The New York herald., 1877-09-17
STRANGE MURDER STORY.
Two Innocent Men in Danger Of
the Halter
DECEITFUL CIRCUMSTANCES.
The Real Culprits Brought to Light by
lncautiOus Admissions.
A KEEN DETECTIVE,


ATLANTA, Ca, Sept. II, 1877
Tho most remarkable murder trial that toos
place in this State, showing the treacherous verdict
often rendered upon crcumstantal evidence has just
been solved by Georgia detective
On the 10th of June Mr. Rozier, prominent mer.
chant Of Sparta Ga, was murdered and robbed while
going from mis- store to his residence, at about ten
o'clock at night His body vas found almost imms-
diatcly after the murder 1t had been rined his pock
cts being turned wrong side out Tho death wound
was curious one. rho skull crushed in, pieces
OF touching the brain but the skin Of the scalp was
not broken in single place. Near the body was the
lantern that the deceased carrying the time OF
his murder. II had evidently been kicked during
the struggle and stamped after fell to the ground
Upon the rim OF the lantern tho imprint of shoe
heel, traced out by the dents made the by the
hob nails in the heel This, with tho unusual
nature Of the wound, were all the CLOVIS offered
to the detectives. They once won't to work, how
ever, aud negro arrested upon suspicion.
There many circumstances that went to show his
guilt The detective at length showed that his shoes
fitted the tracks nude about the Of tho MURDER
and that the nails in his shoe heel precisely fitted the
dents made on the lantern rim The detective wove
skilful web about the prisoner, and his conviction
seemed certain when he Unexpectedly enabled TO
establish the mos. perfect alib, and was discharged.
A STARTLING ARREST.
The detectives did not work. however, with
the discharge OF the negro, but soon astonishcd tho
town by tho arrest OF Griggs. the City Marshal, and
Lovett friend OF his. Both of these men had borne
good characters previous to this time, and tho public
looked increduously when they were accused OF
being Rozier's murderors. chain of circumstantal
evidence was forged however, that seemed to bind
them fast. The lrst link wits In tho fact that they
upon tho ground where tho murder occurred
just about the time 1t happened.
Their story this-They passed by Rozier's store
half past ten o'clock AS they passed he was lock-
ing up the store. He followed them, being about ltty
steps behind. They went into Lovett's barroom and
shut the door. In 1--WE minutes staggered
against tho door. They opened 1t and saw Rozer
there bleeding and unable speak Ho fell in Griggs
arms, smearing his sleeve with blood. Hopointed
to his wounds and begged them to taow him. They
did So he led thom the place where the murder
had been committed The puolic was then aroused.
Their story was dsproved in several particulars. II
was proved that Rozer could have walked to the
barrOOm and back without dripping blood somewhere
on the route, as he was bleeding SO severely TO
smear Griggs' coat when he touched it. spots Of
blood found between the scene of the murder and
the barroom but both were accounted for-one by
negro boy who his foot and the other by gentle.
man who abraded his gums with toothplck and spat
blood. witness also swore that he was sleeping IN
the harness shop which tho murder occurred and
heard at about hapas ten violent scufile, the
breaking OF glass; heavy blows, and finally tho tall OF
We IL
Off deep and piLlful groans He started to get up
but recognized Grgg and Lovets Voices aud knowing
that GrIggs marshal supposed they were simply
arresting some fellow These circumstances, backed
by tho the footprints from the OF tho
roborations made up case, which whcn the men
put upon trial resulted In their speedy convic.
tion. A negro also that he saw these men at
the place the murder about the time he heard tnt
scutle The Deputy Sheriff also sworc that he saw
these pass Rozers store, and that Rozier did not
follow them they alleged but that he had already
gone The men were convicted vi murder.
REAL CrLPRiTs.
