St. Landry democrat., 1889-01-26
HANGED TOO SOON.
What Circumstantial Evidence
Did for an Innocent Man.
Executed for the Murder of Man VINO
Turns Up Alive and Wen Two Years
After His Chum's Death-A
Lawyers Thrilling Story.


LAWYERS Thrilling Story.
The lawyers were talking about circum-
stantial evidence and several remarRaole
cases, in which Innocent persons who mao
been condemned were mentioned, says '"~
Brooklyn Citizen.
"Perhaps the most singular case of the
kind" SAID a lawyer, "ls one which IS re-
corded in the books and is pretty Old. ltgave
rise, as understand, to the change in the
law requiring the body of murdered per-
son to be found before any one can be pun
ished for the crime.
"TWo merchant sailors went to an inn IN
an English seaport. To make the story
clearer, pll cali them Jack and Tom. Jack
pulled out well-hlled wallet to satisfy the
landlord that be and his friend could pay
their wav. They invited the landlord 10
drink with them, and Tom produced Dig
lack-knfe curiously handled, to cut MS To
bacco. The inn was close on the harpor'
The front door opened upon the quay, ana AK
the side was covered way which led to the
sleeping rooms in the rear. Near by on tue
quay were stone steps gong Gown 10 tue
water for the accommod aton of boats
"After the two men had had good time
they retired to one Of the rooms IN the rear'
where they wereB occupy bed together.
They were both Just sober enough to kno"
what they were about. The next morning
spots of blood were observed upon the hooro1
the covered way, from the door OF the bed-
room occupied by the sailors to the quay
The landlord went to rouse up his guests,
but found only one of them there. 1t was
Tom, and he WIS fast asleep and requiIed
good deal of arousing. When asked where
his companion was he appeared confused ana
alarmed and said he didn't know.
"On the bedcothes and floor there were
large spots of blood The water In the
basin was bloody. and the towel showed
that bloody hands had been wiped upon It,
The jack-knife, seen the previous evening
in the possession of Tom, was found upon
the table, and was likewise stained win
blood. Under Toms bolster at the SIDE
next the wall wallet was found hlleo
with money, and was identified as that
which Jack had exhibited the night before.
Every thing so far pointed to murder, ana
to Tom as the perpetrator of 1t. Inc au-
thorities were notified and Tom was ar
rested. He told very remarkable story
HE said that when heiandJac were about
to get into bed Jack suggested the idea OF
robbers, remarking that 1t wouldn't take
and, as they were likely to sleep soundly
after their carouse, It would be easy for
thief, if he got into the room, to rob them
Tom had already got INTO bed. and was
lying next the wall so he suggested that all
their money should be put under hrs pillow
1t would be a comparatively easy task, he
SAID, for thief to draw the wallet from
Jacks pillow. but 1t would be much more
likely to rouse one or the other of them II
thief attempted to reach over and take the
money if 1t were under Toms pillow This
suggestion was adopted, and the wallet be-
longing to Jack was placed under Toms phi
low Soon after they got into bedJack com
planned that his nose had began to bleed.
and arose. He poured some water into the
BOWL and tired to stop the bleeding
Then Tom arose and assisted. Finally
Tom sand that he had heard that cold meta
placed at The back of the neck wound stop
bleeding at once, and thereupon he got
his blg Jack knife, opened II and placed 1t
against Jacks neck. II was dark, and they
were both a little muddled with drink,
SO that their movements were not particu
larly careful, and thus the blood got upon
the floor, the table and the knife. Finding
that the bleeding would not stop Jack grew
somewhat alarmed and this probably So
bered him. for he said that he would put on
his clothes and walk down to the quay, as
the exercise and fresh air might stop the flow
of blood Tom said that he lay down, and
the last he remembered was Jack leaving
the room to carry out his purpose.
"Thls story was considered very clever
concoction, as it fairly accounted for every
thing but the absolute disappearance of
Jack. Toms theory was that he had fallen
into the water and been drowned, and that
his body had been carried out by the tide.
| The theory of the authorities was that
| Tom had murdered Jack for his money and
| carried his body to the water and thrown
tin The fact that Tom had not attempted
10 escape or in any way to cover up the
crime did not give the officials much con-
Germ. He might, they said, have felt conf
| dent that his story would be believed, or
be might, after the deed, have been over
come with the liquor he had taken and laid
down, or he might have imagined that he
would have opportunity enough to get clear
before any alarm was raised in the morn
ing. Tom, anyhow, was held for the muir
der of Jack, and in due time was indicted
by the grand jury. On the trial every
thing was made to tell strongly agains1
the prisoner, and he was convicted and
hanged.
"Now comes the sequel to the story. Two
years or more after sentence had been exc
cuted upon the unfortunate Tom, Jack ap.
| peared upon the scene once more, alive and
| well. Then for the first time he heard of
his own murder and the hanging OF his
shipmate for the crime. He was greatly
shocked, and gave an account of his disap-
pearance which in every particular sub
stantiated the truth of the statements made
by Tom.
'In addition he said that, after quitting
the bedroom his nose continued to bleed,
and he walked down the covered way
toward the quay, keeping his head well for
! ward, SO that the blood might not stain his
clothes. On reaching the quay he turned
to the left, and, just as he came opposite
the stone steps already described, press
gang sprang upon him. gagged him, carried
him to boat and rowed him, along with
others similarly captured, on board man
of-war lying at anchor IN the roads. 1t was
war times, and sailors were badly wanted
and the press gang was resorted to for
supplying the navy, merchant seamen
being always, Of course, preferred. Jack
had no chance of communicating with any
one on shore, for the very next day the
man-of-war sailed for foreign station
where it remained cruising nearly all the
time until its return to England"
How the "Japs" Sleep.
A Yokohama letter In the Hartford Cour
ant saws THE japanese bed IS simply
| futon spread unOn the mating They In