davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

opinion as to the guilt or innocence
of the defendant and on the sources
of information stated by them.
Third. Because the Court erred
in everything defendants motion to
change the venue of said case for
trial.
Fourth. Because the verdict is
against the evidence and without
sufficient evidence or proper evil
dence to sustain it.
Fifth. Because of improper and
illegal conduct of the jury pending
the trial as shown by affidavits to
be filed herewith.
Sixth. Because several of said
jurors who testified they had form
ed or expressed al opinion rs to
the guilt or innocence of defendant
had beth formed and expressed
opinions of defendants guilt before
being impannelled as jurors,a as per
affidavits to be filed.
Seventh. Because the Court
erred in allowing and permitting
illegal and incompetent witnesses
to testify in behalf of the State and
against the objections of defendant.
Eighth. The Court erred in per-
hitting improper and illegal evil
dence offered by plaintiff to go to
the jury against defendants objec-
tons.
Ninth. The Court erred in al
lowing mere portions of a CONVEX
sation to go to the jury when it
appeared that the witness could
not give the whole, against defend
ants objections, and did not with
draw such fragments of converse
ton from the jury.
Tenth. The Court erred in Civ
ing improper and illegal instruc.
tons to the jury in the interest Of
the State.
Eleventh. That the Court erred
in giving any Instructions TO the
Jury after it had retired for consul
tation.
Twelfth. And erred, as well, II
giving the instructions at that time
because the same was pertinent tC
no issue in the case rendered, either
by the pleading or the evidence
and was misleading and erroneou:
as a matter of law.
Thirteenth. The court erred il
not giving proper legal, competen
and necessary instructions to thu
Hurry, to enable it to understand
ingly pass upon the issues in sait
case.
Fourteenth. Because the yer
dict is against the law and evidenc'
in the case, and is against the in
structions of the court to the jury
Fifteenth. Because the verde
should have been for the defendant
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27
Miller has q Mother.

Miller has an aged mother living
in Monroe county, near Paris. He
also has a sister residing in the
same neighborhood. Another SIS
ter lives at Hannibal, while the
prisoners wife makes her home in
this city, during the winter having
been dependent upon the city for
support. Miller has no children OF
his own, but an adopted child look
ed to him for support previous to
his incarceration.
The colored people of Mexico as
a body are very much dissatisfied
with the punishment Mortimer is
likely to receive and openly express
the opinion that if Miller must
hang his partner in crime should
dangle with him. Yesterday after
noon two or three colored men call
ed at the Jail and gong to one of
the north windows, called Somers,
a trusty prisoners, to the bars and
asked when Mortimer would be
taken to Jefferson. Somers an
swered he thought that there had
been no sentence pronounced and
of ~courseAno time set for the nris-
oner's removal.
WELL" remarked one of the
colored men; 1--WE just wanted to
know if he would go soon, for we
want to see that he is strung up be-
fore he gets out Of town. If Miller
hangs, Mortimer must go the same
way
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27
Reaching the Verdict

The first ballot taken after the
retirement of the jury resulted as
follows: For conviction, five; nom
committal, four; for acquittal, three.
After a few moments the jury adj
journed for supper and at 7:30 in
the evening balloting was again be-
gun. Until after II O'Clock the sit
uation remained practically I'M
changed. Several Of the jurymen
gave up hope Of reaching a verdict
and the audience and officers on the
outside grew very impatient. At
about fifteen minutes past eleven,
Judge Hughes sent for the jury.
When it came in and was seated the
Judge asked the jurors if they
thought a verdict could be reached
in time. Two or three jurymen
spoke up and said such q result was
highly improbable. One remarked
that he thought a verdict could
never be reached. Mr.. Bolts adj
dressed the Judge and explained
that the difficulty lay in the jury's
inability to determine an acces-
sory's liability in a case of this
character. 1t was believed that
Miller did not fire the fatal shot,
though they believed that he was
present when the murder was done.
They wanted instruction on that
point. After a few moments de-
liberation, Judge Hughes prepared
the following, which was read and
handed to the jury:
although the jury may believe
from the evidence in the cause that
George Mortimer fired the fatal
shot that killed the said Apgar, yet
ifthey believe that defendant was
present, aiding, abetting, helping,
comforting and assisting the said
Mortimer IN such killing, then de-
PENDANT is guilty of murder in the
first degree equally with said Morti-
mer. Provided: that said Morti-
mer fired said fatal shot and killed
said Apgar wlllfully, deliberately
premeditately and of his malice
aforethought, or in the perpetra-
ton or attempt to perpetrate a bur
glary, as defined and explained in
other instructions"
The jury again retired after the
reading of the second instruction,
and, after an absence Of fifteen or
twenty minutes, came back with a
verdict as given above.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27
After q New Trial.

