Omaha daily bee., 1886-06-30
PERHAPS THEY WERE TWINS.
A Close Call for n Man Who Strik-
ingly Resembled Another.


ingly Resembled Another.
About twenty years ago n robber en-
tered the farm house of John West in
Indiana, and, being discovered while
proving around the house, he shot West
in order that he might make his escape.
The hour was midnight, and there was n
bright harvest moon lighting up the room
in which the shooting took place. West
hud n club beside his bed, and he gave
the intruder n powerful blow with this
before the shot was fired The bullet en-
tered his abdomen, and he lived about
three days and was perfectly conscious
all the time. He declared on his dying
bed that his murderer was young man
named Solomon Richards, u lawless char
acter who hung about the village two
miles away. Mrs West recognized him
as well, and when Richards was arrested
and charged with the crime he did not
deny 1t. There wasn't the slightest
doubt of his guilt and but for the firm
ness of the sheriff the fellow would have
been lynched. He had been in Jail two
weeks before he declared his innocence.
As he had no money he could not engage
n lawyer but he made a statement to the
sheriff, which set that official at work 10
prove an alibi for him. On the night of
the shooting Richards had sat in the
village tavern from 8 to 10 o'clock. This
could be verified When he left the
tavern he visited two saloons, but this
could not be verified Several persons
were almost sure of having seen him, but
went to Il livery stable and climbed up
on the hay to sleep. He claimed to have
spoken to hostler named Warner; but
when Warner was consulted he could not
be sure whether it was thai night or tho
one preceding it. On his way from the
saloon to the barn Richards encountered
Il person who was dressed like himself,
ana whose general resemblance was very
striking. Both halted and looked each
other over as If astounded, but neither
spoke.
Not one man in a hundred would have
taken any stock in such story, but the
sheriff, singular as it may seem, believed
that Richards was telling the truth.
West had struck the man with a club.
Richards had not the slightest wound or
bruise. The pistol with which the shoot
ing was done had been left behind. No
one about the village had ever seen it
before. How could Richards, who never
had a dollar at a time, have purchased
1t? He was on the street. perfectly un-
concerned, when arrested. If he was
guilty, why had he waited right there to
be taken into custody, when the farmer
had called out: "Sol Richards, you have
shot me, but I'll live to see you hung!"
All these points We're overlooked by
everybody except the sheriff. Mr.. and
Mrs w est declared that Sol Richards
was the man; that was evidence enough,
especially when Sol was a goodfor
nothing Three weeks had passed, when
the sheriff got track of man who had
passed toll gate at an early morning
hour, carrying bundle. Further on he
found that the man with the bundle had
a bloody ear Five miles further and he
had entered farm house, alleged he had
met with an accident, and had a scalp
wound dressed. He had journeyed a
hundred miles before the sheriff overlook
him, but here and there he had sold frag-
ments of his plunder. When finally
overhauled and arrested he admitted his
crime hardly before question was
asked. He was professional tramp and
robbery was nothing new to him. He
was not only dressed precisely like Rich
ards, but he resembled him so closely in
height, build, weight and facial ex-
preston that the people came to the Jail
and called him Richards. He gave his
name as Terry, but rs he could remember
little or nothing of his childhood, and as
this was also the case with Richards, it
was generally believed that they were
twin brothers. The one was released as an
innocent man. and the other was sent to
prison for such "A long term as practically
assured his death within the gloomy
walls