I'm still catching up and haven't decided on a new series of date for Barren Co, so for today is another portion of the murder trial. "We copy the following related to John BASHAM's capture and personal history from the St. Lawrence County (NY) "Plain Dealer" published at Canton, New York, the place where his capture was effected. In justice to Basham we state that the charge of his having pawned the plate-book, referred to in this article, he declared untrue. His landlord to whom he was indebted seized the plate-book, as he did his other personal effects, and claimed the right to subject them to sale for board indebtedness. The allusion to the affair in the article copied, strongly collaborates Basham's version, and we have no doubt but injustice was done him, unintentionally however. Basham also denies having used Odd Fellowship in securing favor or money. "This is the account, as copied from the St. Lawrence County PLAIN DEALER of a date a few days subsequent to Basham; identification and capture: "ARREST FOR MURDER. On the forenoon of Monday, the people of Canton village were much surprised and somewhat excited by the arrest of a young man who had been in the place for a few weeks on a charge of murder. The facts are as follows: "Some four weeks since the young man decided to appear in our village. He was tolerably well-dressed apparently from twenty two to twenty five years of age. He now gives his age as twenty seven. He gives his name as John S Davis. He was "dead broke" as regards money, and we understand sought aid from the Odd Fellows, as a member of the order. Whether he obtained aid in this manner or not, we are not informed, but he was assisted by individuals at least to the amount of board for a week or so, until he got a place as clerk in the Canton Tea Store. He claimed to have been employed the past season as agent for Chase & Co., Nurserymen, of Geneva, N.Y. and we understand that he had canvassed for them in this vicinity. Before coming here this time he had been two or three weeks at Potsdam, and had pawned his overcoat and canvassing book (a book containing colored plates of fruit, and worth $25) for his board, at the Matteson House. After Mr. QUACKENBUSH of the tea store had taken him into his employ, he redeemed these articles for him, and sent to book by express to Chases & Co. Davis had been negotiating with Chase & Co, and was expecting soon to enter their employ again, ths time as clerk in their Boston office. He had conducted himself since he came here in a gentlemanly manner, was steady, and no suspicion of anything wrong attached to him. "On Friday evening last, Deputy Sheriff TANNER received from Sheriff CHAPIN a letter which he had received from an officer in Louisville, Kentucky, containing a description, and a photograph of one John M Basham, who had committed a murder there and had been a fugitive from justice since March last. They had heard of him in Canada, and elsewhere but had never been able to get any definite clue to his whereabouts until very recently they had detected his handwriting in certain letters received at the post office there. These letters were written from Canton, addressed to some of Basham's friends asking for money and were signed "J. S. D." to be continued next week and if any of you have any knowledge of who this John Basham is from Glasgow in 1877- please post to the list. To date no one has been able to fit him in though there were Bashams here. Sandi Barren Co Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=kybarren Sandi's Puzzlers: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gensoup/gorin/puz.html