Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1898-06-18


newspapers of the day. Two years
Of Jennie Cramer on the sands Of
Savin Rock, Mary stannard, girl en-
ployed in the household of Rev. Her
bert II. Hayden, Methodist clergyman
at North Branford, Conn.,. was found
dead in the woods adjoining that town.
Her skull was crushed and a blood
stained stone close at hand told the
fatal story. Hayden was suspected of
the murder. and was arrested few
days later He had always borne a
good reputation, and the suspicion of
crime that rested upon him came as
shock TO the community. The standing
OF the young clergyman and the SEN
sational features of the crime attract
ed attention far and wide, and the case
was easily the most important of its
class In the country at the time.
Hayden had wife and children.
Mary Stannard was an attractive girl
and 1t was whispered that the Clergy
man was not proof against her charms.
His defense hinged upon a case of
athletics 1t was sworn by credible
witnesses that Rev. Mr.. Hayden was
seen in his shirt sleeves splitting wood
/ In his back yard at a certain hour on
the day when the murder was commit
ted. Equally credible witnesses testi-
fed to having heard scream in the
woods where Mary STANDARDS body
was found at a time subsequent TO
Hayden's Identification on his own
premises. The distance was three or
more miles. The elapsed time was
about seventeen minutes. The course
between the two points lay aeross
fields thick with running blackberry
bushes. There were fences to vault.
wooded lanes to traverse and other nat
ural obstacles. The best foot runners
OF the day, amateur and professional.
tried to cover the distance in the time
specified. Each and all failed.
It was practically an alibi for Hay
den But the court and the public had
not figured on one man. BENJAMIN
Hotchkiss, farmer from an obscure
village. Prospect, in the range of noun
tains north Of New Haven, Was on the
jury. Hotchkiss was q "sot man" He
afterward admitted that he was Kinder
biased agin preacher folks" and that
he allowed he might be Ieetle sol
In his ways" This was shown by tbs
fact that when his eleven fellow jury.
men promptly voted mot guilty. on
the first ballot Hotchkiss stood out fol
guilty and the death penalty. For two
days and three nights eleven tired, dis
crcfed and axosnernfed man arcuaf
with. stormed at, abused, wrestled witt
and importuned this white-haired OLE
rustic. "B'gosh, believe he killed tn,
gal and I'll stick TO 1t till cider max
ing" was all the old man would say
jim despair the jury reported to tn
court that there was no hope OF reach
fng verdict. They were thereupon dis
charged. The foreman then arose an,
stated that the ballots had stood IL Il
b from the start. The presiding judg
ordered that nolle pros be entered Il
the case and Rev. Herbert H. Haydel
: walked from the courtroom free man
J The cloud on his life drove him from
the ministry and he is now contract
ing carpenter In New Haven. Shortl,
| after the Stannard case the body of
young woman was found inside ston
: walled field on roadway near STAN
ford. Conn. 1t was identified as tina
} of Rose Amber, beautiful girl. an,
the daughter of a widow in the cit.
named. Her reputation was above re
: proach. She had been strengled an,
: stabbed. There were vague rumors o