Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-03-06
Robbery and Murder-An AtrOcSOus Affair
A Man Murdered by RObbers-1W0 Ne
groes and II White Man the Criminals
xl.,.. EAEf ,usn

On Saturday night, between ten and eleven o'clock,
a young man named Henry Balse was murdered
what is known as the lexington farm, the estate of
the late MIR. Joseph Gales. Coroner Woodward sum
moned jury yesterday to inquire into the nartieq-
lars of the affair. John W. Cord Mrs. j. ". Cord
Jefferson Oxey, James Carney, DR.. ThOs. c. Smith,
and Dr.. Edwards were examined as as witnesses, and
stances were about as follows:
Mr. John W. Cord, dairyman is the tenant of
house on the EckingtSn (oT Gales farm @ near Glen
o'clock he observed two negroes and white man
near his stable, and asked them what they were
doing there. They replied that they were looking
for a COW belonging to Mr.. Brown. Mr.. Cord re,
marked that the hour chosen was q queer one, and
O'Clock, and raped at the door of Mr.. Cords
house, and demanded admission. Mr.. q. refused to
open the door, when the robbers threatened to force
an entrance and upon hs persting in his refusal to
open. they pried the door open with Jimmy. Inc
jimmy found yesterday morning. and 1t had
leather strap fastened to it, indicating that IT was
intended for use as a slung shot well jimmy.
The bbers then entered the house and one OF the
time striking him across the with pistol while
the other negro and white man proceeded to an ad
joining room, and ransacking a chest OF drawers,
MES. Meanwhile, Mr.. Cord, addressing one OF his
children in German. directed her to go for assist
m, child got out of the back door unobserved by
the robN Ners, and went TO the house of Mr.. Qxley
PRSut PaF ras Rb 6H and
tba child informed hem Of what was transpiring at
her fathers house the; started to render hm what
assistance they could. Balls was as aF1Sd WIN oIa
and on the way to the house OF Mr. CoTa ne dis
charged the pistol twice remarking to M nn
the report might frighten the robbers away. Spon
reaching the house Mr. Balse called TO Mi. Cord,
when the latter told him to come in. Base stepped
o The hs !sS e
obeyed. and after the shot had been fired Balse ran
time and running toward the south. Mr.. 0xley
struck at the white robber with stick he past;
and the latter turned and fired two Shots neither OF
The robbers then made their escape and no clue as
to who they were has yet been obtained. The per
search for Mr.. Balse, but failing to find him. they
concluded that he had either followed the robbers
into the city to give the alarm to the police that
he had been slightly wounded and had gone into the
city for relief. At daylight however the search was
and that of Mr. Oxley. When found he still grasped
his pistol in his hand, and on his knees his po-
stion indicating clearly that he had died as he was
attempting to crawl through the fence on his way tG
1 Mr.. Oxieys nn;s having taken an unfrequented
| path was the reason iie was not found during the
| night search.
| An examination showed that the ball of the muir
derer had penetrated the right groin ald cut tne
death must have ensued in about ten minutes aftei
| the infiction of the wound: The jury returned 9
that death resulted from the wound inflicted by ths
| said robber or robbers, who were unknown. A smal
amount of money was found upon the deceased, ano
several hundred dollars were found in his room
| These were turned over to Mr.. James Carney, thu
partner of the deceased. until his friends who arr
supposed to reside in Lancaster Pa shall have beer
notified of the tragic occurrence.
1 Henry Balse. the deceased, was young man abou
nt.vfour or twenty five years of age. He was o
French rentage, and served in some capacity th
| Cr;Tean war Coming to this country, he went t,
ancsster Pennsylvania and enlisted in the Twelfth
regiment Veteran Reserves: At the second battle 0
Bnil Run he was wounded in the hand and sent t
Trinity Hospital, ip his city, and upon the breakin
nitai Il assigned to duty first as hospital commissar
and subsequently hospital steward since MS DIS
charge from the service he has been in buslncs wit
| Mr. Crrney. and has boarded at Mr.. Oxleys. hi
| friends gave him very excellent character, an
| sneak of him in the most exalted terms.
Among his papers were found certificates of meri
among n them one from Dr. Riebard Psncoast, lat
Mr. Raise as a man of honest and upright character
and one deserving of confidence Or: Pancoast. a
well as many other gentlemen. called to see the re
mains s. Of Mr. Balse yesterday and expressed mug
sorrow at his untimey end. There is no clue to th
robbers and murderers. but 1t Is an oid and tru
adage that Murder will out. and the infamous PEI
petrators Of this deed will no doubt yet be brought
justies,- Ngtional Intslhssassr,