Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-02-03
Mrs. Dinsmore's Acquittal.

oa trial as accessory to the murder OF
J. Z. Davis, was concluded at Frank
liz, on Monday evening Of this week.
The day was taken up by arguments
of counsel and the Judges charge to
the jury At O'Clock the jury re-
tired and at $50 returned verdict Of
not guilty.
TIE verdict was received with
great applause The prisoner stood
/ like a statue and seemed completely
stunned by the verdict. She did not
seem to realize what was going on
until she was reJurne TO the jail
when she broke down and wept with
/ ioT. The verdict is 10 accordance
with the evidence aud meets Wlth the
! approval Of all.
Mrs. Dinsmore at her previous trial
before Judge Wilson, in Clarion, was
found guilty of completely with David
! l. King iD the murder of James q.
Davis, at one time a we'll known oil
producer. This conviction carried
with it the death penalty. She was
granted a new trial and change of
venue and the case brought to We
mango county. David L. King is
now in jail at Clarion waiting SEN
tence of death for killing Davis in
Mrs Dinsmore's house in st. Peters
burg, Feb 5, 1887.
Wien Davis was fourishing as an
oil operator in Clarion county he be.
come infatuated with Mrs. Dinsmore
When Mr.. Dinsmore dis
covered that Davis's attentions to his
wife were not repulsed he packed up
his clothing and, taking his little son
with hin, suddenly left Tor the West
and has never been heard of since.
Davis neglected his own family. and
his wife, a woman of excellent family
IN St. Louis, left him and returned to
her home. He bought Mrs. Dins-
more house in St. Petersburg and
their intimacy became quite notorious.
Mrs. Dinsmore is closely related to
some of the best families in Warren
county, and the scandal was soon the
theme of the town. Davis met with
reverses in business and TO save the
house in which Mrs. Dinsmore lived
decided it to her. He then went West
und tried to persuade his wife in St.
Louis to again live with him, which
she refused 10 do.
Dave King was a handsome, dash
ing young man, about st. Petersburg
aud supplanted Davis, still in the
West, in the affections of Mrs. Dins-
more. The evidence in the trial at
Clarion showed that Mrs Dinsmore's
daughter Lilly,a handsome girl of Is,
Was q rival of her mother for the at-
fections of King When Davis's
skull was produced in court last Fri
day, DR.. Wireback ran his lead pencil
into the eye to show the jury the di-
rection of the bullet Lilly Dinsmore,
who was seated beside ter mother,
tainted at the sight and was carried
from the court room. Letters were
produced from Mrs Dinsmore to show
that she had written to Davis to re-
main IN tue West; that she loved the
ground that King walked on and
wished to retain his affections un-
questioned by anyone.
Davis at once returned to st. Pc
tersburg He was seen about hotels
and bar rooms drinking aud exhibit
ing revolver. In drug store he
said the revolver was for King
King was in the store at the time.
and going out, went at once to Mrs
Dinsmore's, and, according to the
testimony of Mrs. Cotton, who
was lying sick in the
house at the time, Davis
came in and presented a revolver ct
Mrs. DinsmOre's head and threatened
10 kill hef Previously he had threat
ened to kill Lilly, and prevented her
leayiDg the house when she wanted
to notify DR.. Moore, the Burgess
Davis Kept bis pistol presented at
Mrs. Dinsmore' head and she backed
from him in the direction of door
opening into room in which King
was. There was scuffle at the door
and then the shot. Davis fell dead
and King walked up town and sur
rendered himself to the Burgess
Davis was blind of one eye and ia
this the bullet entered
At Clarion the prosecution made
much of this circumstance. 1t was
set forth thaC Davis had been lured
into this house by the woman and
King for the purpose of numbering
him and getting him out of the way.
King worked with such deliberation
that he got on the blind side of his
victim and fired into his defective eye
There was strong feeling against
both Mrs. Dinsmore aud King in
Clarion county for the notorious way
in which they had been living, and
it was the universal opinion tuat this
had much to do with their conviction.
ki1g has been respited by the Gov
ernor until March s.