Year: 1870




The conviction of George Vanderpool
recalls to our recollection a circumstance
which illustrates the uEreliability Cf cir
cumstantial evidence During the last
century, in England, a man was hanged
for numbering his ward, his niece. The
evidence was conclusive that he had chas-
tised her frequently, and only the day be-
fore her disappearance, he was heard cor
rectlng her in an out building, and her
voice was also heard piteously exelaiming
Don't kill me, Uncle, don't kill meW The
motive for the murder was proven in the
fact that according to her fathers will on
her death, her property was to go t. tke
guardian. her uncle Three or four ~ rs
after the assumed murder, the niece re-
turned to claim her property. 1t appear
ed that she had run away and married and
come back to demand her property on
reaching her majority Parliament then
| lnterfered with statute requiring the
production of the body to authorize the
sentence of death. This is now the law and
general rule IN our criminal proceedings
but has not always been adhered to. And
1t was not in the case we are about to mar
rate.


In 1910, when the State house al
44ly maS DC4l4R DullBJ OhlC Vi lIle
stone-cutters engaged was man named
Martin, from New York city. Martin was
not man of sound mind at least he was
a monomaniac on one SUBJECT, which was
that there was no good money except that
of the Metropolitan Bank, of New York
Every Saturday night, Whenthe men We're
paid off, he was won't to 60 around among
them and buy up this money, often giving
as high as 10 per cent for it. He was
known to have a considerable sum of this
money hid away or about him,


During May, of the year above, he and
one Smith hired horse and wagon to 90
to the Sangamon River four miles distant.
At night Smith returned, but not with
Martin. When asked where Martin was
he said he did not know Martin was
soon mlssed-the ground where they went
was searched-and the plainest evidence
was presented that they had quarreled
The ground was trampled on the river
bank, and some of Martins clothes were
found. 1t was also discovered that some
drops of blood were dried on the sand
and that the buggy had been drawn into
the water. The supposition was that
Martin had been murdered and his body
carried into the river Search was made
but no body could be found Meantime
Smith, the assumed murderer, was arrested
and put IN the old log Jail.


In few weeks the prisoner was regu-
larly arraigned in the Circuit Court on the
charge of murder Abraham Lincoln,
then rising into fame as lawyer, was
engaged for the defense. The production
of the body was not insisted upon the
evidence seemed as clear and conclusive as
though dozen persons had witnessed the
act Of murder. The witnesses were few,
yet the evidence that there was both the
motive and the means, was overwhelming.
The marks of the struggle on the river
shore-the drops of blood upon the sand
the driving of the wagon into the river as
If to throw the body into the swift curI ent
were circumstances that could only be
accounted fof in CONNECTION with the "deep
damnatlon" of the taking off of poor Mar
TIN. The defense could hardly make
show of evidence. and-a verdict of guilty
seemed a foregone conclusion


Meantime the Sheriff of Tazewell coun-
ty had read i n the Sangamon Journal
description of Martins person, and heatD
that an insane person had appeared in a
distant part of the county without coat or
nat, and would give no intelligent account
OF himself An Inspiration prompted the
Sheriff to go and see him, and he became
satisfied that he was the missing man.
Having in his possession still a consider
able amount of Metropolitan Bank money
made the Sheriff morally sure on the point,
SO he took the man in charge and started
for Springfield Arriving there on the
last day of the trial he lodged the man in
the Jail and went into the courtroom and
saw Mr.. Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln asked a
suspension of proceedings, as he had an
important witness to introduce. With the
Sheriff he went to the old Jail, saw the
prisoner, and was satisfied that the dead
was alive. Returning to court, Mr.. Lin
coin said that he could not look for any
thing but verdict against his client, as
the case stood, but he asked permission to
put q new and very material witness on the
stand


The murdered man was placed upon the
stand, and the case fell to the ground in