The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-23
CIRCUMsTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
Extreme and Curious Cases In
which the Innocent Have Suffered.


From the Pittsurg Dispatch.
Many an innocent man has been hanged
on some small point of circumstantial
evidence. But it is equally certain that
criminals have sometimes escaped be-
cause false conclusions were drawn from
such evidence, and they were given the
benefit OF the doubt.
a man who was once being tried for
murder at the Old Bailey set up an alibi
A witness swore that the man passed the
night In question at his house. He re-
membered the date, because on the Tues
day previous the man had signed a re-
ceipt at the same place The document
was produced, and upon cross-examina-
ton the witness admitted that the re-
ceipt was written out and signed at the
same time and with the same Ink, there
being but one bottle in the house.
1t was Immediately pointed out 20 the
jury that the body Of the note was evil
IDENTIFY written with ink of a different
strength from that used in the sigma
ture. and the credit of the witness was
destroyed. But a stranger noticed that
the notes OF the reporter of the trial
were darker or lighter, according to the
depths of the dips of his pen, the ink be-
ing very bad-thick at the bottom and
watery at the top. The note book was
handed up to the jury, who were much
interested, and, although the judge was
very vigorous in denouncing this irregu-
lar proceeding, they decided the point in
the prisoners favor.
Another man was being tried for high
way robbery. Witness after witness swore
positively TO his identlty, and the whole
court imagined him guilty. He asserted his
innocence, but kept back his defense UNI
til the very last Then he had produced
the books Of the court, from which it APP
peared that on the day and hour on which
the robbery was sworn to have been COM
mitted, the man was on his trial at the bar
at which he then stood for another rob-
berry, in which he also was unfortunate
enough to have been mistaken for the
guilty person. He was, OF course, honOra-
bly, acquitted.
A prisoner on one occasion protested
that he was miles away from the scene of
| crime at the time that n was committed,
but as he was walking about alone he was
| unable to prove an alibi. The thing that
| saved him was the fact that he incident
| ally remarked that he remembered he was
at a certain spot in the city of London at
midnight, because he noticed that the clock
| of st. Pauls church struck thirteen
| instead Of twelve. The court smiled in
| credulously, but luckily two persons step
| ped forward who were not interested in
the case, and swore that they also noticed
! the peculiar error in the striking of the
/ clock. The man got off.
A terrible example Of the dangers OF
circumstantial, evidence occurred in a
| Flemish town in the last century. A man
| resolved to murder an enemy, but deter
| mined to fasten the crime on somebody
else. The curate of the parish, who was
/ greatly respected and beloved, had a habit
| of throwing of his walking coat, and sub
| shutting a cassock when he entered his
| own house. The coat was hung up in a
| lobby that was open to friend or stranger
| at almost any time. The villain planned
| his time well, selecting an hour when the
| curate would be shut up alone in his study
| and his enemy would also be passing along
| a quiet lane close by.
Putting on the coat, and a neckerchief
that he found near, he murdered his vic
| tim and took hack the curates property
! concealing with it the dagger with which
| the crime had been committed. He then
| rushed off and accused the poor priest of
| the horrible deed, saying that he had him
self been a witness to 1t. The coat, neck
! erchief and dagger were found concealed
| in the lobby, all stained with blood, and
| although in the lobby. all stained with
blood, and although every effort was made
| to get the curate acquitted, the evidence
was considered too strong against him.
| and he was executed. The wretch was
/ afterwards convicted Of another murder
and then confessed his previous crime.
man tried for the murder OF a child
was defended by Mr. Arms trong, who af-
| terward came to great eminence. A worst
/ ed ball was found in the possession of
| the murderer. The grandmother swore
/ it was the childs. Armstrong should
have said nothing. and left it to the jury.
| AN ordinary ball. gentlemen, and hang
man for thatr' But he got up and cried
out, triumphantly. This is It, isn't f.?
| Common ball enough; every child has
| one" and so on.
The vraudrn her "a m hiaI on bo1f 4a1t.
ing to herself. Yes; Jim made Il for her,
and wound it round a bit OF Bible in The
middle"
"sh" said the judge, the only man
! who heard her muttering, made her re-