The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-03-09

5.
Katt was seized and imprisoned.
The unhappy girl wife retired to a con-
vent.
An analysis of the blood on the lock
of hair found in the cave would at this
day have weakened the case against
the father.
NOT WORTH A STRAW.
A curious case of conviction of MUIR
der on the strongest kind of circum-
stantial evidence, none of which was
ords of Kentucky.
Two young men, college chums, nam
ed Saunders and Hamilton, were travel
ing on horseback and, losing their way,
came upon the camp Of some immi-
Next morning they were to part, and
one of the immigrants told Saunders,
who was to keep on, of a road that
would save him considerable distance
and avoid a dangerous ford. He decid-
ed to take it and the two set out with
the intention of separating short dis
lance further on.
Hamilton, with whom Saunders had
been spending holiday, returned to
his home. Sometime afterward ar
port was brought to the village in
which Hamilton lived that the body of
murdered man had been found near
Scottville. On hearing it Hamilton
said:
ut may be Saunders. How unfort-
innate l left him."
He seemed excited, and his manner
and expressions aroused suspicious
which, unfortunately for him, were cor
roborated by a variety Of circum-
stances.
Saunders was known to have carried
large sum of money. Hamilton, who
had previously been short Of money,
had since his return paid off debts to a
considerable amount. A silver handled
penknife, recognized as one formerly
carried by Saunders, was seen in his
possession. He would sit for hours in
state of abstraction.
Hamilton was arrested, charged with
the murder of his friend. All the evil
dence at the trial was circumstantial,
but it served to weave perfect net
work of proof around the accused.
The intimacy of Hamilton and Saun-
ders was proved; also the fact of their
losing their way in country with
which Hamilton was perfectly familiar;
also Hamilton's being in funds after
his return; also his conduct on hearing
the, death Of his friend. 1t was further
proved that revolver and college
fraternity pin owned by Hamilton were
found near the body Of the murdered
man.
/ Finally, the sister of Hamilton was
called, and was forced to acknowledge
that the clothes worn by her brother on
his return from the journey with Saun.
ders were torn, soiled with earth, and
spotted with blood.
The jury returned verdict of guilty
without leaving their seats. Hamilton
was sentenced to death, but died in
prison, protesting with his last breath
his innocence.
J About a year afterward a man about
to be executed in Tennessee confessed
that he was one of the party with whom
Saunders and Hamilton had camped;
that he had seen Saunders display
money, and on learning the friends
we're about to separate, had advised
Saunders to take what he represented
was shorter road; had followed him,
and had murdered him with a pistol he
had found that morning on the spot
where Hamilton slept.
II The truthfulness of statement made
by Hamilton then became apparent
Saunders had learned that Hamilton
was pressed for money, and at the time
Of parting had insisted on lending him
$500, which Hamilton accepted after
some hesitation. Hamilton then un-
clasped his college pin and presented it
to his friend as a token of the friend
ship of which he had just received such
substantial proof. Saunders in the
same spirit, had presented Hamilton
with his silver handled pocket knife
Then they parted.
AS Hamilton was riding slowly home
ward, deep in thought and holding bis
. bride loosely, a deer, springing out Of
a thicket, frightened his horse which
threw him to the ground. The deel
was exhausted from a wound and Hami
, ton in fit of compassion, examined it
as it lay on the ground. The deel
struggled and it's blood was sprinkleo
on Hamilton's clothes, already torn an6
soiled from his fall.
No scientific examination was made O
| the blood on the clothes, which was be
| lieved by the prosecution to be human
THE BooRN CASE.
Even through the confession of mer
: arrested, justice has miscarried. 1
) very remarkable case of this nature wa.
! that of the two Boorns, convicted in tn,
, Supreme court of Vermont in Septembe
1919, of the murder of Russell Colvin
t May 10, 1872. 1t appears that Colvin
l who was hrother-in-law of the pris
$ oner, was person of a weak mind, an,
: that he was considered burdensome t
: the family. On the day of his dis
(: appearance the three were in the dis
y tant field when quarrel broke out be
tween them and one of them struck, hin
: blow on the head with a club.
: Some suspicion of murder arose at tn
time, and this was increased by tn
: finding of his hat in the same field
few months later The suspicious wer
9 subsidized when, in 1919, one of tn
e neighbors, repeatedly dreamed of tn
l murder with great minuteness c
u circumstances, both in regard to hi
death and the concealment of his re