Year: 1871

Verdict OF the Coroner's Inquest
Arrest OF a Suspected Man-He
Establishes His Innocence and h
Released.


The jury Of inquest summoned by Coro-


ner Bden to inquire as to the circun1-


stances attending the murder near Madi-
son Station last Tuesday afternoon Of Mrs.


Sarah Hamblin, wife Of John q. Hamblin,
yesterday completed the investigation and
rendered their verdict, which is to the ef-
feet that Sarah q. Hamblin came to her
death BY the cutting Of her throat, and the


violation Of her person, the instrument
used to inhict the fatal wound being
shoemakeT's knife in the hands of some
person to the jury unknown, although dill
gent inquiry has been made to ascertain


the Identity Of the person or persons who
committed the crime.


Ascertaining that young man, q
stranger In the city, whose conduct and
appearance indicated restlessness and un-
easiness of mind, had just commenced


work at shoemaker's shop on Church
street, Sergeant Puckett, Of the police de-
partment, yesterday afternoon arrested the
person indicated and took him to the sta
tionhOuse. The circumstance was soon
widely known about the city, and the re-
port that the man who murdered Mrs.
Hamblin had been arrested was rapidly
spread among the people, crowds Of whom
assembled IN and about police hecdquar-
ters to gain further information as to the
affair. After remaining at the stationhouse
q short time, during which time he appear
ed quite composed, considering the circum-
stancss surrounding him, the suspected
man was taken by Sefgesnt P7ckett to the
depot of the Louisville and Nashville Rail-
road, ostensibly for the purpose of taking
him by the first outgoing train to the
scene Of the murder, in ordsr to see if the
people there would identify him as the
strarg ge maR seen in the vicinity Of the
murder last Tuesday evening. The ac-
cused made no objection to going, but
said he desired to do 30, in order to prove
that he was not the guilty man. He was
taken across tbs river on the first train,
but before proceeding very far the officer
and others having the prisoner in charge
left the train, and Just before night re-
turned to the city, when Sergeant Puckett,
being entirely satisfied by information
gained as to the whereabouts of the pris-
oner on the dsy of the murder, and other
facts learned after the arrest, that he was
not the man who committed the crime, re-
leased him from custody. While at the
stationhouse, the suspected man was re-
quired to pull of his coat, and 1t was dis
covered that both his shirt sleeves were
torn off above his wrists. It was OBJ
served also that one of bis front teeth was
broken off This fact only had signif-
cance because it was known that 10 the
desperate struggle with the assassin, MIRA
Hamblin had been bitten on the arm, the
indentation showing the absence Of front
tooth. This and other circumstances not
necessary to be detailed here made it sp-
pear for q time that there was reasonable
ground for suspeoting that the man under
arrest was the guilty party.


A gentleman residing on Church street
makes the following statement: He saw
the accused in the city Tuesday evening
between one and two O'Clock, and Wednes'
day morning, at which time he employed
him; that he knew his parents vel, and that
they are respectable people. That the
young man did some work on Wednesday,
and he afterwards learned that ths
and Decatur Railroad depot when he said



The gentleman also said that it was q COM
mon thing for boot and shoe makers to cut
off their shirt sleeves. He furthermore
stated that in company with the accused
and officer he took the afternoon train yes
terday for Madison Station, but the train
was stopped about mile from the city by
one who advised them not to take the
accused to Madison where q large
number of citizens from the neighboriIg
section had assembled, phrenzied with
rage at the expectation of his arrival
They then returned to the city and the re-
suit OF the investigation before the police
authorities has been stated above. Mr.. J.
n. Alexander, the depot conductor and
guard at the Louisville and Nashville de-
pot, in this city, states that the accused ar
rived here in an intoxicated condition on
the 7:30 Louisville train Tuesday morning.
the day on which the murder was COM
mittsd. Accused had q Communication on
accommodation ticket from Louisville or
Bowling Green to Memphis, via Nashville.
He learned that accused had purchased
through ticket to Memphis, on the Mem
phis, Olarksville and Louisville line, but
had taken the Nashville train by mistake
at Bowling Green, and when q few
miles this side of the latter place
the conductor, knowing he had
the privilege Of going by Nashville on a
through ticket on the Memphis, Oiarks-
vile and Louisville Railroad, took up the
ticket on the latter line and gave him the
accommodation ticket, which allows him
to 90 to Nashville and thence to Memphis
by either of the following lines, viz:
Edgeheld and Kentucky, Nashville and
Northwestern, or Nashville and Decatur.
AS soon as he got off the train
he went to Mr.. John Orumbscker, Bag
gage master of the Louisville and Nashville
Railroad, and wanted to know what he was
to do. He laid around there some time,
and then went away, returning to the
Nashville depot between two and four
o'clock, lust before the arrival Of The LJu-
isville train at 4.30 p. m. he got hack,
the driver Of which is a negro, and sent
him in it to the Decatur depot, but they
would not receive him there on
the train, because he was drunk.
Accused returned next morning
Wednesday, to the Louisville depot and
wanted to know how he could get his bag
GAGE, which had been checked to Mem
phis, sent from there to him here; that he
wanted his baggage sent here since he had
obtained a job in Nashville. He was
around the depot off and on during that
day, and was also there Friday. He saw
his tivket and the checks for his baggage
to Memphis when accused got off the train
Tuesday morning, and says he would
swear tho accused is innocent of the
alleged charge, and is positive he arrived
here drunk by the train from Louisville
Tuesday morning.


NOT A CANDIDATE.