Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1851-04-23
THE KENT COUNTY MASSACRE.

night last, Sheriff Hanes and officer Thack-
cry, assisted bv posse Of citizens, arrested
and lodged in EIk,on Jail two men, John w.
Ford and Samuel Stills, charged with some
participation in, or knowledge OF, the murder
Of the Cosden family. They were arrested
on the affidavit Of Doct. Marsh, of Kent Co :,
and, we understand, on the strength Of GER
tain revelations made by Drummond, now
confined in Ken, Jail, on suspicion Of being
connected with the same murder. There
are others implicated who are no, arrested
Ford and Stills live in this county near Bo-
hemia Ferry. ]. is also stated lbs, Abrsm
Taylor, mentioned in the mysterious note
found on the person Of John Brown, has
been arrested on the same grounds, and is
in New Castle Jail. We have not learned
the exact import of Drummond's confess
sions, and understand ,ha, they are KEEP. Sc
crei. The tragedy appears to grow mole
complicated. but perhaps a clew that will
unravel it, has now been reached.
Ford and Stills have hearing before the
magistrate on Wednesday next, when Mr..
lamar will appear as their counsel.
Since putting the above in type we find
in the Baltimore Sun of Saturday last, the
following letter, dated
HARvE DE GRACE, April Is, 8 P. NJ.
There has been grea, excitement, here to-
day, in consequence Of the arrival Of an Off
Ger from Chestertown, who Immediately
proceeded TO ares, man named Nicholas
Murphy, on the charge of being one of the
murderers of the Cosden family, at the
Georgetown Cross Roads, in Ken, county.
1t will be remembered that man named
Thomas Drummond, was arrested in Cecil
county, about The frs. of March, on suspi-
cion Of having been connected with the muir
der, and lodged in Jail, where he has remain
ed ever since. The evidence against him
was, that on Wednesday evening, 261h ul..,
the day Of the massacre, he disappeared
from the neighborhood suddenly, and with
on. assigning any cause for his departure, and
could give no satisfactory account of his
movements during the interval
He alleged tina, he lodged at the house Of
a man by the name of Ford (wbo lives in
the neighborhood Of Black Bird) on the
night of the murder, which declaration Ford
corroboraed. bu. stated that Drummond did
"
The night. One Of the pockets of his 2an,a-
looms bore the distinct impression of q
bloody hand! Murphy, the man arrested
here to-day, came forward and testified that
he and Dfummond were out together in the
afternoon and nigh. of the murder, hunting
muskrsis.
Drummond, notwithstanding this tes,i-
mony was still held for further examination
and has now confessed, declaring that Muir
ply, Shelton, Ford, Stills and Taylor, are the
parties who commi.,ed the bloody outrage.
They have all been arrested except Shelton,
and the officers are in pursuit Of him. This
is moi the same Shelton, the miller, who was
among the frs. tina, were arrested. Ford is
The same man who testified al The examination
tina, Drummond did not reach his house
until after midnight.
learn from the officer who arrested Muir
ply that Drummond declares that he had
no hand in the matter himself, and that the
only object Of the band was plunder-lha,
his gull. only consists in knowledge Of
the conspiracy before the deed was COM
miiled.
Webster, the uncle Of Mrs. Cosden, who
has SO long rested under the suspicion Of
having been the insligalor Of this dreadful
tragedy, seems to be in no manner implica-
ted by the confession Of Drummond, who
in,ima,es that il some Of the Co>den family
had no, escaped and given the alarm, it was
their Intention to have followed up the work
of plumber and blood, and that other fami-
lies would have been massacred the same
night.
Murphy, on being arrested, appeared to
be the Ieas, concerned Of ell the crowd as
sembled Ford and Stills have been lodged
in Jail a. EIklon. Yours, w. w. L.