Blue hen's chicken. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1848-1854, 1851-06-20
'FaH41 slOsDGy MURDER TgsHAHs,
CONVICTION OF SHELTON.


Il 'FaH41 slOszDasy MURDER rsHAHd
:, CONVICTION OF SHELTON.
!, The trial Of William Shelton, on charge
snafticinating in the murder of tho Cosdei fan
. lily, was commenced at Chesirrlown on Frids
the 9Th inst, before Judges Chambers, Hol
per and Eeclcston. We subioin the eyidenC
Of Drnmmond and Shaw, the two most mater
. al witnesses on the part Of tie Stale.
/ Thomas Drumnond- with Mrs. Loi
in February; had been cutting wood; VIM She
ton lived at Vochell's Mills: Shelton wanie
Inc to 90 to Maryland, 10 rob and plunder, an
trade iih the darkies; prisoner said there wa
a good job OF ship timber in Mary he wef
: on Thursday; on "Wednesday ] went to Jacl
t sons and siaid all night, and Thursday wen
TO bohemia Ferry; l went to John Forh's; a
, Ter | walked down TO the Ferry and asked fC
Shelton; was told he had gone after wool;-
Shelton and Murphey som got back in I'll
boat, and Shelton came ashore and walked u
the hill with me; prisoner then asked me agai
Iii would go with him a robbing and plnnder
ling; told him would not; he gave me dirk
| handed it back to him; he then said if yol
won't 90 others will; said he was going gun
ming with Murphy; remained with him aDou
an hour and half on the fence; prisoner sait
! there was good deal of money to be made ira
ding with negroes; when lie took his dirk hi
said it was necessary'io have weapons, and
they could make more money ny rohbing and
plundering they could by working.
left Mrs Lore's without notice; when
got to lackson's I left my clothes out in The
corner Of The fence; / was a stranger in that
country; at the mill saw Shelton making two
bullets; also saw him have seven slugs; pris.
onerssad he expected Jonathan Webster would
Iattempt to whip him. In conversation with
prisoner at the Jail, asked him how man
could get from Bohemia Ferry to Cosden's;--
he told me that he could 20 through the big
woods about mile and half above the Fer
nv, then cross the fields to Wards Hill, from
here across another field 10 two branches, then
mp to the House town, from there down 10 the
Sassafras branch; prisoner then said that was
the way they went; prisoner said they.met A.
braham Taylor at the mill near the house; then
Fpprencheds Cosdens; Taylor srnt vosden
through The wiidUw-prsoner tlieu broke q
panel out of the door and rushed in the house
and shot the women; said lie went with the
lexpeciaiion of getting money; expected 10 get
from five 10 eight hundred dollars; prisoner
saiL they were frightened oil from the house;
on Friday morning went down TO the Ferry
10 ser Shelton; but he had gone cunning; did
not see MIN until he was brought into jail.
Stephen Shaw, sworn.-Lives in the Forest,
knows the prisoner; has hada general acquain'
lance for two or three months prior to Februa-
ry. On Wednesday might Abraham rayloi
came 10 whore | was iVing-Taylor asked Inc
what | was following; on Thursday night mel
.Taylor with Shelton; Taylor asked him 10 gt
along with him; 10 come 10 Coldwell to-mor
row evening and | will give you some money
and that is better than working for il. went
Abraham Taylor had quart Of whiskeyi wen
on down the road till we got to Taylor's, he
went in the woods for his gun which he said
he had placed by tree; we went on the ront'
described till asked him where we were go
ling; said il was getting late; oh, he said, WI
xviii soon be there and back to supper; we wen
ION till we met Shelton and another man; wa
4 ftirhteued and suspected some mischief and
\ llagned behind; Taylor called 10 me TO COM
an; the others said not word; we stopped a
! the fodder house and Taylor called to me Il
come along up; we all then went up to ih
house; Taylor told me to stay there; Taylo
went up to the porch, raised lis gun and fire.
through the window; Shelton kicked the doc
and ran his gun against it and went in; wa
: lfrinhtened and ran as hard as | could; hear
: no screams until after the first gun inside iii
house; Iran until fell down from faiigue;-
after ran good way Taylor and the other
D overlook inc and asked me where was going
! said was going to get away from them 2
4 soon as possible; staid in the woods all nigh
d the next morning | went heme and told Mr.
Hand. at whose house was boarding, inten,
= inu to have it known; | should have made
= nublic statement of tho affair, but ! feared
should be killed.
TCross examined. 1T was nearly sundow
d when we LEFT Collwell, and went on thfoug
g the woods; when we met the two, Shelton Al
Is the other felt frightened and thought TIT
L. were up to some deyilmeni. Il have fetch
myself into the deyilishest scTape that ey
was in during all my liic,' Is the way COT
a. menced telling Mis-. Hand; OH said |,
saw whole family murdered, but am inn
m cent OF il, and was enlrapped aud deceived;'
n then told her all about the affair, and told h
lglto tell il; never went out oi tile officers wa
and would have told it long before if | hi
IS, known who TO tell it to. refused the sheri
10 thinking he might not be the right ore. ] 10
r. Hynson, Esq, all the particulars, as ST
10 ted. The night was dark.
IL An attempt was made on the part of the con
sci for the prisoner to invaldae the testimoi
of Shaw, but number of witnesses were
ge iroduced 10 sustain hischaracier ior veracity
Dickinson Websier-Siate Lived with
ed Cosden in February; was there the night Of {
vi murder; MIR. G. was sitting in the corner Of /
n room; Mrs. Cosden was placing her baby
en- the cradle; Mr.. @. was shot through the wi
dow. and then man burst through the do
y. and shot Miss Cosden; he was dark conplf
he ioned man, and had large black whiskers; 81
only two men; ran out to Georgetown Crd
Roads; heard The reports Of tour guns and !
screaming of tho woman while running.
Henry Milchell--SaIe.-Was in Gaorl
town Cross Roads the night Of tho murder
ou heard Of The murder: went wilha party to C'
ok denis; the house was dark anl we Surround
it, think the murderers might be still there;
Cosden called ont for Gods sake 10 come i
rs he was the only one living in the house; til
lis were all dead @. asked witness to coma a
sit by him, for he shonld not live long; G.
II, den did not think he had an emery in the wor
- prisoner is about tie size Of Coslcn; Cosd