Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-11-21
Found Guilty of Murder.

Poplar Bluff Advocate.
From Tuesday of last week until last
Tuesday noon the trial OF DIR. Hardin,
charged with the murder of A. l..
Smith committed on the 4th of July,
1888, was watched with breathless in
| terest by large number of citizens,
good men, who desired not the death
of any man, but who were anxious ii
the man was proved to be guilty. that
he should be convicted and the stain
removed from the reputation of our
county by condoning henious otenses.
The crime was an atrOclOus one. Both
| the murderer and his victim were evil
IDENTIFY bad men. But Smiths badness
was no excuse for the murderer. Har-
bin, the murderer, haG not lived in the
country many months, but long enough
to gain an inevitable reputation. He
claimed to be a doctor and succeeded
in filling the minds of many ignoran:
people with whom he associated with
the belief that he had some supernat-
ural power. Smith had little home
stead which he had acquired from the
government but had never perfected
his title. Hardin wanted it and Smith
sold him his i.nprovemen'ita taking notes
| for part. At least one note was due
and Smith demanded the money.
On the day of the murder both Smith
| and Hardin were at the house of one
John Hinderlighter man who bore a
fair name, but whose wife. it seems. did
not deserve good reputation. 1t was
Independence day aud crowds of peo-
pie celebrated the occasion on the
grounds in Potter's Grove on the east
| bank of Black River, half a mile above
| he bridge. Between eight and nine
o'clock pistol shot rang out on the
air half mile above the picnic grounds
aud was followed by yell. Then an
other and third shot followed and all
| was still. A few thought there was
| trouble, but most of those who heard it
| thought it was boys finishing the cele
bration. On the incoming of the third
day after the crime woman went
down to the river bank to wash and
was Mortified to find decaying human
corpse. The alarm was Immediately
given, crowds visited the scene and
soon the victim was identified as A. l..
| Smith, who owing to his habits and
| his few acquaintance had not been
missed. The inquest soon tablished
| the cause of his death. He had receiv-
| ed at least two mortal wounds through
his body which had then been thrown
down the bank, but had lodged IN the
| edge of the river where it was found
a mile above the city. AT that time it
was an apparently insolvavle mystery
who had committed the awful crime.
Hinderlighter and his wife were wit
nessss but testified with such apparent
candor that they were believed. A
man was arrested on suspicion and dis
charged. But the cause was not for
nil infl fnd
the evidence, learned of the murdered
mans associates who were few, watch
ed them and soon began to discover
damaging testimony. When Hardin
was arrested there was considerable
establishment, but ugly facts kept COM
ing to light. Very soon after bis ar
rest Hinderlight's wife began to make
frtquent visits to the Jail, standing for
hours talking to Hardin through the
windows. This seemed to irritate Hin
derIighter and he made some serious
charges. Suspicion began to gather
that Hinderlighter's wife knew more
about the murder than she had he had
told. Probably Hinderighter learned
his wife's danger Of arrest. For few
weeks after Harbin's arrest Hinder
lighter and his wife disappeared leav-
ing no trace of their route.
"A tDat tIIlC plH oSCathC uI-
easy and he wrote pretended confess
sion which he sent to the AdU0cate,
in which it was published exclusively
at the time, admitting that he killed
Smith, but claiming that the act was
in self defense. AT the last term ofthe
court the case was continued for trial,
meanwhile the search fer Hinderlight-
er continued. A few months ago his
wife having died, be appeared in his
old haunts in Arkansas, and was ar
rested and brought back by requisi-
ton. Henderlighter, when arrested,
weakened and gave an account of the
killing, which made Hardin out cold
bIooded murderer. But he seemed to
have a mortal fear of Hardin, and
begged not TO be ncarcera ted with him,
but there was only one Jail to consign
him to. When the case came up, the
defense was a series of surprises. Har-
bin repudiated his confession and de-
MED all knowledged of the killing.
Hinderlighter repudiated his confess
sion and denied any knowledge of the
crime. Evidently, his fears had again
been worked on 10y Hardin, but the
prosecution was not defeated. The
chain of evidence had been secured
link by link, until escape was impossi-
BILE.
The defense was ably made, and the
case was contested point by point I'M
til the end. The jury was one of UNI
usual intelligence, and as the result
proved-honest convictions.
The evidence was all in on Monday
and when the jury took the instruc-
lions and retired, not one of the by
ISLANDERS doubted the guilt ofsthe ac-
cused. The question that passed from
mouth to mouth, was: But Will
they find him guilty" Again and
again had muderers escaped punish
ment aud the people waited in silence
to hear q verdict that should vindicate
justice. or add new shame to the rec
ord of our county. They did not have
to wait long. Half an hour after they
retired the jury filed to their places.
The silence and the look Of determine