The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-01-11
MURDERS AND ROBBERIES.
THE PAST AND THE PRESENT.
Curious Stories of Crime and its Con-
sequences - Peculiar Features i'm
Some Cases.

Curious Stories of Crime and its Con-
sequences - Peculiar Features i'm
Some Cases.
There is q great deal said from time
to time by those who have apparently
small Information on the subject in
regard to the peculiar Nervousness and
frequency Of murders nowadays. The
impression is invariably conveyed by
those who speak in this way that the
days OF the pioneers were much better
than these, and that the world is really
getting. a great deal worse Us tine
passes.
AS a matter of fact, of course, there
are great many more crimes commit
ted now than there were in the same
locality fifty or sixty years ago. But
it should be borne in mind that there
are great many more people, and it
would take careful calculation to posi-
lively ascertain whether or not there
are as many crimes committed now to
the thousand popu alton as formerly
or not. Certain it is that in "thc good
old days" there were some of the most
calculating anC cold-blooded murders
committed that have ever been re-
corded in the annals of crime. These
crimes were usually committed for the
sole purpose of robbery, and not in the
heat of passion.
[ was particularly impressed with
the truth OF this observation the other
day in passing down over the Cleveland
and Marietta Railroad when the station
of Postboy was reached. This point is
close to the boundary of Tuscarawas
and Guernsey couties in Ohio, among
the hills of peculiarly picturesque
region. "A fellow passenger related the
following interesting story us the ori-
gin of the name:
In the early days OF the settlement of
the region the mail facilities were very
crude. Boys rode through about once
month on horseback. Such things as
newspapers were almost unknown. The
letter postage was from 20 to 80 cents.
according to the distance, and it was
invariably collected of the person VINO
received the letter. Sometimes letters
remained in the office for considerable
time while the person addressed raised
the money necessary to redeem them
The route of the postbQU lay right by
the present railroad station. He came
down between the hills and crossed the
valley right there, through what was
then the dense forest. One day the
usual monthly trip was being made by Il
young man, who blew his horn as he
descended the hill and as he reached
the bottom a rifle ball whizzed through
his heart and he fell from his horse to
the ground dead. a man who was at
work not far away heard the postbCy's
horn followed by the rifle shot, and
he FASTENED to the spot, mistrustiug
that something wrong had happened.
He was Mortified to behold the lifclcss
form OF the postboy and a man with his
arms bare above the elbows bending
over him ritling the mail pouch. The
approach of a third person frightened
the murderer and thief and. seizing his
rifle, he hastily retrcatcd into the
forest.
The man who had so nearly witnessed
the murder and who had prevented the
robbery gave the alarm and explained
the part he had taken in the affair.
His statement of the case was at first
accepted without question, us he was a
man OF good reputation and one against
whom no suspicion had ever fastened
itself. But at length some Overshrewd
persons began to whisper that it was
very strange that this man knew so
much about the case while no one else
knew anything else about it. 1t was
finally concluded that lie must be
guilty, and on suspicion he was ar
rested End tried for murder. There
was nothing positive against him: but
circumStantial evidence, which in those
days passed for Il great deal, was sulli-
cient to convict him before Jury of
his peers. and he was condemned to
be hanged.
The prisoner, however, stuck consist
emily TO his original story. and as nal
and desperate resort he, bcSOught the
sheriff to call all the male inhabitants
of the county together by proclamation
on certain day. The reason for this
action was carefully concealed, but the
fact was that the prisoner had explain
ed to the sheriff that by means OF a
certain scar on the arm of the person
who had committed the crime he
would be able to identify the murderer.
The object Of this coming together
was carefully concealed, but the inn
preston was ingeniOusly V conveyed that
suspicion would be- certain to attach
to cny one who failed to come and that
process to fetch such person would i'm
mediately be issued.
On the day and hour iiXcu a large
crowd for those pioneer days assembled
at the Court House. Suddenly the
sheriff with the prisoner in charge
emerged from the jail and passed
through the assme blagc. With his
vision made abnOrmally acute by his
impending doom the condemned mt. n
clasely scrutiniZcd the faces Of all as
he passed.
Finally his eyes settled upon the
countenancc OF a burly black wOodsman
who at first shrank away, but soon re-
covered himself.
q" Arrest that man. " he said to the
sheriff. " He is the murderer OF the
post5oy.'
And then addressing the accused he
remarked You have Il big scar on
your right arm. You shot the post
boy. saw you while you were riI1ing
the mailbag.
The new accused man denied the
charge stoutly, but showed his guilt by
refusing to permit an examination OF
his arm. The examination was duly
made, however, and the scar found az
had been described. He was thrown
into jail and within a week confessed
all the details Of the crime. The
guiitlcss man, OF course, was dis
charged.
Numerous cases in pioneer times are
related OF persons having mystcriously
disappeared and never being heard Of
more. One Of the most singular. and
starting Of these occurred more than
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