Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1932-04-07

The Murder of Cuilelma Sands

THOSE who think of New York as
ii existed in colonial times or In
the days Immediately following the
Revolution. usually picture ii as
place of exceptional calm. with the
occasional arrival of stagecoach as
the only ripple in an otherwise placid
monotony.' But. as 1t happens, the
New York of these days was the scene
OF murder mystery as battling and
as mysterious as the disappearance OF
Dorothy Arnold or the killing Of FL
well. the auction bridge expert. In
fact. the murder of Guilelma, Sands
and the subsequent trial Of the man
charged with her death stirred the
country for miles around as ii has
seldom been stirred by any other muir
der case in the annals Of the state.
while the names Of the lawyers on
both sides read like a section of the
early American who's Who"
The crime in question came to light
during Christmas week. 1899. AT this
time, Ellis Ring. Quaker. and his
wife, Catherine. were living in farm
house on what is now the site OF the
Franklin street station OF the Ninth
avenue elevated. Living with them
were Mrs Rings sister. Hope Sands;
cousin. Guilema Sands. and mas
ter carpenter by the name OF Levi
Weeks. The latter fell In love with
Miss GuileIma Sands almost immedi-
ately upon her arrival and the family
by no means frnwned upon the attach
ment which sprang up between the
young conple-an attachment which
eliminated in the announcement by
Gnilelma on the evening OF Deem
Der %. l791. that she and Weeks
were going to be privately married
that night.
Mrs. Ring. according TO her testi-
mony at the trial, was certain that
she had heard Weeks and Miss Sands
leave the house together about eight
o'clock In the evening and she was
therefore not little surprised when,
shortly after ten o'clock. the master
carpenter returned alone and asked II
Guilelma had gone to bed. Mrs. Ring
replied that she thought the two Of
them had gone out together but. MS
Weeks said, "If Guilelma had gone
out with me. she would have returned
with me"-and sat down to await his
fancee's return. Morning broke. how
ever. without the slightest trace of
the missing girl. and a search was at
once instituted. bringing TO light sew
eraI persons who declared that they
had seen Miss Sands getting into
sleigh about eight O'clock the previ-
Gus night. hut that they had not been
able to see the faces OF the other oc-
cupants A few days later q muff.
identified as belonging to Miss Sands.
was found near we'll in the lonely
Lisnenard meadows and on January
a search Of the bottom Of the we'll
revealed the body Of the missing
woman. with bruises about her throat
and her clothing torn. but no other
signs Of physical injury whatever.
Following the verdict Of the coro-
ner's Jury that Miss Sands had come
10 her death at the hands Of per.
son or persons unknown" Levi Weeks
was arrested and charged with the
murder, apparently only because pub
lie sentiment demanded some victim
and not because there was any real
evidence against him. His trial. which
commenced on March ri. 1900. was
notable not only because OF the inter
est which it occasoned. hut also be
cause Of the names included among
its list Of legal lights. The trial
Judge was none other than Chief
Justice Lansing. later destined to fig
nre In one Of the most impenetrabe
mysteries which New York has ever
known. while Weeks counsel were
none other than Aaron Burr and Alex
ander Hamilton, who were soon to
fight their famous duel, while the fate
Of the formers daughter was to be as
much Of a riddle as the death OF the
girl whom Burr's client WAS accused
Of numbering.
Witnesses for the defense proved
that the master carpenter has been
at his brothers house from shortly
after eight o'clock in the evening I'm.
I'll Ten O'Clock and that the defendant
had not exhibited the slightest trace
Of worry or excitement III this time.
AS Mrs. Ring stated positively that
Weeks had returned about 10 30 and
ii WAS manifestly impossible for tile
accused man TO have covered the dis
lance between his brothers house anc
the I.ispenard meadow aud return.
within half an hour. Chief Justice
Lansing directed the jury 10 bring d
verdict of not guilty, which it did n,
. 80 in the morning, while crowd OF
hundreds Of people waited outside the
courthouse for the conclusion Of one
of the most remarkable trials on rec
ord-a trial which failed 10 throw the
slightest light upon one Of the most
remarkable and deepest mysteries OF
its kind
m nv rho Wheeler syndicate