181, he was hanged from a scaffold erected on a hill just north of
Brownstown, Ind. He protested his innocence until the laste . ..
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY, INDIANA. Published, 1886. Pages 575-
576 | :
181, he was hanged from a scaffold erected on a hill just north of
Brownstown, Ind. He protested his innocence until the last. .. -
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY, INDIANA. Published, 1886, Pages 575-
576
18)1, he was hanged fron a scart els erected on a hill just north of
Ind. until the last.
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY, INDIANA. Published, 1686, Pages 575-
576
Sescotoens, ate protosind is Smerendn salt Gt asty
8g 7, DOLN. ABR, Fags 5
SUMNER, James
Sumner, a white man, and his wife Nancy lived in Jackson County,
Ind. Early one morning in 180, neighbors heard them quarrelling
violently and Mrs, Sumner was heard to exclaim "0 Lord! 0 Lord!
O Lord{" Later that day her body was found in a well containing
about seven feet of water. Sumner was arrestad and charged with
having murdered his Wife during the mame course of the quarrel,
The evidence against him was entirely circumstantial and while the
prosacution presented expert testimony that she was dead before her
body was consigned to the well, Sumner's attorneys claimed that she
had either fallen into or cummitted suicide by jumping into it and
drowning. -The first jury was unable to agree and he was tried for
the second time, convicted and sentenced to die. This conviction
was overturned by the Indiana Supreme Court on the grounds that the
trial judge had failed to instruct the jury that the defendant did
not need to disprove circumstances proved before them and that such
failure could not be held against him unless it was shown that he
had the means in his power to disporve him, A third trial was held
where he was once again convicted and sentenced to die. On Oct. 7,
SUMNER, James
Sumner, a white man, and his wife Nancy lived in Jackson County,
Ind. Early one morning in 180, neighbors heard them quarrelling
violently and Mrs, Sumner was heard to exclaim "0 Lord! O Lord!
0 Lordj" Later that day her body was found in a well containing
about seven feet of water. Sumner was arrestad and charged with
having murdered his Wife during the course of the quarrel,
The evidence against him was entirely circumstantial and while the
preskcution presented expert testimony that she was dead before her
body was consigned to the well, Sumner's attorneys claimed that she
had either fallen into or cummitted suicide by jumping into it and
drowning. -The first jury was unable to agree and he was tried for
the second time, convicted and sentenced to die. This conviction
was overturned by the Indiana Supreme Court on the grounds that the
trial judge had failed to instruct the jury that the defendant did
not need to disprove circumstances proved before them and that such
failure could not be held against him unless it was shown that he
had the means in his power to dispoye him, A third trial was held
where he was once again convicted and sentenced to die. On Oct. 7,
SUMNER, James
Summer, a white man, and his wife Nancy lived in Jackson County,
Ind. Barly one morning in 180, neighbors heard them quarre:
violently and Mrs, Sumner was heard to exclaim "0 Lordi 0 Lord!
ntaining
about seven feet of water, oe was es eras and charged with
having murdered his #ife during th course of the quarrel,
The evidence against him was SSeeR circumstantial and while the
proskcution presented expert testimony that she was dead before her
not need to disprove circumstances proved before them and that such
failure could not be held against him unless it was shown that he
had the means in his power to dispove him, A third trial was held
where he was once again convicted and sentenced to die. On Oct, 7,
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