The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-01-25
HUNTED DOWN.
Fred. 0yembeek Arrested for Murder
and Lodged I'm Jail.

|
Fred. Oyenbeclk is now an occupant o.
the Warren county Jail for crime com
mitted in Issaquena county, and he viii
rest in this prison until he is transferred tc
the scene of his crime. The charge against
him is the killing of negro man named
Henry Cook, on the Judge Jeffords place,
and the causes that led to his arrest, may
be thus briefly stated. Last Friday morn
ing Ovenbeck stepped ashore at this port
| from the steamer 0uachita Belle, and en-.
gagged a hack to take him to the Duncan
Gibson place, some ten miles east OF
the city. When the hack returned the
driver was interviewed by some of the
county officials, and the result was that
Saturday evening Deputy Sheriff Walter
Jolly and Henry Trowbridge took short
journey to the country. When they reach
ed the Gibson place they found the man
of whom they were in search in cane
brake. As soon as they made known to
him their mission he asked permission to
90 into the house. They said certainly,
but Mr. Jolly said 81 want to go in with
you. You have killed two or three men be-
fore, and don't want you to have the drop
on me-"
The prisoner took in the situation imme-
diately, and without further ado said he
knew what he was wanted for. That he
had killed Henry Cook, and further along
stated that he had also killed man at Ed
wards Depot with a club. The story of the
killing of Cook as told by him was in SUBJ
stance as follows He, Ovenbeck, was en-
gagad as overseer of Judge Jeford's place,
on Steeles bayou, in Issaquena county.
The wife of Henry Cook, being of very
quarrelsome and meddlesome disposition
made trouble with the hands on the place
and talked very disrespectfully of the over
seer. Ovenbeck, after hearing great deal
of it, concluded he would no longer sub
nit to it, and remarked that if Hattie,
the woman's name, didn't keep quiet, he
would cowhide her. This remark coming
to Cooks ears, SO enraged him the he as
saulted the oyerseer, and after abusing him
roundly pointed his pistol ut him and
snapped it three times. Ovenbeck, being
unarmed, took to his heels and made
good his escape, but as soon as be
got his hands on his trusty fowling
piece he returned to the conflict Be-
ing unable to get at Cook that even
ing he waited until the following day,
when, shotgun in hand, he came up
with Henry Cook who was riding on a
mule with is wife behind him. He stopped
them and demanded of Cook that he should
retract the offensive terms used toward him
the day before, but Cook instead of retract-
ing made his wife alight from the mule
and, leaning over so as to shield himself as
much as possible behind the beast, put his
hand behind to draw his pistol. Ovenbeck
s wv the motion and in an instant raised his
gun and fired, the shot taking effect in
Cook S breast and killing him almost in
stantly. He then made his escape, and after
ly ng out in the woods some time made his
way to this city as stated. He told Deputy
Sherig jolly that he was on his way 10 Tex
as and merely stopped at the Gibson
place for a few days to wait for some money
which was due HIM from the place he
had been working and which he needed to
help him along on his journey. Fred. Oven
beck is Pru 'sian by birth, about thirty
years of age and says he has well-to-do rela-
tives in the old country and some influential
kins people on this side of the water
Henry Cook, the deceased was formerly
barber in this city, and is somewhat known
here. Vlcksburg Herald.