Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1852-06-10
From the Maysville Eagle, May 2S
Wanderers Convicted.


in Greenup county, Ky. These deeds
were perpetrated by band Of des.
peradces, four in number, three OF
them named Clarke and one named
Hood. They BACKED their faces,
and far in the night proceeded to the
premises Of their victims. Going
into the poultry house, they set the
hens to squalling, by which trick Mr..
and Mrs. Brewer were enticed out
Of the house. Mrs. B. went out first,
in her night gown, to protect her
chickens from the fangs, as she doubts
less thought, OF wild beasts OF prey,
little dreaming that they were prow-
ling in the human form, and that
herself and husband were the objects
Of their bloody hunt. Mr.. B. follow
ed Immediately and both were set
upon and beaten TO death with hea-
Wy clubs-he being killed outright
and she left for dead, though she lin~
gered insensible and speechless till
next morning. Their poor little chill
dren, five in number, the eldest but
eleven years old, unconscious of the
horrid tragedy by which they were
plunged into the miseries and sor-
rows Of orphanage, slept undisturbed
till morning, when, missing their pa
rents, they wandered to the houses
of the neighbors in search OF them.
This awakened suspicion and alarm,
and soon the PEOPLE of the country
round about were reused. The first
party arriving at the house, found
the PROSTATE bodies, where the assaS-
sins left them, the husband dead and
stiff, the wife only exhibiting signs Of
life by an involuntary contraction OF
her lower limbs. At III o'clock that
morning, her sufferings ended with
her life.
Antecedent circumstances fur
nished ground Of suspicion that John
Collins, a near neighbor of Brewer,
was the ins!igaior if not the actor Of
the tragedy. A chain Of circumstan-
ces, slight indeed in their origin, but
corrobora.ed and strengthened until
they amounted 10 proofs, clear and
conclusive, fixed the eye and the
hand of justice on Collins and his ac-
completes.
To make a brief story Of the evil
dence, Collins, purely out of malice,
had induced The three Clarks and
Hood, by threats and bribes, to un-
dertake the murder. One OF the
Clarks was a son-in-law Of Collins
Two OF the Clarks were brothers, the
third a cousin, and Hood we believe
a relative. One of the Clarks and
Hood are lads about II years Of age.
These four were the parties actually
engaged in the murders. the malig-
nant but cowardly Collins, the plan
ner Of the wicked conspiracy, pur-
posely remaining at home because he
foresaw he would be charged with
the murder. A part OF the scheme,
designed to provide for Collins secu-
rity, was that the young men should
leave their hats with Collins, which
would make it necessary for them to
return TO his house, and by this they
would be able 10 testify that Collins
was at home on the night OF the mur-
der. The plot did not probably con.
template that suspicion would light
on the young men.
Collins and his four accomplices
were indicted; and he and Turner
Clarke, the one who welded the
murderous club, were tried before
the Greenup Circuit Court last week.
These two were convicted OF muir
der and sentenced to be hung on the
25th OF June next. There was not
time to try the other three before
the term OF the Court expired,
and they will remain in Jail, iroDed
and guarded, till the next term.
The circumstances establishing the
conspiracy between Collins and the
four young men were so convincing
that we understand eaca Of them
Except Collins separately made iull
confession, even before the trial.
A narrative of the evidence in this
case, would furnish a chapter Of
circumstantial evidence perhaps as
marvellous, but at the same time
clear and conclusive, as ever was
detailed. The very plot oI the con-
spirators, designed to hide their
crime, served to develop their guilt.
1t was a fine illustration Of that re-
markable passage where Shakespeare
makes Hamlet congratulate himself
on the contrivance o! the play by
which he expected to expose the
"occuIted guilt" OF the King in one
scene Of il:
81 have heard,
That guilty creatures, sitting at play,
Have by the very cunning Of the scene,
Been struck so tn the soul, that presently
They have proclaimed their malefactions;
For murder, though II hare no tongue, nil speak
Hih most miraculous organ"