The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-10-10
IT WAS LONG AGO
THAT PALMER WAS SHOT DOWN AS
HERODE ALONG THE ROAD,
His Slayer Has Never Been Found b"t van
diver was Tried and Acquitted-Othef
General Criminal News.

This has been one of the most exciting
weeks in the history of our county Inc
superior court has been in session ana
Marcus Vandiver is being tried FOR 'he
murder of NJ. X. Palmer, which took place
on the 9Th of June, 1872. Palmer was an
able lawyer. of great magnetism, zeal anu
personal courage. He resided at Cleve-
land, and practiced in our county. lie
had been attending our superior court, ana
left Hiawassee on the evening of the 4th
of June, 1872, and stayed all night with
Nj. " England, the present representative
in the legislature, and left his house at
o'clock in the morning OF the oth OF June
for his home, and when about hive miles
from Engand's house, while riding his
mule along the turnpike road, about
o'clock in the morning, shot was hred
from ambush. on the point of the ridge
nearby entering Palmers body from be
hind ranging toward the front, through
his heart, passing out of his body, gong
through fence rail and striking rock,
where the trace of the ball was lost. MIR.
PaImer's mule ran with him about sixty
yards, when he fell off dead i'll the road.
| His dead body was Immediately discovered
| and the alarm given. Runners We're sent
here, where court still in session, and
when the news came Judge Knight imme-
diatey adjourned court, ana everybody
went TO the scene The ambush was dis
covered The assassin stood behind
stump at the root of a large tree, winch
commanded a full view of the road Tor Il
quarter of a mile the way Palmer was eX-
| pected to come, and the path which he was
expected to take was cleared out, SO as 10
make his aim certain.
Following tho Trail.
The place showed that the bastard had
remained there for quite awhile. Ills tracks
were plainly visible and they were jealousy
guarded, while runner was sent TO the
camp of Thomas Alexander. who was then
engaged in building the Airline railway
for bloodhounds with which to track the
assassin He retained next day without
the dogs and then the parties set out to
follow the trail; this they did like sleuth
hounds The murderer III times ran,
sometimes barefooted, then he would stop
and put his shoes, which had peculiar
tack marks that made them easily dlstln-
guishable No one except the man who
fired the fatal shot had been along The
tracks came TO and from the ambush.
When the night of the 9th came the pur-
suers were on top of the Blue Ridge, at
the indian Grave gap, without food or
shelter, but nothing daunted. They lay
down on the tracks and, when morning
came. pursued the trail and followed the
track to within $50 yards of Nandvers
house, where it entered Il branch, and all
further trace was impossible. Nandtcf
was not at home and suspicion strongly
pointed towards him as the guilty party.
Mrs. Palmer Accuses Vandiver.
The friends of Palmer never lost their
energy and kept pursuing their lnVeStSa-
ton. About two years ago Marcus van
diver. with his two boys, went to the home
of a Mr. Wilkins, who married his niece
and gave Wilkins and his father 4 terrible
beating in the presence OF his NHklnS)
wife. Mrs. Wilkins then and there ac
nf 10 q I'lITnpr
and threatened to tell what she knew about
the killing which took place when she was
only ten years old and the ever alert
friends of Palmer saw their opportunity
and upon investigation secured long miss
ing link in the chain of evidence. The
secret was carefully guarded. The wit
nesses subpoenaed, and at the SeEtember
term, 1892, twenty years after the CRIME
was committed, an Indictment was found,
and the defendant arrested.
VIII Palmer W as Killed.
Palmer was the inveterate enemy OF Il
certain crowd of nformers, go-betWcens,
spies and blackmailerS that were then ell
gagged in Il pretended enforcement OF the
internal revenue laws. lie defended the
victims. prosecuted the rascals. brought
suit to recover the money uniaWtully hlched
from innocent men. and wrote some OF the
most caustic letters ever written to HE
Atlanta Sun, exposing the whole rotten
crowd 1t has always been supposed that
these parties, WHO'LL uc btdldtu
in their dens, hired the cowardly
deed done, and that through
their instrumentalty Mr. Palmer was as
sassinated No man had more friends
among the law and order people than Mr..
Palmer, and the lawless feared him and
desired him out of the way.
The scene in the courthouse was no or
binary one The widow of MI Palmer
and two daughters were here to aid by
their presence and testimony in the vim
dication of their deceased loved one. One
of them. now Il beautiful and accomplished
young lady, was then IN infant. She has
no personal knowledge nor recollection of
her father, and has learned more of him
during the progress of the trial than she
ever knew of him. The other put
upon the stand and told of the death of
her father and told how, as small child,
the same was indelibly impressed upon her
mind.
The scene at this point was highly dra-
matte From this point on the dull de-
tails of circumstantial evidence were pre-
scented.
A Verdict Of "Not Guilty"
Each and all the attorneys made able
and exhaustive speeches. and Friday even
ing, at 6 o'clock after an impartial charge
by the court the jury retired, and at 10
o'clock returned with a verdict of not
guilty.
Murder in Florida