The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-04-17
TWO NARROW ESCAPES.


An English lawyer once said that cir
cumstantial evidence would hang the
King of England. While that was put
ting it pretty strong it is admitted that
chain of circumstantial evidence has
often sent men to the gallows. If cir
cumstance can be explained away, it is
but mere shadow. If it cannot be ex-
planned away, it becomes menace to
the prisoners life. A witness may be
bribed, abducted, or impeached. A cir
cumstance is II lion in the path demand
ing blood.
1t has often been asserted that innocent
men have been hung on circunstantial
evidence. There may have been such
instances, but they have been rare in.
deed. In my own experience in law and
detective work | have seen some curious
things about circumstantial evidence. 1t
Is, in one sense, the strongest chain
which can be forged, IN a; Jther the very
weakest.
About twenty years ago was detailed
on murder case in Kentucky town.
1t was not to work up the case, but to
save If possible the young man arrested
Tor the crime. When l got the facts and
details felt hopeless to accomplish any
thing. He was young man of 23,
pamel Graham, and was of respectable
family. He had been engaged to a
young lady of the highest respectablity,
but they had quarreled about something.
Common friends had brought about a
reconciliation, but new suitor had ap.
peared upon the scene, and Graham's
jeslously had provoked another quarrel.
He had not visited her in two weeks,
when, on the evening of Sunday, Octo-
Der 80, one of Graham's friends met him
and said:
"iour rival is up at Lossing's, and
seems bound to cut you out. Adele
seems very sweet on him."
Graham truly loved the girl, and this
speech made him wild. He turned pale,
trembled, and finally said:
"He is an adventurer and an inter-
loper. Let him look out for himselfn
An hour later he started for Lossing's.
He passed several people who saw that
he was excited. The house stood back
from the road in grove of trees, and
was approached by two paths or drives
from the front. Graham fully intended
TO enter the house, but when he came
upon the grounds his courage failed him.
He was afraid he might say or do some
thing rash in his present mood, and very
sensibly decided to return to town and
defer his call till the next day. Next
morning his rivals dead body was found
on one of the drives, about half way be-
tween the house and the fence. He had
been struck down with bludgeon. Con-
clusions are always jumped at in murder
cases. Two OF the servants were at once
arrested, but before noon they were set
at liberty and Graham was taken into
custody. The chain already contained
several links. Others were added the
moment he was arrested. lie was dread
fully agitated, hesitated to acknowledge
that he had been near the place, and a
blood stain was found on the right
sleeve of his coat. Before he had been
in JAIL one day even his own father be-
Viewed him murder lie was examined
and bound over, and it was only after
that event that he began to protest his
innocence. The girl who had been the
cause of it came nobly TO his rescue.
While she truly loved him, she had been
willing to make him Jealous, and when
murder had come of it, as she believed,
she felt terribly conscious striken and
anxious to believe in his protestation OF
innocence.
When l came upon the ground, the
State had its case all worked up, and
when went over it to look for flaw
could find none. had to acknowledge
that was without hope. Indeed, l be-
lleved Graham guilty. His own exNh
nations rather strengthened that belief.
Lossing's house faced the east. The
highway in front ran north and south.
The lawn was twenty yards wide, and
one drive led from the north aud the
other from the south end. Graham an.
preached from the north. He would
naturally turn IN at the first drive, but he
claimed to have gone on to the second.
He followed it to the house, passed
around it, played for two or three min
utes with the dogs, and then circled
about the fish pond, and took a short
cut across the grove and struck the road,
not hitting the north path at all. The
dead man had come from the village as
well, and on foot. He had come and at
tempted to return by the north drive.
II Graham WAS innocent who was
guilty!
Not the slightest susp cion had been
directed elsewhere. 1t seemed hopeless
to look l questioned and cross-uues-
toned him, bit he could not give me
the slightest foundation for a clue or a
tHeory. What ! got came by accident.
/ asked to see the blood stained cloth
ing, and l found it to be a single daub