The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1851-06-05

received last evening the following hasly
letter from our correspondent at Chester
town, written yesterday morning. a half
hour after the confession To which it al
ladies' was made. 1t will be seen that
full developement of this boody transac.
rion has been made hy Que of the parties
to the deed, and that all the accus d par.
ticipanis are in jai
CnEsTgRTowN, May 2G
GcndemsH-We have now a confession
of one Of the parties under arrest for the
C0sden massacre, which is thought to be
worthy of credit. About the time of the
murder man by The name of Hand, liv
ing near Blackbird, suddenly, and with
out assigning any reason, left hIs hume
and went To New Jersey, A few days
after his wife also left. The movements
of these people were of course regarded
as suspicious, aud efforts have for some
time past been made to obtain knowl-
edge of their whereabouts. A few days
since Mrs, Hand was brought tn Chester
town, and made statements to the follow
ing effect: That on the morning after
the murder, at very early hour, man
by the name of Stephen Shaw, who
hoarled in the house with herself aud
husband, came running into the house
with a musket III his hand. aud very much
under the influence of liqnor-that he
told her the CoSden family were murder
ed, and that himself, Iayur, Shelton aud
Murphy were tho parties that he had
been solicited by Taylor to join the con
spiracv, which he supposed was only for
pIunder and not for murder-that he aud
Taylor proceeded, on the evening ot the
murder. to the Swanlowu mill, (about a
half mile from Cosden's,) aud were there
Ijoined by Shelton aud Murphy; that he
had a double barreIed gun, Taylor mus
kei; Shelton doubled barreled gun and
doubled barreled pistol aud Murphy
doubled barreIed gun. He then p,nceed
ed to state that upon arriving al the house
Taylor fired through the window ant
shot down Cnsden, aud then, snatchini
away ,Shaw's gun, shot Mrs Cosden. Al
she ran out He also states tina, Shelter
murdered Miss CoSden and Miss Web
ster, aud Taylor shot the black woman
but that Murphy took no part in tn,
murder. He asserts that he himself wa
drunk aud took no part in the murder
aud that he was afterwards so ovcrcom
by liquor lha, he fell in the fence corne
aud lay there for several hours.
Shaw was arrested on Saturday, an,
this morning has made fail confession
corroborating all the statements made b
Mrs. Hand, saying "rhat Ne huows Mr.
Hands testimony will convict him. an
that he may as well make a clean brcas
of it," He has been confronted wit
:he parties charged aud adhrres, in rhci
presence, to all the particulars, as detail
, ed by Mrs. Hand.
y Murphy, he says, he had never seen be
( fore, but believes the nan he sees in ia
. as Mnrphy, have been at the mnrde
9 There is little or M doubt entertained ,
the trulh Of this confession. ......
The cause of the fright of Mrs IIau'
was Gear that, as she p"Ssessed Shaw
secret. he might do her some bnhiI
e harm, To prevent her divulging it, A.
Since the above letter came To han
we have cnnverscd With a gentleman d
rect from Charleston, who was present
the Jail yesterday morning when Sha
II was confronted with the prisoners, al
= made his confession. He says he nev,
e saw more hardened set of men c0lIcG
ed together. The excitement in Che
$ tertown was Intense. aud great iny W
y manifested by the people at he certain
nf all the murderers being in custod
Webster. the uncle of Mrs. Cosden,
e now acknowledged to be free of all pa
IL licipation in the bloody deed, and will
IT discharged in few days. The pris
T. uers are heavily chained together, al
u present most revolving spectacle. The
N trial will take place next week. - Sun.
e, ~ Hon. Isaac Parish frrmerly Lnc