Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-05-06
Hon. C. l.. Valland

In this paper the writer will briefly
notice few murder trials that occurred
In. Ohio during his sojourn in that State.
The account will show some of the arts
resorted to by criminal practitioners at
the bar to procure acquittals in the West
In that section those who became spe-
cialists In the criminal practice became
degenerate in morals and stood aloof
from the church. The same was true
of practical partisan politicians. 1t would
have been an anomalous thing-as uuex-
pected as the conversion of Saul Of Tar
sus--for men of eithor vocation to be.
come professors Of religion. There need,
therefore, be no suspicion that the arts
of such irreligious outsiders in q distant
State will be initiated in South Carolina,
whore most professional men, practical
politicians, State, legislative nd county
officials, are members Of the Eych, and
whore such as are fluent of 81 Sch like
Aaron of old, are able, after G, days
solid electoneerfng, to lay we all
political ambitions on tho holy S. 3bath,
and by happy versatility of mind, out
of pure love to souls and no thought of
influencing votes, deliver stirring and
edifying Sunday school addresses, to
influence the rising generation to walk
in the straight and narrow path with
that If the late Judge Mackey were yet
here, to express an opinion of the relig-
ion of such politico-religionists, he would
regard it as "of q very mild type" Be
it 80. Better mild type than no type
at all. The writer is no flatterer. He
may have hidden vein of irony in his
mental make up. If 30, this will enable
the reader to put the right construction
On these Introductory remarks.
l. About the year 1868 or 1869 there
occurred in a low drinking dive in a GER
tain Ohio town most atroci0us murder.
The victim was travelling mana sport.
He was all athlete in the wrestling art.
A match was arranged between himself
and somewhat noted local wrestler.
The town was then under ring rule, and
gamblers and gambling were much in
evidence. A time was set for the match,
and the gambling fraternity bet freely on
tho travelling sport. Before tho bout
came off other gamblers we're said to
have seen him and to have bribed him
with sum of money to feign himself
over-matched in the combat. They then
ventured their money on the local wfes-
tier, who, to the surprise of most of the
gambling fraternity, was victorious, and
they lost their bets. 1t was currently
reported that the travelling sport was
seen on the evening of the day ON which
the match came off with hand full of
bank notes, which he had the unwisdom
to display. That night he was dogged
dive, in which his dead body was found
the next morning, with bullet hole in
the back of his head, while no money
was found on his person! Arrests sooh
followed, and in short time trial
Guilt pointed to the desperate abov.
mentioned, who had been on trial for
murder before. Before the trial came
off persons interested in the life of the
defendant had spirited away the main
witness, who had been present when the
fatal shot was fred Court proceedings
were interrupted by the absence of the
main witness, whose testimony was nee
essary to remove all doubt about the
guilt of the prisoner. A private citizen,
who took no part In court matters, had
an errand in Covington, KY, at that
time. To hi. surprise he saw the miss
ing man. On his return home in the
evening he at once notified the prosecut-
ing attorney of his accidental and unin-
tentional discovery. Early next mo~n-
ing officers we're sent to Covington to
bring back the absent witness, and in