the purpose OF
buying slaves. From the same date all
trace OF Or. Sanierson as lost, and sus-
pieions arose that he had been foally dealt
with. The vicinity OF the HAmiltons was
searched by the neighbors, EN- masse, re-
sulting in the discovery OF the corpse OF
the missing man. covered with brush and
briars, at the side Of the road through a
wild aud sparsely settled part OF the coun-
try. In the head Of the murdered man
was found a number OK shot and piece of
hammer OF pistol. His hat was discov-
cred in a hollow stump, and under log
near by was brass horse-pistol with
broken hammer. Under the lining OF the
hat was list cf thirty-one 800 Mississip-
pi bank bills, with their numbers and to
whom pay able.
Sanderson had been last seen, while
alive, with John G. Hamilton, a son of
the gentleman referred TO, who had been
his escort from che Hamilton homestead
to point in the neighborhood where the
roads were less obscure The two men
had been seen riding in company up the
ravine, at the head of which the corps
was discovered several days later. Sus-
picion was at once aroused against young
Hamilton, upon whose perso4 was found,
alter his arrest. the thirty one bank bills
described in Sanderson's list. IL was
shown that the brass pistol had been bor-
rowed recently by Hamilton from Colonel
John Gorth, OF Glasgow, and the shot in
the head of DR.. Saaderson corresponded
with that purchased a few days before by
Hamilton. Besides, a pair of "overalls, |"
worn by Hamilton, was found, covered
with blood, secreted in his fathers barn.
These were fully identified by Hamilton's
sister. Such was the evidences introduced
by the State at the trial at Glasgow.
/ In the defense OF Hamilton it was shown
1
as a stock trader, during which time he
and Sanderson had been friends; that they
had come together from Natchez during
the past few weeks, their route lying
through sn unsettled portion OF the Indian
Ter itory, Hamilton being aware of the
amouns of money carried by his compan-
ion; that Sanderson had been III during
much Of his journey and had been cared
for by Hamilton, though little neglect
might have led TO his death, so that Hamil-
ton might have secured the money without
the commission OF murder. Mississippi
money was at a discount in Kentucky. aud
Kentucky money was at discount in Mis-
ssippi- Hamilton was about TO return to
Mississippi where he could use the money
Of that State. while DIR. Sandsrson wanted
the Kentucky money to buy negroes.
: Hamilton claimed that for mutual accom-
mediation and profit they had exchanged
. money, thus accounting for his possession
OF Sanderson's bills. He proved that he
had borrowed 81 900 from n bank at Glas-
gov. this being part, he alleged, Of whai
, he used IN effecting the exchange. As fol
the pistol, he said that be had borrowed il
70 lend To Sanderson. The ''overails, hs
said. bad been stolen at night by a negrs
who had gone u dance and gotten into
fight, and that they had been concealed il
the barn until the negro couid clean them
The accused failed to substantiate all hi
statements. however. He belonged TO
proud, wealthy, ard aristocratie family
: and il has been charged that his case wa
2 prejadicssd somewhat by the prevailin.
: feeling Of envy against the Hamiltons
John Rowan was the chief counsel 70
I. the accused, and defended his client will
I, marked ability. but the evidence was .
strong that he seit ne presented hopeless
cause. He declared ever aftsrward. how
Q ever. that he believed Hamilton innocent
After the war Richard Fl. Rousseau
I, OF Lou sville, was appointed Charg
: d'Affairs OF the United States for HOnda
ras. il Central America. returning hom
in 1854. In that year hs was visited. =
ths cisy OF Teguciquips. BY Colonel Gibson
rich plsnter residing near Vleksburg
Miss.. Who toid him that some thirty o
thirty Eve years before a man bad bee
= .~..,,@a.I f,,r rr,rtrrIar in Eastern Mss SSip