Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-08-06
BE SURE YOUR SIN WILL FIND
YOU OUT.
Ater -Four Years OF Freedom Oba-
dIah Ross is CaptuFed-A Horrible
Crime.

ceiyed BY telegram from Augusta. Il viii
be remembered that some days since an
account was given In these columns Of the
arrest In Wilmington, North Csrolina,
of 3 man answering the description Of
Ross. who vas held in custody until the
arrival Of Sheriff Driscoll, Of jefferson
county. He was not identified, and was re
leased. TIE search for Ross Was, however,
rot abandoned, ard has, IS above stated,
finally resulted in his capture. From the
AugrS-s pspers We Gull the following IS OF
interest in reference to the srsir, though
with many OF the details the readers OF the
MORNING News are familiar, full account
% the horrible tragedy having been given
81 the time
The mystery attending the murder Of
Nathaniel 2. Cornvel, one OF the most
prominent citizens Of Jefferson county, has
never been cleared uD. IL November, Of
lS77. the greatest excitement prevailed in
All south Georgia, and especially near Bar
Tow. where the foul deed was committed In
he dead az night, and in Savannah, where
the deceased had formerly lived and done
business, being brother Of cur well known
townsmsn, George Cornwel, Esq Ine
particulars Of the murder Of Mr.. CornEell,
Who was attacked by party Of men and
Jain without mercy, are still fresh II the
memory Of the people OF this section, al
though nearly four years have passed over
the bloody scene.
Several parties were suspected Of the
crime, and warrants were gotten out for
their arrests. Two men are now ID all IN
Augusta waiting trial, one is out on bond.
s notorious character named Mcdaniel,
Who had committed numerous deeds OF VIC
/ Ienee, and who was then serving out life
sentence In the Dzde Coal Mines for q muT-
| der perpetrated in Wilkinson county, was
| nofuted 70 As the most likely individual to
/ ACCOMPLISH 3 crime so heinOus- De had be
| fore been suspiciOned for his skillfuuy laid
Il schemes to prevent detection This muir
/ der looked like his work, yet no steps were
/ immediately taken to ferret out the crime.
| A Mr.. Cornwell, z brother of the deceased,
now Of the old aud rich firm Of Weed <
COruwell Of Savannah, al length deter
mined TO bring the perpetrators OF the three
/ fold crime of murder, arson and ROBBERY 10
| Justice Detectives were employed and put
| 10 work. One donned the eOnyicts garb,
gained admittance TO the Dade Mine, han
| died the pick for weeks among the "black
/ diamonds" and soon became intimate with
Mcdaniel The detective said Mcdaniel
| confessed to him there the murder OF Corn
well-that he himself struck the fatal blow
/ with q Ratchet when CornWell turned to get
| the goods requested from the sbelves-that
| after rObbing the establishment OF money
| and valuables, he aud his accOmplces-fOr
/ he implicated several citizens Of ScriVen
/ county who had before borne fine reDuta-
| tion-poured kerosene over the body OF
| CornweIl and over the floor and counters,
| set fire TO the house and rode away by the
| glare OF the confsgratiOn. After this con-
| fegsion another detective was st once d.
| rected to hunt up the accessories. he went
/ down into the suspected neigh0orhood,
| established a fishing station on the
/ sla fnna n
the BOYS" employing one Of the persons
suspected in his operations and associating
| Intimately with them. He gradually worm
ed himself into the confidence of those
| whom McDaniel's confession had implicated
| as the guilty parties. He says that Obadiah
| Ross told him at one time that he accompa-
/ MED Mcdaniel on his foray-that they Kill
/ ed a horse or two, in riding forty miles aud
back between suns, and that he was with
/ Mcdaniel, inside the store. when be struck
/ Cornwen with Ratchet. -Four Others-say
/ the detectiyes-James Ross, James Newton,
/ John Newton and John skies, were impf-
| Gated as accessories before the fact By both
/ Mcdaniel and OBADIAH Ross. These four
| were arrested. Every effort 10 arrest Ooa-
/ diah Ross failed. II was said that he re-
/ NAMED 10 the neighborhOod of his own
/ home for some time, but finally the search
| became so close that he was forced to fee.
| a large reward was offered for his appre-
| hension, but he continued at large, and 1t
| seemed as IL he would escape altogether.
