THE M'DADE MURDER.

JOSEPH BLASSINGAME HELD BY THE CORONER FOR INVESTIGATION.

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Strong Circumstantial Evidence and Developments Expected — Opium Smuggling Case — Mail Carrier Killed — Brood (?) of Scoundrels — Texas Crimes.

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HEMPSTEAD, Tex., December 1. — The fact has been developed to-day that the investigation which has taken place during the week condemning the murder of Captain McDade was a coroner's inquest presided over by Justice of the Peace C. D. Robinson.

The case was concluded this evening, the coroner deciding that cicumstantial and other evidence produced on the trial compelled him to hold Joseph Blassingame, Jr., for further investigation, and therefore the defendant was remanded to jail.

The preliminary examination of the defendant will be commenced on Monday next.  Messrs. L. S. Reese and A. C. Tompkins are defending, and District Attorney Harry is assisted in the prosecution by County Attorney Lipscomb.

Your correspondent stated in a special published in yesterday's NEWS that the circumstantial evidence produced on the trial was weak, etc.  The district attorney took exceptions to this statement and in a note says: "There never was stronger circumstantial evidence of the guilt of any individual that has been developed up to date."

Thus the case now stands.  Startling evidence, it is said, will be produced at the trial next week, and public opinion will probably again be mystified as to the guilty party.  The officers of the law are working hard to ferret out the perpetrator of the awful crime, and if the mystery can be solved they will be sure to find it out.

Several counterfeit silver dollars have been discovered in circulation here.  They are not well executed and can be easily detected.

"JOSEPH BLASSINGAME HELD BY THE CORONER FOR INVESTIGATION", The Galveston Daily News, Sunday, December 2, 1888, p. 5, col. 3.

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