Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-08-07
THE MIDDLEsEX MURDER.
A SHOCKING AND CRUEL AFFAIR.
The COrOners Inques -COnclu-
sivc Evidence-The Verde.

sivc Evidence-The Verde.
A deed of atrocious and daring murder,
parallel to any ever committed in Viz
yinia, was enacted in Middlesex county,
Va, on Sunday morning, July Is, 1874,
about O'Clock. A man by the name OF
Ross, living at Parrott's creek, visited
neighbor. about mile off, to breakfast
after which, as the family desired to attend
Sunday schyol, Ross left to return to ms
house on the creek. In passing down
path through an open field, on one size OF
which were thick bushes and underWfOWth,
and about half way to the creek, he was
shot through the heart with nine buckshot,
from gun in the hands OF parties con-
cealed in the bushes. AS Ross Was an un-
married man, and lived entirely to HIM
self in IL small house on piles driven down
in the creek some Aistanc from the snort,
his absence, between the time OF his terri
BILE murder and the fortunate DIS 'oVery Of =.
the dead body, was II remarked
TIE DISCOVERY OF THE BODY.
Tuesday afternoon following the murder
two men coming i'll TIE creek from fSlllns
sd Just on the surface of tie water d hui
man foot. They attem ted to null the
body up 10y the foot, but found that 1T was
to the bottom Of the river. They. then
stuck an oar down in the mud and made
the foot fast so that the. might easily find
the body when they returned. They came
ashore and informed two men, Rufus Fish
Ell and James Wallace (Whose names will
appeal black and eXecrable us our MARIA
tive proceeds), of he discovery of the dead
BODY But these men, instead OF offering
their assistance in getting up the uody, said
or did nothing in the matter.
The next day being coult-day, the par
ties, who had found the body in the river
went to court and reported the fact. In
mediately upon receiving the information,
and hearing that Ross was missing, Nh.
Robert Fl. McKaw, a friend and confident
of Ross, sent for Mr.. Scott, magistrate,
and they, with the assistance OF several
other men, proceed to the creek, and secur-
ing boat, went out to the dead body. At
ter some difficulty they succeeded in getting
it to the surface OF the water. They tow
ed the body in the creek, and placed it in
the house which Ross occupied, statlonlng
two men to guard it until coroner'S IN
quest could be held
THE INTENTION TO DESTROY THE BODY
was clearly shown by the horrible and bru-
tai precautions evident upon its recovery.
The mnrderers for several are proven to
be implicated). in order to cover up al
trace of the body and clue to their crime,
determined to. bury it in the river, so that
the crabs and fish might destroy it. An
inquest was had as speedily as possible,
and one of the party who assisted in bring
ing the body to shore testified as follows:
We found the body in the river Off the
mouth of the creek, anchored with an old
plough-casting and other pieces Of iron
tied around the neck, and q rock weighing
Twenty-Five OF thirty pounds, wrapped and
tied up in piece OF new cotton cloth, fas-
tened to one fnot. The hands were tied
together with q pair OF suspenders and a
mixed flannel shirt, A pair of pants were
tied to the iron around the neck. The ar
tices of clothing found ON the body were
easily identified as those worn by Ross on
the morning of the murder.
CONDITION OF THE BODY WHEN FOUND.
AS the body had been at the bottom of
the river from Sunday night until the
Wednesday evening following, it was in u
state of great putrsfaction; besides, the
crabs had been feeding on it, having eaten
out the eyes, mouth, and nose. The abdo-
men had been cut opOn, SO that the lntes<
tines protruded.
A post norton examination was held by
DR.. W, X. Gatewood, who testified as fol
lows: III viewed the body of John W..
Ross after it was taken from the water
Found nine buckshot wounds, from a
shotgun, Immediately over the region OF
the heart, and one through the left should
en-. These wounds We're sufficient to pro-
duce death. Besides, there were two IN
csons-one on either side OF the abdo-
men-about six inches long. lie could not
have lived more than few moments after
receiving these wounds
THE INQUEST.
Great excitement prevailed throughout
the entire community us soon as the muir
der was discovered. The citizens collected
from far and near, expressing their lndlg-
nation at the committal of so dastardly Il
crime in their midst, and with the full de-
termination to bring the murderers to JUS
tic. A coroner's jury Of twelve men was
empannelled and great many witnesses
summoned The examining and croSA-ex-
amining of wi nesseS has been going on
without intermisSiOn since last Tuesday,
July %. The evidence duplicates several
white men and family of negroes named
Robinson. consisting of three women and
a young negro man about twenty years OF
age Much difficulty was experienced on
the part of the attorney, for the Comm, IL
wealth to arrive at tile truth. But finally,
after being submitted for several days to
rigid cross examination conducted by
Thomas Jones, Esq, ommonWealth'sA At
torney for MiddleseX county, assisted by
Nh. Robert Montague and Brown Evans,
the negro Ben. Robinson revealed the Sc
cret of this awful crime,
BEN. RORINaoN's CONFESSION.
81 made statement yesterday which |
know was entirely wrong. Now | will tell
YOU all about it. l met Mr.. Rufus Fisher
Sunday morning, July 10, at the red gate
at the turn of the road. Nh. Fisher said,
I'VE HAVE PUT ROSS OUT OF THE WAY,
and we want you to help us tonight At
ter full understanding with MI. Fisher
agreed to help him to make way with the
by where Mr.. Ross's body was lying con-
cealed in the bushes. When | got to where
I knew the body was pulled my hat down
Oh the side of my face to prevent me from
seeing it. the body was only few steps
from the PATH and was covered with
bushes. | met Mr.. Fisher and MI. James
Wallace at the red gate at II O'Clock Sun
day night, July 10, according to my agree
ment With Nh: Fisher i'll the morning.
Went from the gate to where the dead
body of Mr.. Ross was.
7 PULLED THE BODY OUT OF THE BUSHES,
tied his hands together with his (Ross's)
tied his feet together with a
piece of rope Mr.. James Wallace and my
self carried the body down to the creek on
II rail, Mr.. Fisher going short distance
ahead of us. In carrying him through the
woods one shirt-sleeve was torn of. We
went all the wap through the woods to the
landing. When we got to the creek with
the body we tied a rope around the neck,
put him in the water, and towed him out
in the river to nine feet deep water. When
we got 'ut in the river Mr.. Fisher fasten-
ed the iron around Mr.. Ross's neck. The
rock was tied up in a piece of new domes-
TIC and fastened to one foot. In going out