The Van Buren press., 1875-08-24
The White River Murder.

AE W HilC AhifCi
From Squire Jack Bland, the magis-
trate before whom the case was tried, we
get the following particulars of this hor-
rible crime The murdered man, Colum
bus Hancock, the murderer, Z. {. Ham
mond, and the woman Samantha Stout,
arrived at Hoyt's in this county, OIL Mon.
day, ID August, and stayed til the fol-
lowing Wednesday. The mules of the
travellers were in Hoyt's pasture, in
hollow between Van Wrinkles mill and
Hoyts house. About s O'Clock Hoyt
left for the mill, which is nearly three
miles from the scene of the murder, and
four miles from Hoyt's house. From
the evidende, it appeared that he arrived
at the mill about II O'Clock in the fore
noon Soon after Hoyt left for the mill,
Hancock and Hammond left the house,
going in direction Of the pasture. About
an hour and half after leaving, Ham
mond returned very much excited, with
blood on his face, and on one of the
mules. Hastily saddlng the mules, the
woman got on one and he on the other
and rode Off Mrs. Hoyt was very much
alarmed, and did not say anything during
| this proceeding AS soon, however, as
| they had gone, she started for Uncle Jack
Reynolds, and told him she believed a
murder had been committed When this
news was made known, the men of the
neghborhood turned out to hunt for the
body of Hancock, but did not find it. As
soon as Mr.. Van Winkle learned of the
murder, he shut down his mill, and sent
his men out, mounted on his mules, to
prosecute the search for the body.
Squire Bland becoming satisfied that
there was something wrong, issued a
warrant for the arrest of Hammond and
the woman, and put it i'll Constable j.
Gabrlels hands, who, accompanied by
Maj. Jack Steele and three other men,
soon got ON track of the tugitives, six
hours behind them. They followed them
into Carroll, and at Kings river, six miles
this side OF Berryville were within twcn-
ty minutes Of them. 1t being dark,s q
or o clock Thursday mofning), the
posse concluded they would lay over,
and not run on them till it was light, as
the man might escape to the woods
Starting about day, they captured Ham
mond and the woman three miles the
other side Of Berryviile on the Jasper
road, and brought them back, getting to
Jack Bland's between sundown and dark
Thursday evening While the chase was
going on, parties had continued the
search for the corpse, but it had not been
found. On Friday about noon, however,
the body was discovered a half mile
above the pasture, where, from the indi-
| cations, it had been probably carried on
the back ola mule. The body was
thrown down near hole that had been
washed out during the high water, Ham.
mond stating afterward that that was the
place selected to bury it, but that they
had been disturbed by one OF Van Wink
les teams hauling out logs On Friday
before the body was found a warrant
was issued for Iioyt's arrest, but after is
suing the wa rant Squire Bland suggest.
ed to the constable that it would be ad.
ylsable not to arrest Hoyt tor day or
two, but to keep his eye on him, and not
let him get pway, to see how he acted.
On Sunday morning Hammond made a
confession, stating that he had assisted
I4loyt in committing the murder, that the
woman had promised to give IIoyt seven
hundred dollars If he would make way
with Hancock, aud that he (IIammond J
| had been forced into his share of,the
crime by Hoyt. Hoyt was then arrested.
/, re stoutly denies his guilt, but does not
accuu2t for the two or three hours spent
between is hease and Van Winkle 5
(four miles) except by saying he had .
slow mule. Hoyt us bad reputation
suspicion being entertained ~ his neigh
bors that he killed and made Wa" with
man couple Of years ago The ,1en
Hancock and Hammond, and the woman
with them belonged to a gaifg of horse
thieves who have their headquarters in
CiarksvllIc, johnson county. The sher
i'll Of Johnson arrived during the trial
and took possession of the mules as hav-
ing been stolen Hammond, Hoyt and
the woman Stout all have been commit
ted to stand their trial, and are all now
! hare i'm iail - BentOUtiye tdrnnce