The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-04-20

0sARRs1Uu k4AsfEAauH hete1e sss1fencs
I and Unjust sasffclosiss--A Hotel
/ Keeper Ii Renewed from = Dnmngang
|! Charge. ~ ss.555
/ The Cumberland Fe,cs clears MP the Bar
ton mystery in the pleasantest possible man
Iner. 1t says 81. .gsS.Ss ..5
/ A strange combination Of circumstances
has existed during the past four months at
Barton, in this county, giving rise to q vast
deal of comment and mary surnises by the
people Of this region, Us also In other parts OF
the country. A brief and truthful nai1utioii
OF the affair we herewith give:
In the early part Of Inst winter . man about
sixty years of age named Daniel Beall was
employed ass o. laborer at and about the
mines In the vicinity of Barton. Being an
unmarried man he boarded Mt boarding
house near Barton, 81. Morrison's Mill, kept
by John b. Swauger. 1t was generally sup
posed and talked about that Beall had seye-
ral hundred dollars in his possession, which
he always carried about him. He was steady
in his habits, and peaceable and quiet citi-
zen. On the morning Of the 9th Of january
last Beall was missing from his boarding
house. He had retired to his bed on the
night previous as usual, but in the morning
his place was vacant, andno person knew how
orwhen he leftor was taken from the house.
No appearance of the man being made that
day nor the next, inquiries were made as to
his whereabouts, but no person knew any
thing about him later than the evening he
retired to bed in Mr.. Swauger's house. A
week and more having passed and still no
trace discovered of the missing man, the peo-
pie began to entertain suspicion Of foul play,
which gradually strengthened and fastened
on John B. Swauger rs having secretly made
way with the man Beall for the sake Of his
money. At last Swauger was arrested by a
posse of citizens, who charged him with
having murdered BealI; but the arrest
was decided illegal because the body of the
suspected murdered man had not been
described, and consequently Swauger was
released, but q strict watch was kept
upon all his actions. Mr.. Swauger most
Indignantly denied the charge, and de-
manded Of his accusers some proof before
charging him with so heinous a crime as
murder. But the imputation Of the crime
rested upon Mr.. SWauger to the great trou-
bic and regret of himself and family, the lat
ter maintaining with him his entire inno-
cence of the crime. In the mean time the
public mind was "convinced that q murder
had been committed, and that Mr.. Swauger
knew more about it than he chose to tell"
Search was made in all directions in the
neishborhood Of Swaugers house for the
body Of the missing man. The creek was
dragged: the water was withdrawn
from the mill-dam; the stable flooring
was removed; the woods were searched !;
rocks removed; every spot OF freshly
dug earth eXaminod-.but still no
trace of the body could be found. At last
the manure-pile at the stable was removed,
when mans shirt and pants were found,
"stained with blood" as it was thought, but
an examination made by persons who knew
what blood stains were pronounced the dis
coloration upon the clothes to be from the
ammonia and other substances in the manure
heap. After weeks of searching had elapsed,
and every place examined wherein it was
supposed the body of 4 man could be hid,
the frntless task was abandoned and SWau-
ger left alone to his "guity conscience" as
most people supposed.
The charge of this dreadful crime was
CALLING to Mr.. Swaugcr. 1t was notifying
to his honor and uprightneSs; it was an
injury to his business. BoartlerS left his
house, people seemed to shun him, and the
matter was hamssing in the extreme. Mr..
Swauger, believing that the man was alive,
determined to find him out, and sought
every means to do so. A few days since,
learning that a man not more than twenty
miles distant, at Messrs. Vests Saw-mill, an
swcrcd the description of the missing man,
and that he was also called Beall, Mr.. Swau-
ger Immediately took the cars and went to
that locality.
Approaching the mill, judge Of his agreea-
bic emotions on seeing the veritable Daniel
Beall quietly ut work, all unconscious Of the
trouble and anxiety felt rs to his whereabouts.
Upon informing Bcall of the nature of the
affair, and his supposed murder, he promptly
agreed to return with Mr.. Swauger to Bar.
ton and show the people that he twas still III
the land of the living" well and hearty.
We had the satisfaction of meeting Mr.
Bcall in this city on Tuesday and hearing
from him that he had quietly left the house
of his own accord on the night he was miss
ing, and walked over the mountain to Vests
mill, where he has been steadily at work ever
since. He assigns as a cause for leaving
some dissatisfaction with other boarders in
the house, and he thought lie would leave
them, and SO quietly and suddenly left the
premises. OF course Mr.. Swa,lger is re
joiced to so successfully clear himself of the
heinous charge, and reeStabish his former
good name and standing.
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