The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-04
THE INNOCENT coNVICTED.
Shot while DcToudInE His sanstor and Hanged
as n Murderer.
nrom the Chicago Poss.

From the Chicago Post.
Appearances arc deoeiving," said an old law
yer the other day. Tho strongest case Of cir
cumstantial evidence I ever know was against
an innocent man. My father was n lawyer. and
in the criminal practice. One of his clients was
hanged for a murder which he never committed.
Just at the edge of our town lived a rich old
man in a grand old house He had no family.
and was alone with his servants. One night there
was a fearful disturbance in his house, and neigh
bors hurried in. Several pistol shots had been
fired. Tho rich old man was dead. with n bullet
in his brain. and the butler lay, with his hands
full OF iewelry and watches, right in the door
way OF the old mans room. with q bullet some
whore In his head. but he was not dead.
~ revolver lay by his side, and. so far as
could be seen. the whole story was told right
only about six months, had attempted to rob his
master; had beer, caught In the act and shot, but
the only translation OF II, and there was no other
for several days. because the butler had IA very
serious wound and was, d%olirious for a week.
However. 1t was not fatal, and as soon rs no was
himself, ho made u statement to the effect that
he had bcen awakened in the night by footsteps.
loads in it out of five, and Como Town into tho
hall below to see what the noise was.
"Eo noticed that his masters door was partly
open, at the far end OF the hall, and hurried To-
ward 1t. As he approached II hc heard his mas
ter speak to some one, asking who was there,
jumped into the room. grabbing a burglar as ho
did 30, and Mt the same time getting IA shot in the
head from his masters pistol. Beyond that no
remembered nothing more. His story was gem
orally disbelicvcd, for there was no evidence OF
any person In tho house with evil designs, and
all the plumber that he had not caught In his
hands was lying on the floor about him, 30 that
there was no apparent reason why n burglar
locked by. those who came in response to tho
alarm. and there were absolutely no signs OF any
burglariyinB from the outside.
Another strong Ioint WAS that the bullet
which was found In tho buffers head exactly
lifted the pistol of his master. showing concli-
Bively that 10 was the master and not the burglar
who shot him. This was the condition Of tho
affair when my father took charge OF 1t. and,
though he really believed tho buffers story and
tried to prove II, no could not do 1t, and tho man
was finally hanged. A year later a burglar was
no confessed on his deathbed that he was
hidden in tho house early in the even
ing, had collected all he could OF jewolry
and other portable valuables, and was
about getting out when he WAS caught both
by tho old man and the butler, and that tho
butler had got tho bullet intended for him. as he
had run into the room just az the old man fired.
Dropping everything in his sudden surprise, he
had rushed downstairs and hidden In The hall
way, from. where he had slipped ont as soon as
the front door was opened. In the excitement
he was not observed, and no got away without
any trouble at all. as the nearness 10 the city
made strangers SO common that their presence
cident, and Ill never be In favor of tho death
penalty on circumstantial evidence. / don't
caro- how strong !, ia. Even lynch law is less
unjust"