William
Duff Armstrong was born in 1833. On 29th August, 1857, Armstrong got
involved in a drunken brawl in Mason County, Illinois. Armstrong struck
James Metzker with a blackjack. He rode away but later fell of his
horse and died.
Armstrong was charged with murder. His parents were friends of Abraham
Lincoln and asked him to defend their son. Lincoln agreed and
the trial began on 7th May, 1858.
The chief prosecution witness, Charles Allen, claimed that he saw
Armstrong strike the fatal blow at about 11 p.m. He argued that although
he was 150 feet away, he could see the event clearly as the scene
was lighted by the moon overhead. Lincoln produced an almanac for
the year which showed that the moon was near the horizon at that time
of night.
In cross-examination, Abraham Lincoln
persuaded another witness to say that he had the blackjack when the
attack took place. A doctor also testified that James Metzker could
have died from injuries received by falling off the horse. The jury's
verdict was "not guilty". Lincoln charged no fee for his
services.
On the outbreak of the American Civil War
Armstrong enlisted in the 85th Illinois Volunteers. He remained in
the Union Army until becoming very ill
in Louisville in 1863. William Duff Armstrong died in Cass County,
Illinois, in 1899.
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