I Mcdaniel was remanded to the Dade Coal
Mines, and 8 short time since was brutallY
| murdered in one Of the galleries Of the
| mines BY a negro convict, thus e. npllfy-
| ing what Is written ia Scripture, whose
| sheddeth mans blood By MAJ all his
| blood be shed"
Thursday morning Messrs. Driscoll and
| DeMontmolliD. detectives, passed through
| Augusta with Obsdish Ross, having arrested
| him near Ninety-Six. South Carolina, Wed
nesday morning. The detectives carried
| him TO Louisville on the morning train Of
| the Central Railroad. He was heavily ironed.
| Mr.. DeMontmoliu, one OF the detectives, is
| the same who went to the Dade Coal Mines,
| as stated above.
A short time since a suspicious character
was arrested in Nashville, with 8 consider
able amount of money IN his possession,
| aud it was thought at the time that he was
/ Obadiah Ross, but this proved not TO be the
case. The prisoner, however, was ascer-
/ tanned TO be q noted criminal who was
| wanted somewhere else.
Learning that warrant was out for him
| soon after the murder Of Cornwen, Obadiah
| Ross made tracks, and has been for nearly
| four yesrs lost to Jefferson county.
| "Where did they catch up with you, Mr..
Ross - was asked. Aud turning pleasant
| aud intelligent face, Mr.. Ross said: 81 have
| been in South Carolina since ! learned that
| a warrant was out for me, but yesterday
morning, between eight and nine O'Clock,
they came upon me rather suddenly near
| Ninety Six, on the Greenville and Columbia
Road, 10 Edgefeld county,
did you let them take you without
a plunge for liberty or a show for fight ~
'fWhen q man looks up from the bushes
and sees gun and a six-shooter leveled on
him, what then - And the prisoner
smiled as il he had given US one to put
fight and fight out Of the question.
There was but one thing to do, and here
l am"
Ross does not look like a criminal. He
looks like anything else. His face is placid
and contented, and no sign Of guilty con-
science CLEANS from his light blue eyes.
His hair and slight mustsche are sandy, and
his height about five feet ten inches. He
mas the appearance and dress Of a laboriDg
man, and IS well known in jefferson and
Burke. His character and reputation
have not been suspe cted till the muir
der Of Mr. Cornwell, but it is faid that
strong clues point to proof against him. He
was hand cuffed, and carried handkerchief
ia his hands, which he occasionally threw
over his irons He had no objection to
talking, aud lifted both his hands willingly
TO shake hands with acquaintance. IL an
| swer 70 questions, he stated that he was
thirty years old, had no wife, was born in
Washington, but claimed scriyen as his
home. He says be was treated kindly by
his guards.
Ross has not vet settled on his line OF de-
fence, and there are some questions he
would not answer. The following ques
tions were pr0pouDded:
"Were you in Jefferson at the time Mr..
CornWell was killed ~
"No, SIR"
please inform the court, Mr.. Ross, where
you were at the time"
II doL't recollect where was at the
time"
"DO you know q man named Mcdaniel ?"
81 knew Heath aud / suppose he was Nc
| Daniel"
"Do you know what became Of him 80
81 do not, and prefer not to answer any
| further questions about that"
The strongest clue sInoBg others sgaiDst
| Ross, it is said, is that the murdered mans
coat was purchased from him. A strong
case against the whole party and especially
against Ross is being worked I'D and the
| trial will probably take place at the ensu-
ing term Of Jefferson Superior Court.
Ross AYERS his innocence, and says he can
| prove It. His brother, James Ross, is out
on bail. Two others Of those who were ar
rested on the charge OF completely are still
in jail awaiting trial, and Mcdaniel has
| gone to answer to a higher court.
! The best talent Of the scriven bar Is re-
tanned for the defense. Hon. George r.
Black, recently elected to Congress from
the First district, is leading counsel for de-
| fendants, and associated with him are Hon.