The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1851-05-31
Full Confession of the Cos den Massacre.
The Parties all in Custody.

we TtCelNeQ last evening tue lOlloW'
ing hasty letter from our correspondent
at Chestertown, written yesterday morn.
ing, half hour after the confession to
which it .alludes was made. 1t will be
seen that a full development of this
bloody transaction has been made by
one ofthe parties to the deed, and that
all the accused participants is in Jail:
C1EsTERrowN, May 26. 1851.
Genrlemen:-We have now confess
sion ofone ofthe parties under arrest
for the Cosden massacre which is thought
to be worthy OF credit. About the time
of the murder, man by the name of
Hand, living near Blackboard; saadenly,
and without signing any reason, left
his home and went to New Jersey. A
few days after his wife also left. The
movements fthese people were ofcourse
regarded as suspicious, and efforts have
for some time past been made to obtain
knowledge of their whereabouts. A
few days since Mrs. Hand was brought to
Chcstertown, and made statements to
the following eflect:-Thaton the morn
ing after the murder, at very errly
hour, a man by the name of Stephen
Shaw, who boarded in the house with
herself and husband, came running into
the house, with musket in his hand,
and very much under the influence OF
liquor---that he told her the Cosden
family were murdered, and that himself,
Taylor, Shelton and Murphy were the
parties--that he had been solicited by
Taylor to join the conspiracy, which he
supposed was only for plumber and not
for murder-that he and Taylor pro-
cceded, on the evening of the murder,
to the Swantown mill, (about half
mile from Cosden's,) and were there
joined by Shelton and Murphy; that he
had double arreled gun; Taylor a
musket; Shelton a double barreled gun
and double barreled pistol, and Murphy
double barreled gun. He then pro-
ceeded TO state that upon arriving at the
house, Taylor fired Though the window
and shot down Cosden, and then, snatch
ing away Shaw's gun, shot Mrs. Cosden,
as she ran out. He also stated that Shell
ton murdered Miss Cosden and Miss
Webster, and Taylor shot the black wo-
man, but that Murphy took no part in
the murder. He assertsthat he himself
was drunk and took no part in the MUIR
der, and that he was afterwards so over
come by liquor thrt he fell in the fence
corner and lay there for several hours.
Shaw was arrested on Saturday, and
this morning has made full confession
corroborating all the statements made
by Mrs. Hand, saying "that he knows
that Mrs. Hands testimony will convict
him, and that he may as we'll make a
clean breast ofit." H. has been con-
lFonted with the parties charged and adj
heres, in their presence, to all the par.
ticulars as detailed by Mrs. Hand.
Murphy, he says, he had never seen
before, but believes the man he sees in
Jail as Murphy, to have been at the MUIR
der. There is little or no doubt enter.
tanned of the truth of his confession.
The cause of the sudden flight of Mrs.
Hand, was fear that, as she possessed
Shaw's secret, he might do her some
bodily harm, to prevent her divulging
it. A.
Since the above letter came to hand
we have conversed with gentleman
direct from Chestertown. who was pres
ent at the Jail yesterday morning when
Shaw was confronted with the prison.
erf and made his confession. He says
he never saw a more hardened set of
men collected together. The excite
ment in Chestertown was intense, and
great joy was manifested by the people
at the certainty Of all the murderers be-
| ing in custody. Webster, the uncle of
Mrs. Cosden, is now acknowledged to be
free of all participation in the bloody
deed, and will be discharged in few
days. The prisoners are heavily chain
ed together, and present most revolt
ing spectacle. Their trial will take
place next week.-Balt. San.