, 1870-05-13
HOMICIDE NEAR VENICE, Ill.
A Young Man Found Dend, With n
bullet Hole In 1liY Brcast-lN it a
Murder 1-Thc Slayer appears and
Tells Els Story-Statetnent of the
DeCeslAeS1sK Mother.

A Young man Found Dend. With n
bullet Hole In 1liy Brcast-ls it a
Murder 9-Thc Slayer appears and
Tells Els Story-Statetnent of the
DeccsRsed's 1IDthcF.
From tie St Louss Democrat, May11.
At about o'clock last Sunday afternoon,
somo persons WHO we're passing along the
Alton road, about four miles from Venice,
near the edge of Zig Lake, discovered lying
there the dead body Of young man Of about
II years. On examination, bullet hole was
found in the left breast The parties went
into Veu1ce and notified Justice Henry Robin
son, who Immediately ordered the Constable to
summon Jury for the purpose OF holding m
inquest.
The jury found that the body was that OF
Andrew Smith, who liyed with his parents in
Brooklyn, the next Village south Of Venice,
and moth Of East st. Louis. Also, that lie
came to his death from pistol or gun shot,
fired by some person unkno"n to the jury;
On tho pesson Of tho deceased was belt and
empty pistol-hotster- case for revolver, but
no money or other valuab1es-
On Monday, young maa who lives about
ten miles from Venice, ut his mothers farm,
BY the uaruo Of Dc Lafayette Van Yolkenberg,
SELF up as tho person who had killed Smith.
We will here ntato that tho deceased WIS d
colo1ed boy, aud tha latter Z white boy Of Ger
man deecent- Yesterday Volkenberg made the
following statement to our reporter in the
presence Of Justice Robinson !:
i lett mothers farm to so down to Hilton
firm, On the Alton road, near the edge Of Big
Lake, to SEQ q young man who works there.
Not finding the folks At home, walked down
to the edge Of the lake. 4 few minutes after
saw the colored boy, Smith, coming. toward
mo with .d1awn revolver IN Ills
hand. As he approached, he 81 sid, H. !
Esa no money, when he snapped the revolver at
me, within a lew feet cf my heart, ] seized hold
Of him, pulled tho revolver ont Of his hand,
and then he cainchoh In the struggle man
aged to get the butt end OF the rerolver il MY
Vo1kcnbeig sare up Tie pistol, and il Was
Yesterday identified by tic mother Of Smith IS
thc one belonging to the deceased. The pistol
shows one nipple with half exploded pescus-
be1, anathe next chamber Of tho pistol empty
the other three chambers still loaded.
Tho mother Of Smith, who lives in BrQpk-
1yr, savB that her husband ia I river man, and
left for New Ot1eans last Wednesday. That on
Sunday herdeceased son talked OF going down
hc went he hAd better 50 ont to his uncles,
William Jackson, and get his pistol. which ho
had loaned to his cousin, Andren Jaekson. Thst
che wanted some money, aud told him he must
leave her some belore he went away.
that he hud five dollars in his pocket when be
lett, and TOOK new razor with hlm7 winch ne
thought be could sell to his uncle for two dol
lars, hut she has since been told the unelo did
not buy the razor thlt when Smith got to his
uncle's bouse he was told that his cousin
! Andrew Jackson waa dead, aud
| that he Vas wanted to go down to Venice tc
| get coffin for him that measure for the
coffin WAS given to him, and the same measure
| WAS found near tho corpse OF Smith when il
we discovered.
Such are the statements Of the principa
parties in the case, aud We leave it to the pub
lie to Judge for themselves rs to whether :
murder has been committed.
| Tho examination OF Van Volkontarg h.
been set for next Saturday, before 3ustirs I.ob
| iEs1u.