The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-06-29
Thomas or JONES',
A POSSIBILITY THAT CAPTAIN FRANKS MUIR
DkRER rs SILL. AT LARGE.
TealIimore AnlerlcaD, yes,erdsyy


DkRER Is STILL At LARGE.
baltimore Anlericao, yesterday!
Al will be remembered that the colorcd
laan who was identified BY Mate Setby. Of
The schooner Mignonelte, as George Thomas,
tee murderer OF Captain Frank, and who Is
now I'm Jail ri Beisir awaiting = requishion
from Virginia, deaied at Havre de Grace
that bis name WIS Thomas, insisted that Il
was William Jones, and Ia proof OF bis
identity gave the name OF Mr.. Cyrus Cole,
OF Stony Creek, Sussex county, Va, who
would testify, he said. to his good charac.
ter. The following letter from Mr.. Cole,
written in reply TO one informing bin OF
the arrest OF Thomas (or Joues) aud the
latter's reference 70 bin, will therefore be
Of interest
al don't know OF a man that answers
your description except one that came from
North Carsliua in 1879, aud commenced 10
work for me here on January 22d. He
worked for me three months, and gave his
name 10 me as Ernest kcarney, but in other
places he said that his name was George
Thomas. He LEFT me aud went To work for
man who lived about mile and Il half
outside OF Petersburg. There be got into
afuss with a white man and broke both the
mans arms. Running sway from there he
came TO work at Mr.. Shaw's, down here,
but soon stole a lot OF q ncS and ran away.
lost sight Of him, ant ever heard OF him
until lately, when | lizard that he WAS in
Chesterfield, Va. The description in the
american bears him out in fGll. There
was colored boy named William Jones,
who also came from North Carolina and
worked for me fourteen months, leaving
me on the 18th OF May last. lie was
bOv about eighteen years OF age, about
five feet nine inches high, weighed 145
pounds, and carried very heavy scar over
his eft eye. (Kearney or Thomas also had
a scar over his left Cye.) Jones was we'll
proportioned according to his height; was
straight, and looked almost slender. He
was rather lighi-colOreG. | got letter from
him since he left me, dated Norfolk. June
5. $780, in which he said he was cook on
board the j. B. Schuyler. a steamer OF the
Merchants Line, which runs between Bal
tmOre and Norfolk. In II he said he was
going to Richmond early The next morning.
II you can send the likeness of the man in
Belair Jail will be able to tell YOU which
one Of the Two Ii is-GeorSe Thomas alas
Earnest kearDey, or William Jones. The
latter, While be was with me, was always
mild boy, aud never showed any DISPOSE
ton TO be iil-na,ured. Respectfully.
CYRUS COLE,
"Stony Creek, Sussex county, Va"
Now, from tbs letter one OF two things
may be dedUccd. There is no reasonable
doubt that The man in the Bear Jail is
either Thomas or Jones. but which one il is
cannot be readily discovered, although the
mate positively identified him rs the former.
Some Of the circumstances seem 10 warrant
the belief that the man IS really Jones. as in
2 general way he ans wers 10 the description
by Mr.. Cole, aud what he himself has said
corresponds to the statements Of MIR. Cole
The man who was captured, be be whom
he may, stated to a reporter 81 the Ameri.
can that be had left Norfolk twelve days
before the day OF his capture as ''mess
boy" on the steamer j. i. SCHUYLER, which
he called the "OppOsition boat lie also
asserted strongly that Mr.. Cole could testi-
fy to his good character, and TO lis being
William Jones. On The other band, from
the data given in the letter. it is certain that
George Thomas and William Jones worked
together at Mr.. Coles, and therefore
became acquainted. Thomas left, AMI,
after committing the crime, went TO
Norfolk (where, it was said, he was
seenl There he may have met Jones,
and learning that be was running on the
Schuyler, he might have embarked on the
same boat for Baltimore, and when captured
presumed on his likeness to Jones to assume
his identity. Mr. Cole SAYS In his letter
that both men have sears over the left eye,
but there must be some mistake here. as the
man in Belair jail has a scar over his right
eye. There are two persons here in Baltl-
more who can positively identify the man
Thomas. One of these Is Captain Franks
wife. Captain Frank sent him up 10 his
house, on Ann street, al one or more t:mes
10 fix up stores and do odd jobs. and In this
way Mrs. Frank became acquainted with
him. The other person is woman who
claims 10 be Thomas wife, and who called
on Captain Franks widow, aud, describing
Der alleged husband mnutely, stated that
she knew be was the man who had com
mitted the deed, adding that he was a " bad
niger"
Ii was on ThOmaS's second trip with Cap
tain Frank that the crime was accomplish
ed. Some one had asked the Captain Just
before be left tor the last time whether he
was going to take the same crew with him,
and he replied that he was, adding tDat be
liked the fellow Thomas, and that he would
prove a valuable hand, provided the COOK,
who was a saucy fellow, did not corrupt
him. AT last accounts the requistion for
Thomas had not yet arrived from Virginia.
The BALTIMORE Charlottesville large