Shortly after noon Monday a
motion for a new trial was made
by the defendants attorneys. 1t
was agreed that the motion will
come up for argument next Mon
day. The following reasons that a
new trial should be granted are set
forth by the defendants attorneys:
First. Because the Court erredin
not causing a panel of forty quail
fed jurors to be furnished in said
cause, from which the trial jury
could be selected, and there was
not a panel at any time of forty
qualified jurors ever furnished out
of which to select a jury.
Second. Because the Court erred
in overruling defendants object
ions to the qualifications of certain
persons to be jurors, who swore on
their roir dire that they had form
ed, or formed and expressed an
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27
ELDER SAMUEL q
The Centralla Minister asks Vim.
dicat1on at the Hands of the
Republic"

The following letter has been
written by Elder Samuel Magee,
and addressed to the editor of the
st. Louis Republic:
To the Editor of the Republic:
CENTRAL1A, Me-, June 26.-In
the issue of yesterday, June 25th,
the Republic contained an article
dated at Centralia, No., which was
written at and sent from Mexico,
Mo. Said article was libellous in
character and well calculated to re-
fleet upon my good name. Of
course I believe you were imposed
upon. I also believe you are an
honorable gentleman and will en-
deavor to do all in your power to
undo the great wrong your paper
has done in publishing the article
in question, which is entirely base
less and unfounded.
Please explain through the col
umns of next issue of Republic how
it came to pass to publish an article
from Mexico and dated Centralia.
This naturally led readers to be-
lieve that such a state of affairs ex-
listed in Centralia as described in
the slanderous article.
You will also publicly explain
the fact that the whole thing is
based upon a lie and that the Re.
public was imposed upon.
You will also give the name OF
your author, denounce the act and
print the recantation as conspicu.
ously as the libelous article was
lprinted.
| This matter must be attended tt
at once. I have been deeply
wronged, but am willing to DROP
the matter upon the foregoing con
dition. l must be indicated!
Very Respectfully,
MAcrE
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27
TWO DEATH
The Documents that Sealed the
Fates of Three Men.

The possibility of a hanging in
this county not far in the future
brings to mind the only legal exc
cutions that ever took place within
Audrain's limits. Three men were
hanged. They were executed with
in a period of two months. Walker
kilgore, young nan of twenty
two, was convicted at the October
term of court, 1879, for the murder
of L. Dow Willingham. The hang
ing took place March 5, 1880. The
death warrant contained the sigma
ture of James Carroll, then Circuit
Clerk, and was a beautiful piece of
work. The large sheet of paper
was carefully traced in India ink,
the jet outlines standing out in sol.
emn relief against the pure white
ground. A wide double border of
black heightened the effect, and at
the top of the opened warrant a
simple black bow Of silk ribbon was
tied. A jet black seal was fastened
to the lower left hand corner and
all such words as "murder," the
name of the criminal and date of
execution were brought out omin-
ously in heavy, black letters. The
warrant, when folded, looked very
much like a deed, or an insurance
policy, only it's face was bordered
in black, while the title of the case,
punishment and the words ''death
warrant" stood grlmly and plainly
to themselves. On an inner fold
the following commonplace return
of the writ, made by the Sheriff,
told that the laws majesty had
been indicated and that one more
poor devil had tasted of ignomini-
Gus death on the gallows:
Executed this writ in Audrain
county, Mo-, this March 5, 1880, by
hanging the within named Walker
Kilgere by the neck until he was
dead. oh. GLAsCoCK,
Sheriff, Audrain County"
The other warrant was for the
death of Jacob Muldrow and Nathan
Fawcett, two colored men who killed
Octave Inflow, "a white resident Of the
county. These murderers were con-
victed at the February term OF court,
1880, and their execution took place
April IS, the same year. This war
rant, having been prepared by the
same clerk, was very much like the
one described above. 1t was rib
boned, sealed and borderedjust like
the first one, but the letters were
palmer and of an entirely different
kind. They were gothic in style
and as regularly and neatly put on
the paper as if the warrant had
been printed from new type and
new presses. 1t sealed the fates of
two men, instead of one. In other
particulars it read just like the one
prepared for kilgore.
The return on this warrant was
similar to that made by Sheriff
Glascock on the other one, only two
men and two fees we're mentioned.
For the hanging of a man, the sher-
if is allowed S25.
These two warrants cover all the
hangings that Eve took place in
this county. The executions were
skillfully conducted, there being no
breaking Of ropes or other bungling.
The men went to their glory expe-
dltiously.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27
Ferris buggies are the best.
Masonry and the Revolution.

