The Van Buren press., 1871-02-07
THE EXECUTION
Jsrdon Grinder Tot killing Robert Mon
Makes a Confession duplicating
Ellen Anthony.

session at the time, a bill was found and trial.
conviction and sentence had within ten days
after the murder was committed. The evil
dehce was all circuiiistantial, but SO strong
that no doubt was left on the minds Of the
Jury of the guilt of the prisoner.
THg DAT BEFORE THE EXECUTION.
| I'VE would mention here that both of the
men We're negroes and the two women, white.
| And that the confession made was brought
out more fully by interrogatoriss, particular
| ly the implication Of the white woman, who
the prisoner reluctantly made an accessUfy j
In company with the Rev. Mr.. Rutherford,
the spiritual adviser and counselor Of the
condemned man. we on Thursday called at the
prison, and through the courtesy of the Ofli-
GERS and Jailors, had all interview with Jer-
don Grinder.
MS APPEARANCE.
We found him In good spirits, although at
times deeply depressed and iearfully rcaliz-
ing the momenious struggle he was soon 10
pass through lie has good open countc-
nance--nothng malicious and iiendsh in his
looks-short thick neck, stout bult-4ahd
showed no indications Of wasting away from
anxiety or confinement.
| FAMILY CONNECTIONS.
| His father Jerry Grinder, was q slave of
William Grinder of Harrison County, Texas.
Father is dead but has mother sisters and
brothers, living near sherman Texas. ltwas
a rumor that he had broken Jail at Sherman
when he came here; but he says that was not
so, he was never In q Jail before he entered
the one here. lie left Harrison County, Tex.
near the lst of July 1869, and went to Sher-
man, and from there to Van Buren,, arrivA
ing here about the last of July. Went to
work, right away, for Sam Crawley "a negro
man on the Hollis Farm, and continued
there until the time of arrest.
| BAD COMPANY
| 1t seems that Dick Turner n negro man.
who was working land adjoining the Hollis
Farm, had employed picking cotton, two OF
three white women of disreputable character
Munroc, the man killed, who was also, at
work tor Turner, was cohabiting with one
of them by the name of Ellen Anthony.
Jcrdon Grinder and several other black
men were In the habit of congregating oi
nights at the cabin occupied by these wo-
men playing cards, and frolicking, which ex-
cited the jealous passions of Munron, and
showed itself on all occasions when negro
men were present and more particularly to
Grinder, who he threatened if he did not keep
away from there he would do him harm--at
one time driving him out the house with an
axe, threatening to split his head open.
CONFESSION OF GRINDER.
The night before the murder, was at the
cabin, where the white women were staying
In company with several negro men, Munroe
among theni--had two decks of cards and
were playing. While playing cards, Ellen
Anthony was sitting right back of me and
we had conversation. She was tired as well
rs afraid Of Munroc and wanted him out OF
the way, and said "if was any kind of a
gentleman would knock him on the head. =
Told her would come back and scare him
and she said, "if am asleep when you come
back, you must manage to awake mej" and
I told her would-not saying how. think
she wanted me to scare Munroc so that he
would go Off and leave her, Left tie cabin
between 10 and II o'clock, in company
with Henry French and John Rich, went back
to Sam Crawley's where we were all stay ing
l had no pistol, but told Rich, after we got
home that wanted the one had, which he
handed me and hung itup over my bed and
we all laid down to sleep. | lay until about
two hours before day, "thc chickens were
growing" when got up and took down the
pistol and started for the cabin where the
murder was committed. No one at Crawley's
knew of my intentions, or to my knowledge
that had left there. They had no cogniz-
ance Of the killing, by intimation or other
wise--no one but myself and Ellen Anthony
turned to the house after leaving with Rich
and French.
THE SCENE OF MURDER.
1t was about fifteen minutes walk from,
Crawlcy's to where Munroe and the women
were. After getting to the cabia, | walked
all about 1t to see how every thing was, and
then went to the door and gave it slight
shake to awaken Ellen Anthony, as had
promised, which it did, without disturbing
any one else in the room. | then moved off
short distance round the corner of the cab
In. She got up and came out of the door to
the corner of the cabin some fifteen or twen-
ty feet from where l stood and saw me.
Did not speak to her, nor she to me--but
knew her and think she knew me-when she
went back IN to the house and made up n
large blazing fire, so that could see through
the cliylces, clearly all over the room-she
then took a blanket and laid down before the
fire. Ipulled out the mortar between the
logs on the side opposite to where Munroe
lay asleep, and put my pistol in the opening
and fred, and then Immediately left for Sam
| Crawley's and went back to bed without any
one there knowing, to my knowledge, that
had been away.
Munroe was shot through the chest and l!y-
cd but fifteen or twenty minutes.
DID NOT GO TO KILL.
With the fearful thought that am soon to
appear before the bar Of God, do most SOL
emnly say that did not have any intention