Mexico weekly ledger., 1913-04-03
AUDRAIN HISTORY
BY THE HON. GEORGE ROBERTSON

Tie nE muu5@ case IL the eouu-
uzs thar q STATE Of Mssoun
-nE wgr7y RoFel re- killing
G- E1banss sta a hoe The A.
,erru H vhlch Eabaals was All
@ t1ok place o. TIE first cay o.
T-lr. 1880. on q farn fast north 0,
Me1f-7 Eabanks ds On he ETth
dz7 q Jolly thereafter Poaeu was
i-d.cted for murder h The first de-
r-ee ans vas tired BY IRE fonounE
uy-Wlliam g. Jones. John ".
T-1eH Joseph Smith. Thonzs LARK
IH william HAYES JAMS MeCocmacs
gl surfer Robert To1d Thomss
2 EH.eE. william Sex Parish Gar
@ z1d William Do5dn The Court
save Instructions FOR murder in both
che first and second degrees and fl-
mzrss1ztier Iu TIE third and
a1-h degrees TIE defence was
lfIs.use ana That Eabanks died
z ts result, o. tho encouragement
~ ls rays ana ruses TIE
g-y re--ne8 a verdict q maBs8augh-
p he tolrta degree and fiRed Ri
slm o. s52e0 Hs vas sent 70
W1aro County for impr soanlent but
was released Sefors the expiration
20 BIS sentence
he notable criminal cases an
ease d State o, Missouri against
James Y Rodnaa. for the murder OF
John TT. Ricketts,. on tie third day
Tch 1857 Ricketts, ard Roi
man were brothers-inIaE. the wife OF
Ricketts, beng Roiuaa's sister. It
vas ei4.msd that Rodman shot Rick
s- srom ambush Rodman had two.
as q a mis-triaL Their a change
- venue to Pike County. IN which
De vas cleared After The trial Rod
Iau left the country HIS father had
nt a great deal Of money in max
irz q defence for him A great Rum
Der ~ homicIdss occurred during the
uaEinz out Of the taenunsst-
Led eo1ditions. for which no erimi-
nal p--1s=cgt0ns were ever begun. AZ
-sr Ha Civil War society vas in an
eI state and e number Of homil
s were committed some Of which
7t to trial some o. which did not
The next case which created a
de2l o. excitement was that
7t State agsinst Joseph KrIbs. for
1E william o cresson, in Mon
-os county. July 20th. 1874. Cnsas
n was a oae-arrned xConfederate
and the feeling in Monroe
county ran very high against the
lrsoner. and q change Of venue was
'11ted 10 Audrain County. After a
lard contest. a jury at the June
a 1875 found him guilty Of mur
.n the second degree and the
lrt aasessea his punishment Of
n'y years fl the panltsntiary SEN.
was very much divided IN
Prs case o account of the promi.
.a ~ Creason- ard the verdict Of
he jury ana sentence we're not con
iiered favorable TO the creason side
2 the issae The attorneys for
.ribs were 50 vel Satisfied with the
q that no appeal was taken.
The ext murder case Of Interest
vas hat o. State Of Missouri against
frederick D. CMoak) Branstetter.
2r Ellng Jefferson D. Loxrv, all
'andaia fl December. 1876. The
-fal took place at Mexico in Janu
rFy 1871 Branstetter belonged to
large and Influential family, his
lthsr being a Baptist minister He
'as Offended by W. D. Forrest and
y firm n Macfariane & Trfmble
3rret was chief consul and a yeser [.
q criminal cases. BY that time !
alters after the Civil war had be-
" 70 take on q more hW-ahidding
e. Forrest had been the leading q
7Eainal lawyer Of this section Of z
e state since 1865. and after hear
2 his clients side Of the story,
1~alldedasaat an aeqaittaI would be {
easy matter The prosecuting at T
8 John N. Gordon, who G
as assisted BY Armstead Alexander. ]
very able lawyer Of Paris. Missouri u
'rrsst had the reputation Of not &
very carefully after financial 5
alters and IT was quite often that s,
clients got the better Of him G
the arrangement Of fees. However. 4
this ease he vas unusual a
careful and made an agreement a
70 his client before going into tri- 8
at the January term, 1877. that Il
anstetter should give a note for d
Zee secured by a chattel mortgage y
the growing crop Of T"
coming year. to be {,
Own on a farm which Branstetter il
4 rented. Forests dismay may e
imagined when the jury returned /"
verdict for murder in the second Il
gree and fixed the punishment at G.
sh~ty-tbree years confinement in d
psnitentiary. Branstetter was Il
out thirty years OF age and the 2
art IN the exercise Of its mercy b.
iaeed tho verdict TO sixty years ID
Re father Of Branstetter was in a,
Court room when the announce q
'nt q the verdict was made and &c