Masonry ana the heVolut1on.
From the Masonic Constellation.
Hon. Chauncey M. Depew said
in an address delivered before Kane
Lodge, No. 454, New York City, on
the occasion of their thirteenth
anniversary: cit is an extra
ordinary tribute to American
Masonry that 81 of the signers of
the Declaration of Independence
out of the 55 could have formed a
Lodge, and that all the Major
Generals in the Army of the Rev.
olution were bound by the mystic
tie. One was expelled from the
Order, but his infamy and his
punishment have given more
brilliant and permanent fame to
the virtues OF the rest. The un-
known grave and the execrated
memory of Benedict Arnold serve
by contrast to exalt to nobler and
grander nights the pure Masonic
patriotism of George Washington.
1t appears, from the records OF
King Solomon Lodge of Pough-
keepsie, that from 1771 Benedict
Arnold was a frequent visitor. In
1881, | found this remarkable
entry: Ordered that the name of
Benedict Arnold be considered
obiiterated from the minutes of this
Lodge; a traitor There is no
more interesting relic in the
archives of our Order than this
mutilated record"
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27
Awaiting the Verdict.

At q quarter of five o'clock Mr..
Robertson closed his speech and
the jury was at once taken in charge
by Sheriff Adams. The twelve
men filed out, leaving an intensely
interested, specializing audience
behind. The prisoner now became
the cynosure of all eyes. Mil
Ter turned his seat and faced
the spectators. Their curiosity
seemed to amuse him, for he smiled
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

The night police have been hay-
Ing Zach trouble with tramps.
Every night found the ubiquitous
traveller comfortably ensconeed in
empty cars in the railroad yards.
Eight arrests were made and the
prisoners were given work on the
rock pile as Migrants. Since this
Snscome noised about, the trouble
some visitor has made himself
scarce and last night the officers
! could not find even a single tramp.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Mrs. DR.. Maus, accompanied by
her daughter, Miss Elizabeth AL
lensworth, left Saturday for
Boone county, where they will
visit friends and relatives for a few
days. Miss Allensworth will 60
from there to Llnneus, No., where
she will spend the summer. They
were accompanied by Mr.. Hickman
Wigginton,
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Mollie Perkins, a copper colored
women who lives on North Water
steet yesterday caused the home
Q fMattie Cunninghan's parents to
be searched. The Perkins woman
claimed that Matte, who is a
twelve year old eolored child, stole
sNrand some jewelry from her.
The girl made a stout denial and as
no proof could be offered, she was
not arrested.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

JOSEPH STRONG, a man Of 40, con-
fessed on his dying bed in a New
York hospital the other day that
he had been married sixteen
different times in the last seven
years, and that he believed all his
wives to be living. He wanted to
live to make them all happy, he
sald, but death claimed him for its
own.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Brooks Il Frost have an unlimit-
ed supply of money to loan on
farming lands in any sums desired,
and at a very low rate of interest.
Office next door north of Southern
Bank, upstairs. lilly
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

George Rulof, son of Mr.. and
Mrs. Jacob Ruloff, died of pneu-
monia at the residence of his pa
rents on South Jefferson street
Monday morning at IL O'Clock. He
had been i'll for several days and
his death was not unlocked for.
The funeral took place from the
Promenade Street NJ. E.. Church,
South, Monday and was
largely attended. The parents have
the sympathy of the community.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

The Christian Church is going to
have one of the prettiest fences in
town. A. X. Luckie does the work.
1t will have a rock base with a neat
iron fence on top.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

DR.. W. Brown, of st. Louis, was
in Mexicothis wsek. He performed
a very successful operation on J.
Milt Riley, of this city, who has
been troubled for some time with
a d~isagreeable sore on his face.
DR.. Brown left this afternoon for
Bowling Green.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

