Southern shield., 1841-05-21
From As Louisville City Gdzette. THE TRAGEDY OF THE NIGHT OF THE l7th, FIVE THOUSAND
 DOLLARS REWARD.


 For some days past, the city authorities have been engaged in investigating some re- cent developments connected with he mur- der of Messrs. Baker and Weaver. and the burning of the store of Messrs. Collier 6 Pettus, and we have .Tefrained fron giving any of the particulars, least our ioing so might impede their operations. The ob- jects of secrecy being over in the opinion of the officers, we feel at liberty to state the particulars so far as they have been developed.
 A negro man named Edward H Ennis, who has been for some time past 1T the em ploy of a barber named Johnson, on Mar ket street, opposite the Nationa Hotel, made the disclosure. The conmunica- tions, it seems, were made to Ennis by one of the parties, that Ennis being uneasy a. bout 1t and yet afraid, because of the excite ment and also of the murderers, to tell what he knew, went on Friday last to Butcher, a yellow man, who resides in Brooklyn, on the opposite side of the river and told him what he knew and asked his advice Butcher refused to give any ad vice, on Sunday, he went over again and went to Alton, when Butcher communicat ed the facts to two constabes who arrest ed Ennis, and after taking his statement one of the parties, (Warrick,5 but ffee haI left before their arrival
 The circumstances of this horrible affair las detailed by Ennis, are as follows About 10 o'clock on Saturday night, Enni; went from the barber-shop to his boarding house, kepth by Leah, free yellow woman and Peter CharleviIle, free man, pn third between Market and Walnut streets Shortly after he had gone to bed, negro slave named Madison, came to the door knocked and was admitted. Soon after being admitted, Madison exclaimed, "G-d Id-n the tuck" and on an inquiry why, he stated Il have done more murder to nigh than l ever did before apd have not beer paid for it, and after remarlling that there would be an alarm of fire shortly, he stat ed in substance, that he and three yellow men, viz: James Seward, alias Sewell, War rick and Brown, had gone or that night tc Mir. Pettus' counting room, that the dool was unlocked, Madison entered alone, Mir Baker, was sitting down with lis boots of reading a newspaper, Madison walked uE and presented bank bill to hin, and asked him if it was good, and as Baker turned tc look at the bill he struck him over the head with short bar of ron which he had con cealed under his arm; the others then came in, and they repeated the blows until he was quite dead, his skull and one side of his head completely mashed, after searching the body for the keys, they rolled it up 1T the bed-clothes and placed it on the bed.
 They secured the door and went to work on the vault to open it. Whilst at this work, Mr. Weaver came to the door anc knocked, and called to Jesse (Mr. Baker, to let him in. Some dispute ensued be tween Brown and Madison, which should kill Weaver and It was insisted that Madi son should as he had killed Baker, but he refused, saying that he had done his share and he would do no more Brown open ed the door and placed himself behind it and as Weaver passed into rhe room str0ck him over the head with the bar ot iron; on the second blow he fell and at lleinpllug to IlSe, bFOWn lni uSl SHdIp lIOH bar through his head. Ennis in his state ment does not confirm the report of the firing of the pistols; but says, that having heard that Weaver was shot, he asked Madison about it, and he told him that nc pistols had been fired, and that they had nc weapons but the bar of iron mentioned. m From the statement it would seem that al of them had beaten Weaver
 After some further effort at the vault finding they could not get into it, Madison left; Warrick, Sewell and Brown remained short time, then fired the house in five diff lerent places, came out, locked the doc