The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-01-03
CONGRATULATIONS

OIRCUMSTANTIALE EVIDENCE
am strong believer in oIrcumstan-
tial evidences. Twenty years service as
a doteotive has satisfied me that It pun
lshes a thousand guilty men whore Il
wrongs one. Now and then there is
newspaper talk about this or that porson
having been cont To his death while inno-
cent of the Crime, and young lawyers
will shake their heads and deolare that
eiroumstantial evidence 10 dangerous
weapon. II the innocent suffer nov and
then through this cause, they also safrer
through perjury Of Witnesses.
The flrst, the last, and the only case
ever knew Of personally occurred in Viz
ginia soon after the close Of the war. In
some features 1t ressmbled the BirchaI
case. A Rhode Island soldier had re-
turned to Virginia after being mustered
out Of the service, and had invested
some money in lands. He had ether
money to invest, and made trips TO diff-
srent parts OF the State, having his head
quarters at Staunton. Near Charleston,
w. Va, lived young lady with whom
this Rhode Islander, Stephen Chase BY
name, foil in love. The girl had two or
three other admirers, and there was more
or less hard feelings betweeR the mon.
On one occasion, whom all met a. the
house, there were some hot words
between Chase and young man named
Talbot There would have been a light
but for the gIrl's Interference. Both men
had something 70 say about getting evsn
with each other, and their expressiohs
had great weight f0w weeks afterwasd
when related by Witnesses In court. The
unpleasAntness oecurod on a Sunday
afternoon. On the following Wednesday
Chase started out from Charleston on
horseback TO again visit the girl Thie
was the last ever seen Of him alive.
Chase had not reached the farmhouse
that day. It was nearly week before
his body was found in thioket ton rods
of the road. He had been shot through
the heart as he was riding along, and his
body had been carried into the woods
and hidden. &
came into the case the day the body
was found. was the one that found 4.
II had been robbed Of all personal prop,
erty, and coat, vest and shoes we're miss
ing. For two or three days / believed
The object of the murder was robbery.
Then learned what had passed between
Chase and Talbot, and hsd another
clue to work on. Things turned out
eurlously. | found two men who had
seen Talbot near the agsE where the
murder was committed, aud at about tbs
hour. found others, who hal seen him
IN possession of a large roll Of bills
There were yet others who said he hac
told contradictory stories. The youni
aady was powerful witness against Tai
bot. On the evening Of the murder h,
had come 70 the house In an excited state
OF mind. He looked pale, and there wa
+ . fresh cut on his cheek, which he sale
/. he had got by q fall. He was III 81 case
.And when he rose to go, he said
a "People about here suppose mo TO b
poor, but am not. saved ssvera
thousand dollars during the war, aud
.ean keep a wife in luxury"
He exhibited the roll OF bilis TO her
. and she lAughlngly admitted that he wa
q good catch. Insido of a week hRl
suficient evidence to warrant his arrest
He had gone to the home Of an uncle o
Elk River, about ten miles away, and
was there found and arrested him. II
was sitting on the porch alone when
drove up, and as soon as / announced m
errand he grew very white and gasps
: OutI
What am I charged witht"
Murder"
"Good God But who--who--"
RS "The murder OF Nathan Chase"
-. "But wben--where ~
~ "On the afternoon Of the 10Th. To
know where the body Was found"
IN And yen say killed Chaser"
"That's the charge.T
"Thank heaysnl I'll 60 with yc
willingly. had no more TO do with h
death than you"
: he was lodged In jail and eyerybot
believed him guilty. He had no parent
. and was about twenty-five years old.
was trying 20 establish real estate aI
a, insurance business In Charleston, asslf
3 ed to some extent by his uncle, but thin
r were 80 disorgAni2ed that he made b
! poor headWay. When arrested no hi
i over e2. 600 In greehbaoks on bis porso
Chase was known 10 have had about th
s sum with him. When questioned abo
I this money by his friends he could ma
no satisfactory answer. He hnal
claimed to have found It on the highwa
He had 10 admit that be waa seen ne
= the spot where Chase was killed
" When his case came TO trial We h
nothing but ciroumstantiol eviden'
" but we're well aatistied with that. WI
could be st-ongs Known 70 he iealc
= Of Chase and his enemy seen near
II spot, euddenly possessed OF eoasideral
y wealth, takes no part IN the scare
= steals away from Charleston 70 let
- matter blow over furnishes every pr
or In his demeanoE that he Il guilty
~ fused to.aoeount for his time on the q
A. OF the murder gives no satisfactory
II count Of the money n his posasssii
Further than this had discovered q
. he spent nearly ell that day In the Voc
and on his return to town his clou
we're torn and muddy. There was !
one point In the case where We "
q. lame. Chase weighed $50 pounds, 1
Talbot was q dappar little fellow y
didn't balance quite t29. He had
more muscle than \ woman, and
question was how be got the body II
the road into the thiokSt There
been rain the day before, and the sror
Was soft We fOuAd the prints Of 4