The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-06-26
MURDER WILL OUT
Arrest 0f A well.Known cairo
Barber,
For a Murder Committed in Arkansas in
December Last.


Considerable excitement was oc-
casioned in the city on Sunday last by
the arrest, by Chief OF Police Charlie
AFTER, and w. b, Harkins, city marshall
of Oceola, Arkansas, OF Riley Covington
proprietor OF the barber shop on Eighth
street near Washington avenue. Hear
ing Of the arrest OF Covington we went
in search of Mr., lIarkins with the view OF
ascertaining II possible the nature OF the
crime charged against Covington. Mr..
Harkins and Chief AFTER were found
together, and from the former we learned
all the facts concerning the case in Mr..
Harkins' possession. Covington is
CHARGED WITH MURDER
The particulars Mr. Harkins detailed
to us about as follows: In Novem-
Der last Covington was living
In Mississippi county. Arkan-
sas. During his residence there
he became acquainted with a colored
man named Shackleioot, cotton picker.
Sometime in November Shacklefoot and
Covington left Craighead Point, place
on the Mississippi river near Oceola, to-
gether. For sometime neither OF them
was seen, until three or four weeks after
CovING ron WENT BACK,
and had in his possession Shackletoot's
coat, hat and watch. When
asked what had become of Shackletoot
Covington said he had gone TO New
Orleans. Though Covington's conduct
was suspicious, and there were those
who believed that Shacklefoot had been
ioully dealt with, nothing was done to
ferret out the facts as TO his whereabouts
or his fate. Covington next made the
acquaintance OF a colored man named
Wilkinson,
A DEALER IN FuRS,
and travelled with him on
his trip through the country buying
furs from colored men. In December
last, while on one OF their trips, Coving-
ton called at the residence OF a Mr. Bag.
gott, and traded him the watch he had
got from Shackelfoot Tor
AGCN.
Covington got Mr.. Baggott to load the
gun for him, and when MIR. Baggott
went to put squirrel shot in it Covington
told him to 'put buck shot into it,"
Mr.. Baggott did as requested, and Gov
ington took the gun and went away.
Half an hour latter Covington and Will
kinson were seen together short dis
lance from Mr.. Baggott's house. and a
few minutes later two Shots were heard
in the direction in which they had gone.
At the time they were seen
together in the road Wilkinson had IN
his possession a lot Of iurs, tied together
and which he was carrying on his
shoulder.
The day after this Coylngton was seen
at Craighead point with a lot of turs,
and when asked where Wilkinson was,
said he bad left him in Oceola drunk.
This was the last seen OF Coving-
ton. Two or three weeks later
WlLBISsNN's BODY WAS FOUND
in the woods near where lie had been
last seen dine with Covington. On eX-
animation it was seen that he had been
shot twice. both times in the back, and
that the back portion of his skull had been
beaten into Jelly with blunt instru.
ment. Search being made, gun which
was afterwards identified by Mr.. Bag
gott as the one he had traded TO Coving-
ton was found few feet from the body.
The gun was broken and showed that it
had been so broken by having been used
as a club.
All these facts, which were sworn to
before the grand jury Of Mississippi
county, pointed to
CONVICTION AS TIE MURDERER.
The motive for the murder was undoubt-
eddy money, as it was known that Wilk.
insen had nearly three hundred dollars
on his person at the time he was last
seen with Covlngton, and when the body
was found there was no money on ii.
In February last CovingtOn made his
appearance in Cairo, and for time kept
a small restaurant near the corner Of
Fifth street and Commercial avenue: al
forwards he purchased the right for
patent coffee boiler, and for time ped.
lied them about the city. He next en-.
gagged to work for Ed. Braxton in the
on Eighth street, and when
Braxton moved into his old quarters in
.he Reiser building Covlngton opened
out on his own account in the shop va
Gated by Braxton.
Some weeks ago Chief AFTER received |
description of Covington together with |
1 history of the crime. The chief at once |
spotted Covington, and notified the |
Oceola authorities to come after him.
THE ARREST.
Marshal Harkins arrived in this city
on the midnight train Saturday
night, and on Sunday accompanied
by Chief AFTER, went to Covington's
shop. Coyington was engaged in shay