The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-05-09
THE MORE MURDER.
One Of The Villains Turns States Evidence Er' Ne
dina Coitnty Men Implicated.
akron Beacon.l

Akron Beacon.
At last we have particulars Of the arrest and
trial OF the men who, on the oath Of March, 1877,
shot down Ia cold blood Thomas Wallace MOre a
wealthy and influential citizen OF Ventura county,
California, formerly a resident OF Medina county,
Ohio, and we'll known here. 1t will be remem-
bered that the Beacon Of April 9th printed dis
patch from San Buenaventura, Cal announcing
the arrest Of the assassins and the fact that the
evidence against them was sure. Since then Mrs.
Geo. W. Mariner Of this city, an aunt Of the de.
ceased, has received copy Of the San Francisco
Eueniig Bulletin OF April 70, which contains the
following important dispatch from Santa Barbara,
dated April IL
"The Press tonight publishes the following ex-
elusive account by It's special reporter, Of the es.
timony ofsan Buenaventura, Of Jesse W Jones,
one OF the More murderers who yesterday turned
States evidence This is the testimony upon
which the prisoners will be bound over to the
Grand Jury When Jones was brought from the
prisoners row 10 take his place on the witness
stand tremor ran through the guilty men. Jones
himself trembled and shook 80 that he could
hardly stand and with difficulty gave his testi
mony. Churchill heard II all with his face turn
ed to the wall. The others with bowed heads
nGhIu lH6lI bNll IOulhS lbtlhSGu Wy tLV htlubllhb
lips of their former associate. sprague, however,
soon recovered and made notes Of the testimony
as II fell from Jones's lips,
Jones testified as TO the preliminarles, finally
coming down to the time Of the meeting back OF
the willows, and went on sprague, Churchill,
McCart, Lord Hunt Curlee and myself were
there the others who had agreed to meet us did
not come. So at last sprague said Lets go
we've got force enough to get away with him"
Curlee and MCCart came on foot the rest on
horseback. At spragues request we mounted out
horses-sprague, Huut, Lord Curlee and myself.
We rode across the river and came to an elder
bush and tied our horses there, and went on foot
from there to the house. sprague, Churchill and
came behind the barn sprague had the ball-I
think barley sack, rolled up and saturated with
kerosene. He had handful Of dry wood with
string tied around It, He went behind the barn
and laid the ball on the ground close to the barn.
then he put wood over it and set 1t on fire. We
then left the barn and went around on the south
side of It, We then went behind the granary,
where the rest Of the crowd were. When the barn
was burning and making loud roaring noise, it
woke the people in the house.
Mr. More came to the door and then ran TO The
barn. Mr.. Ferguson and two or three oth0rs fol
lowed him They went into the barn and COM
menced turning the horses loose. TRe crowd then
ran from behind granary to the door Of the house
and then went few steps toward the barn, More
came out of the barn calling for knife, Some
one shot at him. The men that were with him
called to More, run, or you will be killed"
That moment would have given my life to have
been away from there More started and run, AS
he run somebody shot him In the leg. ! saw him
put his hand behind him on his hip and run as if
he was badly hurt. Sprague and CuIlee followed
after him. The others went to the southeast cor
ner Of the corral, Churchill ran from there to
wi ere More had fallen. Sprague and CuTlee were
81 Ooting at him, He was partly lying down, rest
ing himself on one hand He put up the other
hand and said, For Gods sake don't shoot any
more | am dead now or words like them. He
fell back on the ground, Churchill had raised
him by this time and as thought shot him in the
head or II looked so from where stood. Sprague
said, Come on, boys let's CO.
"The three men that were beside More came to.
ward the corral where the rest Of us were stand
ing on the south side. We then started north
eastery, going between the house and shop. We
were getting somewhat ahead of Sprague when he
called out to hold on as he could not travel. "If
any ofyou start to run will shoot you SOM of
the crowd said, we will stay with you l was
ahead of the crowd at the time. We went on as
fast as we could until we got to where the horses
were. We got on them Mr.. Churchill and Nc
Cart went ahead as they were afoot, and we went
behind them so as to blot out their tracks as much
as possible"
This is decidedly startling ''denOuement to a
crime that has been the talk of California but 1t
will derive additional local interest from the fact
that two or three of the assassins are exMedina
county residents, sprague, in particular, having
relatives living near here yet People hereabouts
will await further developments with great ankle
ty. It's said in Copley that the alleged assassins
actually were Of the party who held an indigna-
tlon meeting shortly after Mores murder to pro-
tect against such lawlesness