Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-15
Boone Man Recalls Trial In
Which Lincoln Defended
Alleged Murderer
WON HIM FINE REPUTATION
BY Means Of Almanac, Lincoln Dis.
proved Statements of Witness Who
Testified to Seeing Crime Commit
ted by Light Of the Moon-soone
Man Was Foreman of Jury.
Special. to rimes-Rer'ublican.

the assassination of Abraham Lincoln,
which came Sunday, April IA, recalls
to the mind of Boone people the fact
that in this city resides the only SUR
yiving juryman OF the famous Arm
strong murder case. which gained for
Lincoln as much OF reputation as
some events in his later life.
In Boone. resides Milton Logan, ST.,
member Of the famous Logan family
of coal men, known turnout the state.
He was born in Belmont county, o.,
June 4, 1919, making him, in the com
ing June, So years old. His advancing
years are telling on him, and ere many
years he will have joined the others
connected with that famous trial.
In this trial, which had for jury
man Mr.. Logan, Abraham Lincoln de-
Tended a young man named Duff Arm
strong, who was charged with the
murder of German by the name or
Medsucher Mr.. Logan in the year
1886 moved to Beardstown, ILL.,, where
I he went to farming, and continued this
occupation until the year 1852. when
he removed into that town. On the IND
day of April. 1877, he came to Iowa
and to Boone, residing in the Fifth
ward ever since.
Duff" Armstrong was charged with
the murder of Metlsucher in Menard
county, ILL.,, in 1857. A change of venue
was taken and the trial took place in
70 ~, ca,tan,hor 1QSS noarlV
q year after the alleged murder was
committed.
witnesses tried to prove that Arm
strong had struck Medsucher on a
moonlight night at d camp meeting
The affair was supposed to have taken
place at bar or counter near river
and very near to the camp meeting
grounds. Lincoln was the only law
yer Armstrong had, and he, Lincoln,
took the case in behalf of the widow
Armst rong, mother of the defendant
When Lincoln took his place before the
jury, court and prisoner. he said: Il
appear here without any reward, for
the benefit of that lady sitting there
(meaning the mother of the prisoner),
who washed my dirty shirts when I
had no money with which to pay her.
He then began to cross-q question the
prosecuting witness, whose name Mr..
Logan has forgotten.
The testimony of the witness was
principally to the effect that there was
bright moonlight Oh the night of the
alleged murder, ard that by it's light,
while he was standing on hill about
forty feet away, witness saw Duff
Armstrong strike Medsucher.
The prosecuting attorney, in his re-
direct examination seemed to ask the
same questions as had Lincoln, and
seemed satisfied with the answers
which the witness gave, which looked
at the time very damaging to Arm
strong.
I Lincoln then took his place before
the jurors and in making his final plea
for the boy, he turned to the court and
said: IF the court please, and gentle
men of the jury, I want to introduce
to you an almanac in this trial" The
court granted his request, and then
Lincoln went on to say: Il want To
prove to you by this book as authority
that there was no moon on the night
the witness testified that he saw Arm
strong strike Medsucher Now gentle
men of the jury, do not know much
about almanacs The moon was either
Just rising at the hour or was just go
ing down." He then passed the almanac
to the jurymen with the request that
they examine it carefully.
They took it and each one found that
there was no moon shining at that
time. By doing this, Lincoln showed to
the court jurors and prosecuting at
torney that the witness was testifying
to something Of which he knew abso-
lutely nothing. The prosecuting attor-
light of the moon or to any other light,
and this led the jury to believe, Lin
coins statement to be true. The case
then closed and the jury with the in
structions of the judge, filed into the
conference room and delberated.
When the jury first entered the jury
room three stood for acquittal and nine
for conviction. Mr.. Logan was APP
pointed foreman of the jury and he, to-
gether with a Mr.. Desollers and a Mr..
Hustled were the three for acquittal.
The names of the other men could not
be learned as they were mostly strang-
ers to Mr.. Logan.
They had had instructions to give
Armstrong the benefit. of a reasonable
doubt and so the three for acquittal
argued to the other nine. Finally they
were won over, with the almanac as
the chief argument, and Lincoln won
his case, the jury returning verdict
of mot guilty"
MIR. Logan has the following to say
concerning his acquaintance with Lin
coin:
81 became first acquainted with him
in BeardstoWn about year or SO be-
fore the famous trial when he came to
town to make political speeches at the
court house always found him jolly
and good natu1ed, and, tho he was
homely to look upon, yet there was
something in his face which told of
kindness and goodness.
HE was honest and true in all his
dealings and at the time of the trial
people said many things about Lin
coin. Some said that he had gotten an
1858 almanac and that he had given
it TO the jurynlen. ! know that this
was not true, for as foreman of the
jury / inspected and examained it very
closely and know that it was an 1888
almanac
Fall Proves Fatal.
Special to Times Republican.
Britt, April 15.-Mr. Nels Graves,
aged about 70. died at the county farm