People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 February 1896 — CHASE A MURDERER. [ARTICLE]

CHASE A MURDERER.

ANGRY MOB "DETERMINED ON VENGEANCE. Colored Miner, Who S'hot * Fellow Workman at Dunfermline. HL, Ha* a Narrow Escape—Royster Tell* Why He Killed McFarland. Lewistown, 111., Feb. 5. —Dunfermline, a small mining town ten miles northwest of here, was the scene of a sensational murder Monday night. Between 8 and 9 o’clock William Woodard, colored, shot and instantly killed Lewis Robinson, also colored. A crowd hastily gathered, attracted by the report of the pistol, and Woodard, becoming alarmed for his life, ran north on the read toward Canton. Hearing his pursuers gaining on him,Woodard changed his course and ran west to St. David’s, another small mining town about a mile and a half west of Dunfermline. The news of the murder soon reached St. David’s, where City Marshal Jabine found Woodard in hiding. He arrested him and brought him to Lewiston, where he was lodged in the county jail. ' Had the mob pursuing Woodard caught him, it would have lynched him, as the men were mostly colored persons laboring under great mental excitement. The mob arrived in Canton and proceeded to search for the murderer. Failing to find him, they concluded to wait for the night trains, and both passenger trains were searched. The members of the mob did not return to their homes until daylight next morning. The coroner’s jury held an Inquest over the remains of the murdered man and held Woodard without bail to await the action of the March grand jury. The story told by the murderer differs materially from the above. Woodard claims that Robinson was after him with a knife, and that he shot him in self-defense. He says Robinson came into his house and ran him into the middle of the street before he shot. The evidence taken at the coroner's inquest does not bear out this statement. Quiet has been restored among the miners at Dunfermline, and no further outbreaks are expected. ROYSTER TELLS HIS STORY. Wai Threatened with Death by Wallace McFarland. Boone, lowa, Feb. 5. —The evidence in the trial of Stanhope Royster, on the charge of murdering Wallace McFarland, the despoiler of his daughter, was almost all in Tuesday. The daughter since the murder committed suicide in an Omaha hotel. It is probable the case will go to the jury Thursday. The last witness for the defense was the defendant himself. He told how he came to Boone intent only on getting his daughter; how he went unarmed to McFarland’s room, and how McFarland met him with a pistol, cursed and threatened him, and stayed with him or dogged his footsteps for three hours trying to get him to sign a paper exonerating him. McFarland had told him there would be money in it for him, but Royster replied: "Money doesn’t count with me in this case. I want my daughter.” Finally Royster, who knew his life was in danger, got away long enough to buy a revolver. Then, as McFarland said, “Yes, you can stay in town a week, but you’ll stay with me; I’ll entertain you,” he had made a threatening motion with his concealed hand and Royster shot him. Royster told of the shooting with dramatic effect. He was not confused on cross-examination. His case seems to be helped and it is generally believed he will.be acquitted. , Dry Testimony In Kellar Trial. Terre Haute, Ind., Feb. 5. Three doctors and one lawyer furnished the testimony in the Kellar-Shanks murder trial Tuesday, and it was uninteresting. It was known it would be a day of expert testimony, but the attendance of women was as large as ever.