Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-07-16
PERHAPS THEY WERE TWINS.
From the New York Sun. j

About twenty years ago a robber
entered the farmhouse of John
West, in Indiana, and being dis
covered while prowliDg around the
house, he shot West in order that
he might make his escape. The
hour was midnight, and there was
bright harvest moon. lighting up
the room in which the shooting
took place. West had a club be-
side his bed, aud he gave the in
truder a powerful blow with this
before the shot was fired. The
bullet entered the abdomen. and
he lived about three days, and was
perfectly conscious all the time.
He declared on his dying bed that
his murderer was a young man
named Solomon Richards, a law
less character who hung about the
village, two miles away. Mrs.
West recognized him as well, and
when Richards was rested and
charged with the crime, he did not
deny it. There wasn't the slightest
doubt of his guilt, and but for the
firmness 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 a
lawyer, but he made statement to
the sheriff, which set that official
at work to prove an abb for him.
On the night of the shooting
Richards kad sat in the village
tavern from nine TO ten O'CLOCK.
This could be verified. When he
left the tavern he visited two
saloons, but this could not be veri.
fed. Several persons were almost
sure of having seen him, but no
one was positive. At 1890 o'clock
be went to a livery stable and
climbed up on the hay to sleep. He
claimbed to have spoken to a hos
tier named Warner, but when
Warner was consulted he could not
be sure whether it was that night
or the one preceding it. On his
way from the saloon to the barn
Richards encountered a person who
was dressed like himself, and
whose general resemblance was
very striking. Both halted and
looked each other over as If as
founded, but neither spoke. Not
one man in a hundred would have
taken any stock in such a 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
shooting was done had been left
behind. No one about the village
had ever seen il before. How could
Richards, who. had never had a
dollar at a time, have purchased itl
He was on the street, perfectly I'M
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 III live 20 see you hung y
All these points we're overlooked
by everybody except the sheriff.
Mr.. and Mrs. West declared that
Sol Richards was the man; that
was evidence enough, especially
when Sol was a good.for.nOthing.
Three weeks had passed when the
sheriff got track of a man who had
passed a toll gate at an early
morning hour, carrying bundle.
Further on be found that the man
with the bundle had q bloody ear. !
Five miles further he entered farm |
house, alleged he bad met with an
accident and had a scalp wound |
dressed. lie had journeyed a hun
dred miles before the sheriff over
took him, but here and there he
had sold fragments of his plumber.
When finally Overbauled and ar
rested, he admitted his crime al
most before question was asked.
He was a professional tramp, and
robbery was nothing new to him.
He was not only dressed precisely
like Richards, but he resembled
him so closely in height, build,
weight, and facial expression that
people came to the Jail and called
him Richards. He gave his name
as Terry, but as he could remember
little or nothing of his childhood,
and as this was also the case with
it was generally believed
hat they were twin brothers. The
)ne was released as an Innocent
nan and the other was sent TO
prison for such a long term as
practically assured his death within
he gloomy walls.