Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-07-06
THE A>HBURNE MURDER.
Trial OF the Assassins-Tws OF them Turn

states Evidence.
We have heretofore referred % the terrible
murder Of the HOn. q. W. Ashburne, n Cblum-
bus, Georgia, by a band "a NAKED asszSsIns,
on The night ~ The , IN II last NJ arch also, OF
the subsequent arr->i Of various ciuz-ns OF
MAJ place Tor participating iu Ihe mu der
Some OF them were leading cat kans OF the
place. Seven Of them have since bas.u released
Namely Two brotb-rs, formerly Of Can sinnstL
named MARKS two brothers named Law
renee, and Cash. Grimes And Banlel..
Two have made fnli confession and
apPear as witnesses for the pro>ec utioa
Twelve Others were arraignod on Monday be-
fore military commission in Atlanta, Uia
and each aud all plead not guilty. Thar names
are Elisha j. kirkocey, Columbus a.. Bedsii.
james W. Barber, VIM. A. Duke, Robert IA I'd
son, VIM. ID. Chipley, Ava q. Roper, James
l. Virgins, Robert A. Wood. Heury Harris
Robert w. Blair and Milton MALONE Seven
OF the leading lawyers of GeorciA inclaiinr
Alex. n. stephens and NJ trtin }. Crawford. an
peared fer the deiencal The prosecution IL
conducted by Judge Advocate Brig Gen VIM
Mek.e Dam assisted by Gov. jos. L. Brown
ana MAJOR W. IA Snyth
Special dispatch 10 the CinciEnaii Gts,ge
says:
Ga Tuesday Sergeant Charles Mar,hAu, Of
the United States Army. CoapAny q, I5ta In.
fantry, was ctlled. This was one OF the per-
sons arrested for the murder, and VINO has stnc-
made full confession. NJ had not answered
dorm questions when d visible sens rion
oYsrspread the Court, coun eel and SPECTATOR
In the dearest and most direct manner ha went
on to tell how he was first approached upoa
cey, about three weeks bef0rr the murder, hOU
he lad bern associating with the Democrats
about Columbus, ana made % neheve that The
death OF Ashhnrne Wa necessA- low kirkocey
few days before the al tiT informed hiui Thai
party was made up 10 DO the killing, and told
him 20 BE- ready; how a mask was sent him the
night OF tue murder, with a note tell nc him %
meet the rest At mlnnight; how De went tos
vacant lot near Ashburna's house. meeting
klTsUc-y, henness, Hudsoa. DuA Rsrber
Beoeil, Maione, and cthPrs: row hey n a p-o-
oeedec 20 the house. broke open the doors, and
ma-saCred poor Ashburne, j. al ready 80
we'll known. The witness stated "a stinctty
that although be had mingled with the citizAn.
OF columbus Tor year, and especially the
oCTats, ae knew No cause for thalr animoSi-
~ against Ashburne, except his offensive
politics.
Il. HI. Stephens cress-eNaTuined the witness.
bnt laiird - shake hts testimony in a siugle
particular, indeed, bs rata-r strengthened a.
as IL Was shown that the witness had pre-
kloGsly engaged IN n personal quarrel with
AshbUrne, aud had tareat-n-d TO a til the latter
II no one else did. The examination of Mar
snail occupied the whole OF Tuesday Oa
wednesday the cross-examinatOn was resumed
ana conducted As ably As might be expected by
Mr. Stepb-ES, but after carefully examining
the Questions and answers n Is difficult % -.
that the slightest Impression was made. A
strong Hort was made 90 show tb It the witness
had been improperly unframed 10 t-stafy a. M
dad but IL reveaisd only the IA Z thu M,uner
u e. Whitley, The able detective. who has 30
emciently worked mp the case, promised Mar
shall protection ~ he would confess At tue
same time, according 70 the witness, Whitley
expressly charged him not to implicste any in
nocent person.
The next witness examined was George r
Belts. lie was q citizsn OF Columbus ana
raised there. He also was one OF the ptrty that
killed Ashburne. and haa also made a full
confession. As be went on TO confirm Ia al
most every particular, the statements Of the
first witness, the astonishment in court WA
even greater than before He gave as his reason
for insisting 20 Kill Ashburn-, that be- thought
be was tyrant, and ought 70 be put DOT of the
way, but the Immediate ind ncesnent was hfty
or hundred dollars offered him by Kirkoc-y
In Betts' case as IN Marshall's, the cross-ex-
animation failed % shake the testimony
Alex. Gordon m nett was next called 70 the
stand. This is the man who stood behind tas
door OF the room IN which Ashburne WAS
killed and saw the whole Transaction. He
related all the circu mstances of the murdar
with mucn minuteness, and identified nunr
and Barber certainly. He said he gave different
testimony sc the coroner's inc nest, because hs
knew the hukiux would surely xiii HIM n he
toid the truth. Benefits testimony was vrrv
interesting, and occupied all day THURSDAY
IL rs but fair TO say that the TESTIMONY, 50 far
does not bear heavily against OniplNy. Both
Belts and Msrshall say they think ne was in
the crowd Of asss.ssIns, but neither csu say that
be certanly was.
~New York has received nearly Ia0epo
Unrnns a. ara H..