Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-05-07
s,tf - b, riss% 50 eiehlfnea 2 6
Terrible Murder at GOSpOrt.
Murderer Arrested-aTheS stolen mOsey
Enund In His asnsae..innn-Inla la cnrIa :.

4 n ed With, the VLctim,s blood - The
~ Murderer TO be Hung by.amOb.s sns4
ssu From the New Albany Ledger. May al
81 In the Ledger of yesterday we gave what
we believed to be the true theory of the
eG0sport murder. crime that has fiproba-
5 bly, caused more intense. and, general ex-
scitement than. any ever committed in
Southern Indiana. Revelations and deyel-
opments made since prove that our theory
was right both in regard to the manner Of
the killing, the object, and that it was done
by some one residing in Gosport and well.
acquainted with the murdered man and
the business of the railroad company at
that station-particularly being posted as
ito the times when the murdered agent had
q the largest sums ofPmoney7 on hand,i and
y when he made his remittances- to the off,
Gers OF, the company in this city. ICES sas
The Coroner's inquisition held upon the
body of Mr.. Johns, yesterday, was most
searching one, and through The experience
and skill of Marshal Thomas Akers, of this
city, the Jury discovered facts and circum'
stances which left no doubt In their minds
that the murderer was citizen Of Gosport,
named Willis McMinimy. They so render
ed their verdict, and Mel Minimy was last
night arrested by Marshal 'Akers. o39
We received the Following dispatch this
mornings1e 1sla0ase4 sat 51 ,gi. 7ea ~ % /.
GosPoRT, May 80 A. M.-The money
stolen from the railroad office at Gosport,
{ and the clothes of Willis McMinimy, the
murderer, were found buried under an ash
hopper In Minimy,s yard. The money
and clothes were covered with blood
: The excitement is increasing, and it is
feared the citizens will hang him before
night. McMinfmy is aresident of Gosport,
and has been assisting Johns in handling
freight and collecting freight bills. His
wife says he did not come home until ten
o'clock on the night of the murder, and
lett about five o'clock in the morning for
Quincy. @Fi-' ~ lsssg99 aosIa3
~ McMinimy, the murderer, for there is no
longer the slightest doubt of his guilt. is
man of bad reputation. He is generally
known about Gosport as a s.hard case" dis
/, sipated and reckless in his habits and con-
duct. After his arrest he was most secure
ly guarded so as to, prevent the possibility
of escape. In answer to the questions put
to him in regard to his whereabouts on the
night of the murder, he gave very contra
dictory and unsatisfactory answers. His
wife, who was also closely questioned, did
the same thing. This only tended the more
certainly to fix the suspicion of his guilt.
But these circumstances were not all.
Marshal Akers made a most thorough
q search of McMinimy's premises, and upon
them he found the amount of money that
had been stolen from the railroad Office
after the murder of Johns. The money cor
responded in amount to the sum stolen, and
what was still stronger evidence that it was
stained with blood. This money was found
by Marshal Akers last night. 1888 -
-aia This forenoon Marshal Akers continued
. his Investigations, which resulted in the
finding of suit of clothes, or part of a
suit, belonging to McMinimy and identified
as his. The clothes were covered with
blood. When this fact became known the
excitement of the people was heightened
to the utmost intensity. 1t was only by
the officers telling them that they hoped
to induce the murderer to reveal the name
of his accomplice that the excited citizens
were kept from seizing the criminal and
. hanging him without further ceremony.
Ia While writing the above we received the
following special dispatch from Gosport:
GosPoRT, Nav 3-10 A. M.-They will
surely hang McMinimy this afternoon.
The excitement is terrible. There is an
? other man implicated. srre,r- ssesy.I
5ss On making ginquiry of the telegraph oper-
0 ator at Gesport why he thought the muir
derer would be lynched, he answered as
~ GosPoRF,, May 3, il A. ,M.-Eyerythin G
goes to show they will hang him. They
"a have found, his clothes, and they are all
covered with blood. They have also found
the money. He is contradicting himself
and all that his wife says. She has also
contradieted Ahefselt.l The people aHisay
hang him. ard some say even worse. haao
seiiF FSigned 5esi5 z-siIC Il ssssy4.st S. M o.. .
sTFie murder was most foul and deliber-
zaterone.a ItMas doubtless premeditated for
several weeks, and all the details perfected
before its commission. Nevertheless, this
does not justify mob law. Let the laws be
enforced by the authorities. When mob
law holds sway no mans life or property is
safe; and every good citizen should set his
face like flint against mobocracy or the in
stitution of mob law where the civil law is
in full force, with the proper officers to ex-
eeate it. We hope Owen county may be
spared the shame of being the scene of an
execution where the, Hictim,, however
guilty, has had no hearing before legally
constituted tribunal. Esafb 70 at.i -
sa .gi1aa9e3 nia9 > 1siTreg 81 ZLHTEE37t 9,
Z, Since the above was written we have re-
ceiyed the following dispatches from Cos
port, the first one from the operator
there, and the second one from Marshal
Akers: 70 T3ITk.Zd zFt&E I'd fsaassa /
-ase GosPoRT,e May 3--1 1880 A. M.AThe pee-
pie are now holdinga' a meeting at the
church. al have no idea What will be the
rpsuitof this meeting. If McMinimy has
anynfriends here they say nothing in his
favor, z.5f -,ts5,.ars.-s "a sf,,rgvpg S. NJ. u.
and indicates that Judge Lynch's court has
been fully organized: -.
.sGosPoRT, May 3-11 :52 A. M.-The trial
will go off between IL M. and p. M, to.
day. A platform is being erected in the
street to try the prisoner on All the bells
in town were tolled for two hours this
| morning. The people are now collecting
! and the excitement is very great. The gen.
aeral opinion is that he sWiilT be- hung this
4oeVening.s Phere is no doubt of his guilt
u No one else is implicated. staB59
| It would seem probable by. the above,
1 and from the bloody condition of the
clothes worn by McMinimy, found to-day
4 that, after striking the first blow upor
T. Johns head, Mr.J. attempted to 1defen(
l1dhimself, and III the encounter that ensueC
8 the murderer was completely stained il
his vietinl's blood. The hand prints upor
i the wall were probably made by both par,
| ties during the struggle. If the murderel
4 had no accomplice he must have had
fierce contest before he succeeded in kill
ing his victim, and securing the money fol
which the murder was committed. 7'Ti
The following dispatch contains the lates
4 information we have received from tn
1 o sceHerof the murder: 8qtFz. cf,sg 8aryas-
i Il GosPoRT, May 3r4-14 p. M.-Mr. W. b
Baird bought. the rope to hang the .mur
tderer. Some are somewhat opposed to it
He will hang sure. The best and most in
f1uential men of the place are tor it.
4 He was formerly ill tue employ of tn
company here; afterwards acted as dray
mau. Every one here regards him as q ba
man and the murderer of Johns. All tn
objection any one has to hanging him j
that it will injure Gosport's good name
Tragedy in Delaware-NIur6I b,
4 a Jealous Husband.
Il IFrom the Washington Del0 Gazette April 2O.I
i About 8 o'clock yesterday morning tn
i neighbors were startled by screams enan
| ating from the house of Mr.. Joseph w
.ofC Il