The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-10-17

There was no excitement until next day,
and then, when search failed to turn
up the missing man or furnish clue as
to his fate, Miller, who was in bed, was
placed under arrest, charged with
his murder. When I got down
there from Boston the case
against him had been worked
up until no one doubted his guilt, and
there were threats of lynching. My first
move somewhat staggered them, how
ever. I proceeded to show that Miller
had arrived at tho horse owners alone,
and that he had not passed that point.
I then found two negro wood choppers
and white man who had seen the two
men together in the buggy only half o
mile from where Sweet got out. If
murder there was, it had taken place in
that half-mile ride, and the body must
be concealed near the roadside. Asearch
had been made of the whole distance.
but I now proceeded to a closer investl-
cation. Miller was slim, light. built
man, weighing 1913 pounds, Sweet was a
large, fleshy man, weighing 1855 pounds.
1t was, therefore, impossible that Miller
could drag the body any distance.
We went over the ground foot by
foot, taking in breadth of mile each
side of the highway and examining
every barn, strawstack, thicket, fence
corner and depression. Not the slight
est trace of the body could be found.
This raised doubt of D1il!er's guilt, but
more than that was needed to clear him.
It was strange, everybody said, why
Sweet had not gone to the house to see
tho owner of the mules; why he had not
been seen on the road or in the fields;
Why if alive, he had not shown up
since. 1t was evident that there had
been foul play. Miller was the last per-
son in his company. His disordered
clothing, the blood spots, his pallor and
mental anxiety. Why when went
all over it in my OWL mind
it almost seemed to me
as if he was guilty. I say almost,
for I could not quite believe it OF him.
While the prosecution could not produce
the body as proof of the murder, they
had plenty of cireumstantlal evidence,
and Miller was held to the higher court,
with everybody believing in his guilt.
The affair had as curious turn just be
fore his trial as novelist could imagine.
was in small town fifty miles from
Clurksvillc, and had stepped into q
grocery kept by an old woman, to get a
plug of tobacco, when her son, noun
taineer, came in from his place, thir-
teen miles away. The two exchanged
salutations in my presence, and the
mother asked:
'Has the stranger gone yeta"
"No," replied the son.
"And do you think he is daftfe
"Pears that way"
GLOW is his hurt?'
"Bcttcr, I guess"
Then their conversation turned into
other channels, and I went out. In ten
minutes I went back again. An in
iuence which I cannot explain any more
than I could resist sent me back to ask:
"You were talking about stranger.
Have you some unknown man at your
house2'
eyes, sir. He came six or eight
weeks ago. I think lie has been hurt
and has lost his mind. have told him
he must 90, but he cries and bcgs to
stay, and he has paid US very well for
his keep"
He described Sweet to a dot, and
three hours later I had identified the
man who was supposed to have been
murdered by Miller. In three days |
had him at ClarksviIle That knocked
the murder theory in the head, OF
course, but the prosecution then de-
clared Miller had assaulted him with in
tent to kill and rob. A medical exami-
nation showed that Sweet had been
struck on the head and his brain in
iurcd. I took him to Nashville, put
him in the care of surgeon. and in four
weeks he had his mind back. The very
first words he uttered on coming to
were:
"And you can stop for me as you
come back"
Four months time had gone out of his
mind, and he began just where he had
lie off as he got out of the buggy. In
climbing the roadside fence he fell and
struck his head against the log. He re-
mcmbered falling, but nothing further.
A pressure of the skull upon his brain
had produced an hallucination. He i'm
acined that he was hunted by robbers,
and had made his way through forest
and swamp to the cabin where I found
him. His weight had run down to 1875
pounds, hair aud whiskers had grown
long, and only some lucky accident
could have identified him. Of tho
So, 900 he had with him when he drove
out of Clarksville every dollar was &C.
counted for, and he was eventually re-
stored to health and strength.
This has been my personal experience
with circumstantial evidence, and yet I
dare declare my belief that it is the
best evidence in the world to convict
the guilty on. 1t may have worked
in Justice in raro instances, but it has
hung dozens of guilty wrctches who
would otherwise have escaped. d.-New
York Sun.
The Origin Of Quaker Custom.
George Fox used at one time to at