The latest caprice of Fulton
lovers is to have a young mans
best girl lock a bangle on his wrist,
and keep the key where a woman
always hides her jewels and carries
her treasures.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Miller, the young tramp who was
nearly killed by the cars q few
days ago, will not live. Heis only
partly conscious and it is impossi-
BILE to CLEAN from his jumbled talk
anything of his home or relatives.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Mrs. Tom P. Rixey and children
are visiting in Jonesburg. Mr.. Rixey
is at Monroe City.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

DR.. S. G. Adams, in a letter from
Oklahoma, says he is pleased with
the country, but will not remain
there on account ofill health. He
will go to Texas, returning to the
land of the boomer sometime with
ia the fall.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Howard Fawcett, a colered man
recently convicted of larceny and
sentenced to the P~enitentiary is
seriously i'll at the Jail.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Mrs. Z. A. Ellis has returned
from q visit to her son, DR.. Tom
Mclean of HausyiIle. I'll.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

j. H. Turner, a leading farmer
of near Fulton, was in townTuesday
to get a valuable work horse which
was stolen from him Saturday az
ternoon. The horse was brought
bv the thief to the farm of a man
named Sanderson. south of this
city, to whom the rogue sold the
animal for $50, not getting money
down on the transaction. The thiei
made good his escape, but there is
vet a possibility of his capture.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

James Bright, formerly of Mexico,
now of Huntsvill, EMO, has bought
fine farm in Audrain county and
will likely return to this county to
reside.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

B. S. Hite has returned from Gen.
tralia. He says there is absolutely
no foundation for the unsavory
stories concerning Elder Magee.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

The mother OF Mrs. C. G.. Baker
died recently at Herea, Madison
county, Kentucky. Mrs. Baker
has the sympathy of the communi-
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

The Liberty Street M. E. Church
is now lighted by electricity.
There are now eighty EIGHT electric
lights in the churches of Mexico.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Grant yourself moments time
and take a look through Ferris
carriage repository. 1t will repay
Won
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Miss Maggie B. Harris, of Nc
Creole, the young lady who won
the LEDGER prize watch, was in the
city this week and favored this
sffice with a pleasant call.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Acknowledgement pleaded guilty to
astealing meat from Mrs. jolly, jeff
Sims and VIM. Potts. He gets
three years in the pen.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Alb. Dingle, of Moberly, formerly
of Mexico, is supremely happy
over the birth of a daughter. Alb
says there are two angels on earth
-one is his wife and the other his
daughter.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Mrs. J. &. Meara, of st. Louis,
is visiting Mrs. Wallace Pearson.
who lives just north Of Mexico.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Mrs. Andy Harrison and son,
Paul, are visiting in Moberly.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Mrs. Tincher, of Fulton, Is visit
ing Mrs. G.. NJ. Lakeland on East
Monroe street.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

TAKEN uP.-A stray heifer, 2
years old, white and red, by Geo.
Iron, 8 IL miles northeast of Mex
lco, on the Santa Fe road. Owner
will please call for her. 1t
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Foundations Of Fortunes.
Wannamaker's first sa.ary was
S1.25 a week.
A.. T. Stewart made his first start
al a school teacher.
Pulitzer once acted as a stoker
on a Mississippi steamboat.
George w. Childs " IN errand
boy for a bookseller at 81 a month.
J. c. Flood, the California mill
ionaire, kept a saloon in San IRAN
cisco.
p. T. Barnum earned a salary as
bartender in Niblo's theater, New
York.
Jay Gould canvass. ,ra
county, selling 49,. ii ii %
apiece.
Whitelaw Reid did work as cor
respondent of a Cincinnati news
pader for SIS a week.
Adam Ferepaugh was a butcher
in Philadelphia when he decided
to go into the shsw business.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Mr.. and Mrs. 7. NJ. Walton, of
near Moline, were in the city this
week, on their way to st. Louis.
Mrs. Walton is under treatment for
An affection OF the eyes.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