Iu the meantime Detective Murphy, who was en-
gagged In the case, became convinced that the con.
demned not the real murdercrs Their ap-
parent,y innocent bearing impressed him and he be-
leved theory OF the murder had not been
reached. One thing that puzzled hm was the failure
to find the pistol watch or money OF the dead man,
aud mystery hung about the peculiar nature Of the
wound tho head by which the skull was crushed IN
without the skin being broken Shortly after the con
victiOn OF these men he was In Augusta engaged IN
working up bank robbery, and received information
that gave him clew to the truth in the
Rozier murder. He discovered shat an cmploya
of Howos London Circus which had been 'luying
| up'' in Augusta Tor some months, had thrown out
some insin nuations concerning the murder He learned
that two OF tho men had been missing from Al
gusta when the murder occurred, and had returned
| shortly aitcrward with new PISTOL watch and roll
| of money. Hc thcn went quietly to work to put his
| hands upon a witness or accompco--John Enrish,
by namewho was then travelling with the circus 10
Canada Ho very soon located him, and awaited the
return of the circus TO the United States, when ne
could arrest his man. In tho meantime. however;
men had gone the Supreme Court and BY fatality
| the judg gment against them had been affirmed Ac-
cordngly on last Monday week, Murphy lett Atlanta
| for Cleveland Ohio whcro he captured Enright De
returned with hun Oh Tuesday nghtto Atlanta, Nv
your corr cs pondont received his statement
| A STRANGE STORY.
| He says:-"There we're two men In our tent squad
Of the circus named Qor the presenu Jones aud
didn't want TO take trip with thom into the country
said he had % o ao
| was the depot yard, engaged in getting IN some
damaged cotton, when | saw Jones and smith
| Ing TO q freight train. They thcrcupon got into
| BOX car. The train afterward moved out They
| returned on sunday. They then showed me watch,
pistol and roll of money that thcy had taken ON
the trip asked them questions and tney told mo
talking and laughing about kckng the stuing out Of
| lantern On Tuesday morning was reading the
paper and came TO an account OF The murder lread
| II out loud 10 OF the boys Jones was present
While was reading, Jonos went out. That evening
he asked me If had that paper about the murder
told him had lie then took IL and read 1t 70 smith,
| When no read that $120 had been taken ne SAID IL
was S14o,' and Smith said when he finished, ,rnat,s
H. A day Two aiterward SAID to Jones, i dont
like that follow Smith, "Oh,' jones' me is one
shat will stay you ought to seen him kick the stuing
out of thai lantern work done tho other
night, rho mon never told terms that they
| did the murder, but they knew understood II all.
They told me about giving vest ior dnEer aGou; u.
the new pistol ana gave his old one TO Smh, ioid mo
that detective asked HIM II he didn't want TO swap
his pop with him (meaning his pstoD, but that ne
was too sharp to pull pop he got his trip
The description gwen by the witness oil the wa'ch and
pistol tally with the lost articles.
| coRRoBoRATivE CIRCUMSTANCES
Mr. Murphy has also an affidavit from Mr.
Alexander In Augusta, who swears that four or i've
days after the murder Enright into mis- saloon
and told MIN that the wrong man was arrested LOT she
sparta murder that he knew who the nurderers
were that the newspaper account was wrong IN say.
ing that gold watch that Roz'or lost; that ne
had seen the watch and 1t was silver one; tnat Inc
amount of money takon was $l4O instead Oh $l2o
Alexander repeated this story at the time TO some
one but no attention gwen to IT. Enright also
gave him other particulars that he could not possibly
Hnve had except from an eyewitness OF tho affair.
There are other corroborating circumstances that
make perfect against the circus men, and Will
| result in the release OF tho condemned men. Mr..
Murphy lci, here night with Enrght Tor Sparta in
order to secure iull investigation. The peculiarly
ol the wound Is accounted Tor by tho foct II was In
l,cted with sand bag that the murdercrs took with
hom Ii can be proven also by citi2ens OF Sparta that
Jones was Sparta few days before the murder oc-
| cured loahng around the town. IL M proved that
..s Nj s,.Iih arn nofh Ind tann and huvn sarxad