Murder Trial of John Darr - Gallatin, Saline, Hamilton, Franklin and Williamson Counties, Illinois [History of Gallatin, Saline, Hamilton, Franklin and Williamson Counties Illinois, Chicago, The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1887, p.69-70] 1823 Sep 16. The first murder trial came on before Hon. Thomas C. Browne, judge of the Fourth Judicial Circuit, which then consisted of Franklin, Union, Johnson, Alexander, Pope, Jackson and Gallatin Counties. In this trial John Darr was tried for the murder of William Thomason. The grand jury was composed of Isaac Hogan, Michael Jones, Gardner Moreland, Stephen Fields, Robert Harding, Thomas Akers, William Robinson, James Willis Sr., Cloeman Brown, William Forrester, James LOGAN, Robert Beale, William Wing, Andy Laughlin, Laban ROBINSON, Edward Shearwood, Townsend Cannon, David Gill and William Gardner, "good and lawful men of the county and circuit aforesaid." The substance of the indictment was that "John Darr, late of the county of Gallatin, not having the fear of God before his eyes, but being moved and seduced by the instigation of the Devil, on the 7th day of September 1823, with force and arms, feloniously, willfully and of his malice aforethought," made an assault upon William Thomason with a certain knife held in his right hand and did stab him in the right side to the depth of eight inches, of which wound William Thomason instantly died. James Hall prosecuted for the State. The jury for the trial were James Fields, Alexander Barnhill, John McAlister, Boston Daimwood, Lowery Hay, Thomas Addison, John B. Shoemaker, James Stephenson, Zadock Ayedelotte, Plesant Tally, Spencer Ellis and James McGhee. The verdict of the jury was "We, the jury, find the defendant, John Darr, guilty of murder in the manner and form as he stands indicted." ------------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Becky Hargett