The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-10-10
NO. 10.
AFTER TWENTY YEARS.
"A Sensational Trial for Murder In
North Georgia-The Slayer OF q
Prominent Lawyer Still q Mystery.
ecial 10 tho Atlanta Constitution.


, Prominent Lawyer Still Mystery.
Special to the Atlanta Constitution.
H!AwAssEE, Ga, October 1.-This
has been one OF the most exciting weeks
In the history of our county. The
superior court has been in session and
Marcus Vandiver is being tried for the
murder OF M. X. Palmer, which took
place on the 9th Of June, 1872. Palmer
was was an able lawyer, of great magne-
resided In Cleveland, and praticed in our
county. He had been attending our
superior court, and left Hiawassee on
the evening of the 4th of June, 1872.
and stayed all night with M. v. Eng
land, the present representative in the
legislature, and left his house at Z
o'clock in the morning of the 5th of
June for his home, and when about five
miles from England's house, while rid
ing his mule along the turnpike road,
about 8 o'clock in the morning, shot
was fired from ambush. on the point of
the ridge nearby, entering Palmer's
body from behind, ranging toward the
front, through his heart, passing out
OF his body, going through fence rail
ana STRIKING rock, where tho trace Of
the ball was lost. Mr.. Palmer's mulo
ran with him about sixty yards, when
ne fell Off dead in the road. His dead
body was Immediately discovered and
tho alarm given. Runners were sent
here, where court was still in session,
and when the news came Judge
Knight Immediately adjourned court,
and everybody went to the scene. The
ambush was discovered. The assassin
stood behind a stump at the root of a
large tree, which commanded q full
view OF the road for quarter of mile
the way Palmer was expected to come,
and the path which he was expected to
take was cleared out, so as to make his
| aim certain.
The place showed that the bastard
had remained there for quite awhile.
His tracks were plainly visible and
they were zealously guarded, while q
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 returned next day with
out the dogs and then the parties set
out to follow the trail; this they did
like sleuth hounds. The murderer at
times ran, sometimes bare footed, then
he would stop and put on his shoes,
which had peculiar tack marks, that
made them easily distinguishable. No
one except the man who fired the fatal
shot had been along. The tracks came
J to and from the ambush.
When the night of tho 9Th came the
|
Ridge, at the Indian Grave gap, with
out food or shelter, but nothing daunt-
ed. They lay down on the tracks and,
when morning came, pursued the trail
and followed the track to within $50
yards of Vandiver's house, where it
entered q branch, and all further trace
was impossible. Vandiver was not at
home and suspicion strongly pointed
towards him as the guilty party.
| Tho friends of Palmer never loSt
their ,nergy and kept pursuing their
| investigation. About two years ago
Marcus Vandiver, With his two boys,
went to the homo of Mr. Wilkins,
who married his niece, and gave Will
kins and his father a terrible beating
in the presence of his (Wilkins) wife.
Mrs. Wilkins then and there accused
Vandiver Of tho murder of Palmer,
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 investiga-
tion secured a long missing link in
the chain of evidence. The secret was
carefully guarded. The witnesses sub
1892, twenty years after the crime was
committed, an indictment was found
| and the defendant arrested.
Palmer was the inveterate enemy Of
II certain crowd of informers, go-be-
tweens, spies and blackmailers that
werc then engaged in pretended en-
forcement Of the internal revenue laws.
He defended the victims, prosecuted
the rascals, brought suit to recover the
money unlawfully tilched from innocent
men, and wrote some of the most caus-
tic letters ever written to The Atlanta
Sun, exposing the whole rotten crowd.
1t has always been supposed that these
parties, whom he bearded in their dens,
hired the cowardly deed done, and that
through their instrumentality Mr..
| Palmer was aSsassinatel. No man had
more friends among the law and order
people than Mr. Palmer and the law
less feared him and desired him out of
the way
The scene in the courthouse was no
ordinary one. The widow of Mr.. Pal
mer and two daughters were here to
aid by their presence and testimony in
the vindication of their deceased loved
one. One OF them, now beautiful and
accomplished young lady, was then an
infant. She has no personal knowl-
edge 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 was put upon
the stand and told of the death Of her
father and told how, as small child,
uilo Sdihc WAS lHucllDly impressed upon
her mind. The scene at this point was
highly dramatic. From this point on
the dull details of circumstantial
evidence were presented.
The State was represented by Solici-
tor General Howard Thompson, Nj. G..
Boyd and j. j. Kimsey. 1t is battle
to the death and every inch is being
contested. When Solicitor General
Thompson came into office, seven years
ago, he Immediately set about to find
the murder OF Palmer and has never
relaxed his zeal. Mr.. Boyd was with
Mr.. Palmer on the circuit, when he
was assassinated, and it has been the
work of his legal life to ascertain the
guilty parties. Mr.. Kimsey lives near
the widow and orphans OF Mr. Palmer
and is familiar with their tolls and
hardships, and became their fast
friend and has always been ardent in
trying TO ferret out the perpetrator.
1t is strong team and worthy OF tho
cause they represented.
, Each and all the attorneys made able
and exhaustive speeches, and after
an impartial charge by the court the
, jury retired, and at 10 o'clock returned
with a verdict Of not guilty.
Juan Burger, the 13-year old son
of citizen of Kokomo, Ind, died from
| the direct effects of cigarette smoking