A Clerical Murderer.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 126, 31 October 1885, Page 3

A Clerical Murderer.

Joliet (Ill.)i September^.— This morning at 8 o'clock a noted convict named Samuel H, McGhee was released from the Joliet Penitentiary after having served eight years and three months actual time on a fourteen-year sentence for murder. The crime for which McGhee was convicted was particularly cruel, cowardly, and atrocious, being no less than the slow poisoning of his own wife that he might bask in the smiles of a young woman witii whom he had become greatly infatuated. The fact that at the time of the murder McGhee was pastor of Christ's Church at Ash ton, 111., only adds to the enormity or his crime. The trial was very exciting and occupied fourteen days. The'evidence showed that McGhee had purchased arsenic at different stores in Ashton during his wife's illness, and that he could give no satisfactory account of what he did with it. It was also shown that he was greatly infatuated with Miss Paddock and had been paying her marked attention, even before his wife's last sickness. But the strongest point made against the defendent, and one that brought down upon his head the execration of the entire community, was a cowardly attempt that he had made to shift the responsibility for his great crime on his only daughter. At the time of Mrs McGhee's death she left two children — a girl aged 15 and a boy ot 12. The girl was of rather weak mind, and during her father's incarceration while awaiting trial she made him frequent visits at the gaol. At one of the visits her craven sire endeavoured to persuade her to make • written confesbion and sign it stating in substance that she had poisoned her mother and that her father was innocent. The revelation of this diabolical scheme on the part of the unnatura Iparent was broughtout on the trial, and created the most intense indignation against him, as it was plainly to be seen that he was "willing to sacrifice his own children or friends in order to escape. After deliberating fifteen hours the jury returned a verdict of guilty and affixed tke Rev. Samuel H. McGhee's punishment at 14 years in the penitentiary at hard labour. McGhee was 35 years old at the time he was convicted, and his wife was 33 at the time of her death. Since his confinment at the penitentiary the prisoner has been employed in the harness shop, and has made a model convict, never having given his keepers any trouble or cause to reprimand him.