New Orleans daily crescent., 1857-11-23

y DETECTION OF MURDER COMMITTED FIVE YEARS
tAGo.-In 1862, a man living in Murderkill Hundred
Kent county. named Joseph Downham, relates the
Delaware Gazette entered security for the appearance
at court of negro. Court time rolled round but
the negro did not appear. Downham was heard by
several persons to say, very significantly be would
fetch him.. In a day or two Downham appeared in
court and exhibited hat with hole in IT, alleging
that he had gone after the negro and that he fred
load Of shot through his Downhams) hat and made
his escape and had gone of. This story was credited
and nothing more was heard Of the negro. Down.
hams security was not exacted but short time after
this occurrence he left Delaware and has since been
living in the State Of Indiana. go
A gentleman from Delaware, named Carter, during
the last summer visited Indiana. In conversation
with gentleman in that State, be was told that
lDownham on one occasion, when drunk, while talking
about Delaware, was asked why he left there. In
reply he said he got into scrape and had to leave
When asked what sort of scrape, he said it was
only killing id negro. These remarks were
treated as the ebultions of drunken man, and Mr..
Carter replied that he never heard ANYTHING about
the affair. But when he returned to Delaware, be
told this story to several persons finally it reached
the ears of Robert W. Reynolds, ESQ., the Register of
Kent county. S2 ''F a5'as ar
This gentleman related it to Attorney. General
Fisher, who summoned Mr.. Carter The latter gen
teman could give no further information. A white
man. who lived with Downham in 1852 named An
drews or Anderson, was then formally summoned be.
fore the grand jury in Kent county court at the late
in substance, the following statement
In 1852 he and negro named Pompey worked
for Downham. One morning he told them to 20 into
a wood to chop. Downham passed to the other side
Of the woods with gum about mile distant. When
he returned he said to Andrews that he had shot q
rabbit. The manner of the expression created sus
picon, as he had said he would shoot the negro who
had refused to appear at court. That night he told
Anderson and Pompey to get their shoyes, he had
job for them He led them across the woods to the
thndv of ha tn boIo ND
bury the body, and threatened to kill them both if
they dvulged the secret. The body was dragged
about thirty yards and was buried. Downham sub
sequently left the State, and Anderson and Pompey
have been fearful of their lives ever since.
The Attorney General, accompanied by Hon. J. P.
Comegys and number of others, proceeded to the
place designated and had the remains of the negro
man disinterred on Wednesday last for the purpose
the shot was distinct in the skeleton. Downham
was the owner of large tract of land in Kent county
part of which, we believe, he still holds, and has
several relatives living in that section -s
MAMMOTH FRu1r.-In late California paper we
find the following:
By far the most wonderful vegetable productions
which have ever fallen under our observation are
three mammoth squashes, which exhibit their obese
figures on table at the Mechanics Fair. These all
grew on single vine in Alameda and, together with
one not picked, weigh eight hundred pounds. The
largest Of the family weighs less than two hundred
and thirty-nine pounds and measures eleUen feet in
circumference. In the valley formed by these noun
tain monsters are cabbage weighing seventy.two
pounds and beet which weighs eghty.five pounds.
But the tables laden with fruit form the most attract.
i've feature. The apples, peaches, grapes and pears
splendid. There is apple over five inches in
diameter, and five peaches over three and quarter
inches through but the merit of these fruits con.
ssts rather in their delicate ullness and beauty of
color than in their sze Luscious lunches of the white
grape from the Alameda gardens of I. Hutchinson,
call forth rapurous exclamatons from the spectator.
exhibited in this State The she'll mound nurseries Of
Alameda furnish pear measuring sixteen inches
in circumference, and weighing twenty-six ounces.
Thomas Fallen, San Jose, has number Of Duchesse
d'Angoueme pears of incredible dimensions, and
weighing not less than twenty-eight ounces. The
fruit on the table can safely challenge the world in
size, beauty and flavor.