Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-12-28
4 CURIOUS CASE.
An Old lawyers "Reminiscences

An Old Lawyers ECeIn1niScence-
Several old lawyers were sitting to-
pether relating "reminiscences Of their
practice. Some time ago when L was
down IN Georgia" said an elderly law
yer, "a case came to my knowledge
which presents many curious features.
Mr. Cameron, a gentleman of means,
resided with his daughter, Helen, IN the
neighborhOOd of Columbus, in that
State His wife had been dead some
years. and his only domestics were an
elderly negress named Hannah and her
son, lad of Is, known as jim. Two
young men named Dyson and Miller
used to pay attentions to Helen, and it
was not known that she had ever favored
one more than the other. Mr.. Cameron
one morning rode over to a friends
house. taking Jim with him. He was to
remain over night and return the next
morning early. On reaching home ac-
cordingly, between 8 and 9 o'clock he
found all quiet around the house. The
front door was open, but neither Helen
nor Hannah was seen. MIR. Cameron
went to his daughters room and
knocked, but there was no response.
Finding the door was not fastened, he
went into the room. His daughter was
lying in bed, dead. A bottle, which had
evidently contained chlOrofOrm, was
standing on a chair by the bedside. A
towel almost covered the dead girls
face. The premises were searched, but
nothing could be seen of Hannah.
The authorities were notified, and a
group of men who We're examining
the grounds around the house came
across the dead body Of a negro. The
negro had been shot in the side, the
ball having penetrated a vital part.
The body was discovered not over a
hundred yards from the dwelling lying
in an orchard near a rustic seat. In a
short time the secret of Hannah's alb
sence was explained. About $50
o'clock the previous evening she went
TO the house of a neighbOr. She told
her friend that Mr.. Cameron was away
and only Miss Helen at home, and that
as some gentleman, she didn't know
whom, had called to visit the young
lady she thought she would venture
away for a few minutes to have a chat.
After staying perhaps fifteen minutes
she left. In a short time her friends
heard a noise at the door, and, on open
ing it, fOSnd Hannah lying outside, APP
parently dead. They carried her into
the house and she had continued IN
conscious ever since. 1 may as well say
that a doctor was procured who pro
nounced Hannah to be suffering from
brain fever. That turned out to be the
case, the unfortunate woman remained
in a helpless condition, physically and
mentally, for several weeks.
AS a bottle of chlOroform was found
near Helen, so a revolver was found IN
the right hand of the negro, and the in
ference in each case was suicide. It
was a remarkable double tragedy, but
rs there was not q lot of evidence point
ing to violence on the part of a third
person, the only conclusion to be
reached was that Helen and the negro
had taken their own lives. At the end
of q week, however, Mr.. Dyson ap-
peared on the spot. He said that he
had been visiting at Atlanta and knew
nothing of the double tragedy until his
return. Then he said he had in his pos
session a letter which might throw some
light on the death of Miss Cameron.
He depOsed that at about a quarter to
10 o'clock on the evening of the day on
which Mr.. Cameron left home he took a
walk toward the gentleman's residence.
AS he reached the crOssrOad, not far
distant he saw by the moonlight a man
approaching from the direction of the
house, and recognized Miller. Dyson
hid himself, and observed Miller, as he
passed, throw something over the hedge.
When Miller was far enough away By
son looked over the hedge and saw a
small, white object lying upon the grass.
He climbed a gate near by and found
that the object was piece of crumpled
paper, which, on being opened, proved
to be a letter. He struck a match and
saw that the letter was from Miss Cam
eron, inviting Miller to call that
evening. Dyson depOsed that, finding
that such a favor had been extended
to Miller, he did not call at Mr.. Cam
erOn's house as he had intended to do
Miller was arrested and admitted
having received the letter and having
called on Miss Cameron as it requested
him, but he said that at 10 o'clock he
left the house, as Miss Cameron had
been up very early that morning and
was tired. 1t was proved, however,
that he had bought chloroform few
days before at a druggists store IN Co
lumbus and IN the very bottle found by
Miss Cameron's bedside, for it had a
label upon it of another drug store over
which the druggist had pasted his own
name. The druggist remembered this
fact distinctly and also that the word
schlOrOform' was written IN blue ink and
spelt without the n On the removal
of the outside label IN court the other
label was found and was exactly as the
druggist had described it. Miller ad-
mitted having bought the chlorOform,
but said he had got it for Miss Cameron,
who used it to take ont stains from silk
Miller was held for the grand jury,
and as the delays in justice down there
are not many or long, he was brought
to trial within a month of the alleged
crime. On the very first day Of the