The watermelon, peach and
hickory nut crops will be unusually
large and We editor is happy.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Mr.. and Mrs. J. NJ. Davis gave a
most enjoyable party Friday in
honor of their nephew, Mr.. Frank
M. Davis, of Nevada, who waspay-
ing them a brief visit.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Mrs. Lizzie Whaley and children,
of Cynthiana, Kentucky, are the
guests of Mr.. and Mrs. N. F. Kill
gore.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Buy a vehicle. Ferris has the
bet> and cheapes: on the mar
ket.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

u. Gill is home from Jefferson
City, where he visited pleasantly
for sometime.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Anything from a dog cart to a
SAtally no coach at Ferris.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Misses Lulu and Gertie Bunton
are visiting friends in Bloomington.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

A. L. Bruton has been appointed
postmaster at Laddonia in place of
Joel Pierce, removed.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

No more supplies of clothing are
needed for Johnstown. Money is
= called tor.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

The new rope ordered for work
at acknowledgement has not
set arrived.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Everyone can afford a buggy at
the price Ferris is selling them.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

VIM. Beck's flower garden is
flourishing in good shape.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Charley Malone and daughter
are in Mexico on a visit.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Mrs. DR.. J. E. Fritts is home
from Wellsville, where she was the
guest of friends.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

The best spring seat Saddle al
c. Ragsdale d Co.'S, at SIS Sat
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

A festival for the benefit of the
Rush Hill church will be given at
that place tonight.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

The New York Saa figures that
it would require thirty hours isr
the ordinary flow Of Niagara Falls to
equal the amount of water dis
charged from the North Fork reser-
ynir
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Call and see those hand made
Harness at c. Ragsdaie d. Co.'S.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Jas. Dowell shipped a a of 206
pound hogs to St. Louis last night,
at 8 81
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Hand made Track Harness at G.
Ragsdaie & Co.'S, at Is. to 20, %,
30, and $50. SIT
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Charles Riley, Of Slater, 10 In
town on a visit to his parents.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

If you want a buggy, don't fail
to see Ferris stock.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Mr.. Hathaway also has an i'm
mense stock of binder Irvine, which
he will put on the market at a very
low figure.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

We received a call from b. M.
Anderson, of Monroe county, who
who is around in the interest of the
live stock commission house of Ad.
Evans, of Chicago, and while the
live stock interest is represented
here by other men of good houses.
we can cheerfully commend this
house to those desiring to ship al
strictly reliable, and the stock con
signed to it will always bring theil
highest value. He always strikes
the top.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27

Ferris is rushing off his buggies
at mighty low prices.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-06-27
GUILTY OF MURDER
John Miller's Good Chances
for Hanging.
THE VERDICT CALMLY RE-
CEIVED BY THE sTOIc-
LIKE PRISONER.
Six Hours Required to find a Yer
dict, and How it was Finally
Reached - Something of
Miller and his Family.

1t lacked just seven minutes of
midnight Saturday when the door
leading into the court room was
opened and the jury in the Miller
murder ease filed in. There was
an expeetant hum throughout the
audience and all eyes were directed
to either the leader of the twelve
men, or the brown faced prisoner
who patiently awaited the decision
on his life. After a moment a sheet
of paper containing the brief but
terribly meaningful verdict was
held up and read:
ave, the jury, find the defendant
guilty of murder in the first degree,
as charged in the indictment.
81. Il. BARNABY,
Foreman"
Then another hum passed
through the audience that for a mo-
ment had been deathly quiet, and
this time all eyes were fixed on the
prisoner. Not a muscle moved; he
sat like a statue. The usual form
of polling the jury was observed
and after it was all over, that Stole
like expression on Miller's face for
a moment relaxed into something
like a scornful smile. He moved
his left foot an inch or so and gulp-
ed forcibly. That was the only dis
play of feeling made by the pris-
oner.
When the officers crowded out of
the court room with their prisoner,
Miller said nothing. The walk of
three blocks to the jail was made in
silence, the c~easeless tinkle of the
small chain on the prisoners hand
cuffs alone breaking the monotonous
noise of the footballs upon the
pavement. The wakeful rooster
crowed occasionally, and it was an
other day when the convicted muir
derer found rest for his racked
frame On the mattress in his cell.
THEN HE PRAYED ALOUD
to his Maker, asking for protection
and mercy. There was no falter in
his voice; it was the same steady,
cool tone hat has been character
istic OF the prisoner since hisincar-
ceration.
Miller's prayers have been his
daily duty for several weeks. AT
times he becomes too noisy and
the other prisoners are obliged to
make him stop.