The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-09-30
[Fro;n the Columbus Gakette.l -
CONFESSION OF JONES, THE MUIR.
DERER OF CYRUS BEEBE.

Through the kindaess Of Sheriff Min Ell
we were permitted, on Monday last to
hold an interview with the prisoner,
Jones, who is held in confinement for
bis appearance At court under charge
of murder in the first degree We
found him sitting upon his bed in his
narrow cell, hobbled with heavy irons,
aud as the grated door was thrown open,
he invited us very politely to take a seat
beside his. He is a very good looking
man, apparently about twenty Eve al
though be says he is thirty-two years Of
age. His eyes are keen apd piercing,
aud his countehancs indicates that of q
daring, reckless, jovial sort Of fellow.
He is about five feet eight or ten inches
high, well proportioned, and wiry and
quick 10 ell his movemt nts. He told
US at once that he had no concealments
to make rs to the shooting of Beeb";
that, when the officers came to arrest
him ut tae tavern, they commenced
shooting at him as he ran duwn the stairs,
aud that, as shooting was the game, he
concluded he might as well take q hand
in it aud shoot also. He did shoot, and
supposes that he killed Beebe. He says
that after that he ran for the swamp,
two miles on the west side of the river,
and laid there all day, and heard the
hundreds of pursuers after him some,
times SO close as to be within q few feet
of his hiding place. He said he knew
that death would have been his portion
had he have been discovered, and made
up his mind while in that dangerous
situation to take his own life rather than
fall into the hands of his enraged pur.
suers. Since that time he says he has led
hard life in the Pineries of Wisconsin,
engaged in chopping, dressing aud raft.
ing lumber. Hew he happened to fall
into the snare set for him by the detec-
sives who captured him, he says is more
than be knows. Why he confessed to
them that he killed Beebs was mys-
terry that he could not unravel, and at
times he can scarcely believe that be
was ever fool enough to lodge iuforma-
tion against himself He says hs took
a SOLEMN oath that he would never re-
veal the dreadful secret, and yet, in the
face of day, aud for no reason under
heaven that he knows of, he voluntarily
aud Of his own accord, disclosed it. He
uoN 0AtCu uCeIo NAV tAuIu0E COutu aCV
er be hidden, and from his own expert
ence he felt satisfied that such was the
fact. He said that somehow, mystcri-
ously aud unaccouutably to him. chain
of evidence had been wound around him
from which he felt it would be impossi-
bio for him to escape. But he had got
himself inte the scrape. aud come what
might be stood ready to pay the penalty.
He had led hard life, been in many a
tight place, and now be was tired of such
way of living, aud would either have .
change, or be did not care about living
at all. What il very singular, he was
never in tho habit of drinking, never
drank gallon of liquor in bis life, for
the best reason in the world, he said,
because to him it was no temptation as
hs did not like the taste of it. Neither
was he much of gam bier. but when it
came to cutting shine, Showing off, or
putting on the extras, a. he said, then
he was counted in. 49, v1Jsl i
Jones lays all his bad conduct and
misfortunes to . false start
in life; and having commenced wrong,
be fslt..impelIed to go on and OF, without
the power of retracing his steps, or shap-
ing bis course differently, 'assi-