Early Life
James W. Stephenson was born in Virginia in 1806, the oldest son of Benjamin Stephenson and his wife, Lucy, and was named in honor of his grandfather and uncle. The Stephenson family came to Edwardsville from Kaskaskia in 1816, and in 1820 the family moved into the Benjamin Stephenson House in Edwardsville.
On January 29, 1825, while at the Wiggins Hotel in lower town, area resident Daniel D. Smith was stabbed to death following an argument with James Stephenson, James Henry and Palemon Winchester. Smith was stabbed in the neck; as those present attended to him, he uttered "Winchester" and died. Reports in Edwardsville's The Spectator indicated that Smith was "killed in an affray" at the Stephenson House. James W. Stephenson, James D. Henry and Palemon Winchester were indicted for Smith's murder. All three men were charged with the crime, though only Stephenson and Henry were released on bond.
Winchester was the only defendant to face trial on the charges. Winchester's lawyer argued that Smith was guilty of verbal assault against the defendant, and Winchester was found not guilty. The verdict was reported in The Spectator on March 22, 1825. In 1828 Stephenson left Edwardsville, and moved to Galena in Jo Daviess County where he made his home for much of the rest of his life.
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