The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-05-23

| In value 10 -. 0V 70 JOnnsOu. III Pay
ment johnson rendered two
REMARKABLY TORN FIVE DOLLAR BILLS,
and the cash having been taken from
the till by Mr.. Sims, the proprietor oi
the store, the clerk, Sims brother, gave
johnson fifty cents out of his own
pocket in change. The two five dollar
bills he then placed in the till, johnson
left the store and the clerk retired. On
the following morning Mr.. Sims, the
proprietor, discovering two hive dollar
bills in the drawer which were not there
late the night previous, asked his brother
where they came from. The latter In
formed him in detail Of the circum'
stances attending the sales he made the
previous night to the negro. Mr. Sims
listened attentively, and then remarked
1T would be we'll to take care OF this
money, as have just heard
OF A MURDER
that occurred night before last on the
line Of the railroad" Acting on this
simple suggestion the two five dollar
bills were labelled and placed carefully
awav for future reference. Meantime
the news of the murder had reached
Staunton, Va, and Captain Crone, a
former Richmond police officer, was
employed to ferret out the murderer.
With systematic and professional skill,
which would do credit to most Of your
New York detectives, this bloodhound
of the law went to work and etfectually
worked up" the whole case, taking as
a clue the two five dollar bills, and COM
bining every circumstance, however
trivial in its nature, until he had a COM
plete chain of the guilt ofthe murderer
After leaving Lewisburg on that night
(the 18th of October) johnson walked
to the White Sulphur Springs, where he
arrived the following morning at four
O clock, ip time to take the train going
east, and he arrived at Staunton, Na.,
on the Goth, the then home Of
HIS MURDERED VICTIM.
There he remained until the remains
on Nr. Hunter were taken home for in
termenr but with the corpse came its
avenger in the person Of Captain Crone,
who at once arrested Johnston and
placed him in Jail to await requisltlon
from the West Virginia authorities.
This was made on the 9TH of February,
1871, by Governor Stevenson, and John
son was taken to the Jail here.
his TRIAL
took place at the March term Of the
Circuit Court, and evidence was adduc.
ed in accordance with the above nara.
ton, though in more complete and
convincing form. Ten days before the
trial, however, Johnson made full
confession ofthe bloody deed. He said
he had been visited by spirit which
had threatened him with
PERPETUAL UNREST
if he did not reveal all the clroamstan-
ces of the murder, and that believing
it was better for his souls good
he had made up his mind to do it.
Judge McWhorter sentenced him TO be
executed, concluding an impressive ad-
dress on the occasion with the solemn
words, "And may the Lord have mercy
on your soul" Governor Jacobs, as
the law OF thus State requires, issued
his warrant for the execution, designa-
ting to-day and specifying between the
hours of ten and two as the time the
scaffolds tragedy should take place.
THE PRISONER IN HIS CELL.
This morning, in company with the
TAILOR, / visited the condemned man in
his cell. He was lying stretched on an
ordinary cottage bedstead, beneath a
pair of blankets and counterpane.
There was something OF startled look
in his heavy black eyes, and the mus
ces Of his face twitched nervously as
the bolts of the door were withdrawn.
When we entered at first he refused to
sneak, but when the jailor announced
me as the representative Of the Herald
Buck became quite communicative, and
the following conversation ensued:
CoRREsPoYDENT-Well, Buck, ! hope
YOU are prepared to meet your fate.
BuCK-Oh, yes; suppose they are
bound to kill me.
CoGREsPoNDESr-But you acknowl-
edge your sentence to be just?
BucK-Yes; they all tried to kill me
round here. Every man in town went
for me and tried to shoot me.
CoRREsPoyDESr-Why did they do
that?
BrcK-The Sheriff himself ran away
80 that others could shoot me, and Mr..
Hunter (brother OF the murdered man
tried his best to shoot me when was
taken TO the Court House TO be tried.
CoRREsPoSDNT-IIunter did not shoot
at you?
BUCK-No, sab; cause ne didn't get
a chance.
CoRREsPoSDESr-You know you
alone are responsible for your crimes?
BuCK-No sab; | belonged to white
man before and during the war. After
the war | was made free, and then Pres
ident Lincoln and President Grant be-
came responsible for me. On them rests
the responsibility of this charge. If |
killed that man ] knew no better, and
they are to blame.
CoRREsPoyDEYT-That is a mistake,
Buck; you would have met with the
same punishment as slave for murder.
BCCK-No, sab; if had been a slave
this never would have happened: | was
in the Confederate army until the sur
render; but it would have been the
same if was in the Yankee army.
A NEW, coLoRED VIEW OF EMANCIPATION.
CoRREsPoyDESr- Well, don't you
think freedom was q blessing 10 the
colored people?
BuCK-No, sab; they had better been
slaves all their lives. They are not
able to protect themselves. The white
people have no use for them since they
became free, and they arrest them and
Il