The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-12-29
HANGED TOO SOON.
What Circumstantial Evidence
Did for an Innocent Man.

What Ctrcumstantlal Evidence
Did for an Innocent Man.
Executed for tho Murder Of q Man Who
Turns Up Alive and Well Two Years
After His Chun's Death-A
lawyers Thrilling Story.
The lawyers were talking about circum.
stantial evidence and several remarkable
cases, in which innocent persons who had
been condemned were mentioned, says the
Brooklyn Citizen
''Perhaps the most singular case of the
hnd,'' said lawyer, SIS one which is re-
corded in the books and is pretty old. 1t gave
rise, as understand, to the change in the
law requiring the body of a murdered per-
son to be found before any one can be pun
ished for the crime.
stTwo merchant sailors went to an inn in
an English seaport. To make the story
clearer, I'll call them Jack and Tom. Jack
pulled out a well-ilIed wallet to satisfy the
landlord that he and his friend could pay
their way. They invited the landlord to
drink with them, and Tom produced a big
jack-knite curiously handled, to cat his to-
bacco The iun WAS close on the harbor.
the side was covered way which led to the
sleeping rooms in the rear. Near by OH the
quay were stone steps going down to the
water for the accommod alton Of boats.
s.After the two men had had a, good time
they retired to one Of the rooms in the rear,
where they were to occupy a bed together.
They were both gust sober enough to know
what they were about. The next morning
spots OF blood were observed upon the floor Of
the covered way, from the door Of the bed
room occupied by the sailors to the quay.
The landlord went to rouse up his guests,
but found only one Of them there It was
Tom, and he WIS fast asleep and required a
good deal of arousng. When asked where
his companion was he appeared confused and
alarmed and said he didn't know.
son the bed-clo.hes and hoor there were
large spots Of blood. The waiter in the
basin was bloody, and the towel showed
that bloody hands had been wiped upon it,
The jaclx-knife, seen the previous evening
in the possession of Tom, was found upon
the table, and was likewise stained with
blood Undey Toms bolster &C the side
next the wall wallet was found filed
with money, aud was identified as that
which Jack had exhibited the night before.
Every thing SO far pointed to a murder, and
to Tom as the peTpetrator Of it. The au-
thorities were notified and Tom was AZ
rested. He told a very remarkable story.
SHE said that when he and.J ack were about
to get into bed Jack suggested the idea OF
robbers, remarking that 1t wouldn't take d
very clever fellow 10 get in at the window,
and, as they were likely to sleep soundly
after their carouse, it WoAld be easy for a
thief, if he got in to the room, to Rob them.
Tom had already got into bed, and was
lying next the wall, so he suggested that all
their money should be- put under his pillow.
1t would be a comparatively easy task, he
said. Tor q thief to draw the wallet from
Jacks pillow, bat it would be much more
likely to rouse one or the other OF she1n il &
thief attempted to reach over and take the
money il it were under Toms pillow. This
suggestion was adopted, and the wallet be-
longing to Jask was placed under Toms pill
low Soon after they got into hedJack COM
planned that his nose had began tc bleed,
and arose. He poured some water into the
bowl and tried to stop the bleeding.
Then Tom arose and assisted. Finally
Tom said that he had heard that cold metal
placed at the back OF the neck would stop
bleetiing at once, and thereupon he got
his big jack-knlfe, opened it and placed it
against Jacks neck. It Was dark, and they
were both a little muddled with drink,
SO that their movements were not particu-
larly careful, and thus the blood got upon
the floor, the table and the knife. Finding
that the bleeding would not stop Jack grew
somewhat alarmed and this probably So
bered him, for he said that he would put OH
his clothes and walk down to the quay. as
the exercise and fresh air might stop the aovs
Of blood. Tom said that he lay down, and
the last he remembered was Jack leaving
the room to carry ont his purpose.
ssrhis story was considered a very clever
connection, as it fairly accounted for every
thing but the absolute disappearance Of
Jack. Toms theory Was that he had fallen
into the water and been drowned, and that
nis body had been carried out by the tide
The theory Of tne authorities was that
Tom had murdered! Jack for his money and
carried his body TO the water and thrown
it in. The fact that Tom had not attempted
to Escape or i'll any way to cover up the.
crime did not give the officials much cu1l-
Germ He might, they said. have felt conti-
dent that his story would be believed, or
be might, after the deed, have been over
down, or he might have imagined that he
VOn1O AC1tO Cp1DA S'aAAoy SASNf7AA w gu AANetA
before any alarm was raised in the morn
ing. Tom, anyhow, was held for the muir
der of Jack, and in due time was Indicted
by the grand jury. On the trial every
thing was made to tell strongly against
the prisoner, and he was convicted and
hanged.
Now comes the sequel to the story. Two
wears OF more after sentence had been exc
Gated upon the unfortunate Tom, Jack ap-
peared upon the scene once more, alive aud
we'll. Then for the first time he heard of
his own murder and the hanging OF his
shipma,e for the crime. He was greatly
shocked, aud gave an account of his disap'
pe;srance which in. every particular sub
startiated the truth Of the statements made
by Tom.
I'm addition he said that, after quitting
the bedroom his nose continued to bleed,
and he walked down the covered way
toward the quay, keeping his head well for
ward, so that the blood might not stain mis-
clothes. On reaching the quay he turned
to the left. aud, just as he came opposite
the stone steps already described, press
gang sprang upon him, gagged him, carried
him to q boat and rowed him, along with
others similarly captured, on board man-
of-war lying at anchor in the roads. It was
war times, aud sailors were badly wanted,
and the nress gang was resOrted to tor