Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-03-14
Local Exchanges.
4 STRANGE CASE.
Darlinoto7s Rea,,kbLico1a

Nearly every body in La Fayette
county knows or has heard of w. NJ.
Rollins, of Belmont, and it is in con-
nection with this individual that one of
the strangest cases of mistaken iden-
tity, with serious results following, hap
pened.
About four months ago, man was
murdered in Sparta, Wisconsin. The
murderer, though identified, escaped.
and all efforts to capture him proved in
vain.
About two months ago, Mr.. Rollins
went TO Sparta on business, and as
soon as he stepped off the train was ar
rested as the murderer. Circuit court
then being in session, the district attor-
ney filed an information against him
under the nanIe of the murderer. Mr.
Rollins, of course, plead not guilty. and
his attorney, j. NJ. Morrow, asked for
continuance, so he could get the
necessary evidence to establish his inno-
cence. But this application Judge
Newman denied, and Billy was forced
to trial. Several witnesses identified
him as the murderer, others swore as
having seen him kill the murdered man.
The chain of evidence was complete;
and, although Billy took the stand in
his own behalf, swore be was not
the man, that the name he was being
tried under was not his name, that he
resided in Belmont, and had never been
in Sparta before, the twelve men good
and true would not believe him, but re-
turned verdict of manslaughter, and
Rollins was sentenced to Waupun for
eight years, and thither the sheriff forth-
covered from his first shock, he had his
lawyers set about to establish his inno-
cence and secure his pardon.
Luckily for him, the night the muir
der was committed in Sparta he had at
tended dance in Belmont, and as soon
as his friends in Belmont heard of his
trouble, they made application to Gov.
Hoard for his pardon, and sent the affi-
davits of over 100 people who saw him
at the dance.
About this time the real murderer
was discovered, arrested, and confessed
his crime, and on Monday Billy was re-
leased and came home, passing through
this city on the evening passenger.
The strangest part of the whole af-
fair is the exact resemblance between
Rollins and the murderer. People who
have seen them both can hardly tell
one from the other. They are both
crippled exactly alike in the left harS
and otherwise are perfect doubles.
1t is case in which truth is stranger
than fiction, but it's awful tough on
Billy. We often hear of men who have
their doubles. but we believe never be-
fore in the history of Wisconsin has a
man been tried, convicted and SON.
fenced because he looks like the Grim
inal.
DALAI stabbing ARRAY occurred
near Wauzeka on Monday. S. La
throp, a small man aged 25 years,
and VIM. Kipp, very large man As
years old, both farmers, quarrelled over
something and went into the road to
.'haye it out" wien Kipp stabbed La,
throp in the lungs with knife, inflIct-
ing dangerous wound. Klpp was ar
rested Tuesday morning and lodged in
jail at Prairie du Chen.
On Monday two mea drove steer
into Muscoda and offered it for sale.
Having disposed of the. animal under
rather suspicious circumstances they
boarded fire light train coming TO Bos-
cobel. Constable Frank Miller looked
them up and found them in box car
and got in with them rs the train start
ed. As the train neared Boscobel the
two men made a rush for the door and
jumped off. They captured the
men in the bluffs east of this city.
The names of the men who stole the
steer are Andrew and VIM. Byers, and
the man from whom the animal was
| stolen is Mr.. Wilson, chairman Of the
town of Scott. Since the above was
was written the men have settled with
Mr.. Wilson and the matter will not &C
into the courts.
| Pick and Gad:-John FARMLAND, an
old resident of this town died at the
home of his son James Franklin, or
Shullsburg Branch last Monday after
noon, in the eightieth year of his age
The deceased was native of Swaledsle
Yorkshire, England and came to thii
Country about twenty two years ago
and has worked in and about the mines
in this neighborhood ever since. n.
was a man of remarkable physlca
strength and was never confined to b.