The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-02-13
TIE ASHLAND nonRoR.
case By : wost virrInis pstsetiys -

n nbAFtAAhk IneOFt IN Ateeufu 70 tue
Case By = west Virginia Detective.
Friday evening that quiet and sslt.pos.
sessed detective, ALI. W. Burnett, Of Charles
ton, and CHIEF Of the Eureka Detective
Agency, arrived in the city on his way home
from Columbiana county, Ohio, where for
the past three weeks he has been working up
q case Of fncoudiarism aud burglary, result
ing In the Indictment Of six persona The
genial Burnett was employed In this city by
some Of our insurance companies about
eighteen monts ago in working up case, and
at that time formed the acquaintance Of q
large number Of our citizens, who were glad
to see him on the street again and be able to
shake hands with him. A reporter Of this
paper was afforded an opportunity to talk
with Nj. Burnett Saturday afternoon, and In
the course Oi the conversation asked him
what his opinion Of the Ashland horror Of
December oath was, and II he thought that
Craft and Neal, two Of the alleged OutrageFs,
had been properly sentenced.
Mr.. Burnett at once became animated and
said: snow, II you want TO listen I'll tell
you tHst what | think OF Il, was down
there after the crime. went out Of pure
curiosity. was not and am not interested
or engaged, but following mp clues Is my
business, and + followed one up then which
leads me 10 believe that Ellis confession Is
bareiaCed lie; that Craft and Neal arc in.
nocent aud that three Negroes are the real
outragers You must know that Ellis Is a
lunatiC-one OF those cranss who get an idea
into their heads aud firmly believe that Ger.
tain things are so. He said one evening to
| NbaN ha kuN
who did the deed, but not enough TO make q
case. A reward had been offered; the people
were clamoring for the conviction OF some
one. You never saw anything like it--wOrk.
shops and everything else stopped and men
were almost wild. An D. 8. Marshal named
Helm heard Of the remark made by Ellis,
and be with partner, worked up that story
alleged to be Ellis confession, and then got
him In q room aud pointing revolver ut
him said ho would kill him II he did not con.
Tess. The result was that Ellis supplied the
names OF two men as innocent as you or l."
"Since that time Ellis wife has repeatedly
asked him TO tell the truth, which he wildly
asserts he has done, He Is q deplOrable look.
ing person, and one would readily say that
he was insane. In his confession he says that
he dressed before going to the door to see
Craft and Neal. Why did he dress first? His
wife says he did not leave the house that
night. He says that Graft made him 20 At
the mouth OF q revolver, and said thew were
going to rape the Thomas and Gibbons girls,
as they had said they would do in the fall, |
contend that no one knew the girls were TO.
gether that night except Mrs Thomas and a
Colored family named Horton, who kept q
boarding house for railroad laboFes. ! have
studied the alleged confession closely. and !
can see several places where IL don't hold
water. Now, right here, want TO say one
! word about the trial, aud then for my theory.
} Neal and Craft, who are poor, were not al.
: lowed proper defense. They were not allowed
to testify for each other or themselves. Judge
Brown, who presided, 1t Is well known, had
, no more principle than to buy his election
in the most fragrant manner. The trial, a.
, conducted by him. was q court martial, in
which he oyerruled every motion Of the de.
tense. They were convicted on the slightest
, circumStantfat evidence, and Ellis was pur.
! poSely kept out, so that the defense could NOT
impeach his testimony"
These are strong statements, Mr.. Bur.
+ nett"
II know it but, Tn sure know what
I'm about. Now for my theory, aS there /.
no use in my referring to the horrors Of the
the fire, the excitement and arrest-all that
was carefully reported by the press OF the
country"
G About o'clock on the night OF the 2sd. q
young lady OF Ashland, whom can produce
at any time, was going TO her home; she mel
three rowdy negroes and stepped into the
street to allow them to pass; one OF them had
an oil can, and she overheard the following
r Coin down to Gibbons house to steal a tllF.
: key tonight. Got one Thanksgivin' ant
three since Mrs. Gibbons says that SHE
: had four turkeys stolen.
"ln the ruins was found an oil can, the
/ spout and top melted of, but the bottom ad
] herring and with no leak in IL Ellis said
' that Craft compelled him to get Mrs. Glib
bons's oil can from the cupboard and pour
oil on the bodies so that they would burn
fast. Mrs. G. did not keep, her oil eau in the
D cupboard, and there was not pint of oil in
!. the house. The one that was found wa.
I larger than the iouas0wned by Mrs. G, and
i was brought to tho house by the outrarers.
!. The evening Of the 2Jd an oil can was stolen
from the barber shop Of Willis Hoggerty
colOred barber, and whose place was frequent
ed by colOred railroad hands"
"rhe Gibbons girl came for the Thoma,
i girl at o late hour Mrs Gibbons having
4 suddenly started for lrOnton. No one out
side OF Mrs. t., except o colored family
named Horton. who kept a boarding house
knew that the Thomas girl was going to STAY
all night at Gibbons. There were two Hor
ten girls, and they were engaged to two rail
road laborers. The morning alter the tragedy
these two men were missing; they wert
l known to hRye called on the girls the nigh,
: before; Willis, the barber, who was arrested
y as he claimed to know something, saw them
: in Cattlesburg the morning after they left or
the train going up the Big Sandy. The Hor
ton girls said the morning after, that the two
men had been gone three days. Certain it Is
t they have never been back, and they left be
d hind them part Of their salary. am OF the
2 opinion that they were two Of the
three 1.-THE the lady met on n the street, and also
: capt sentE, OF Charleston, formerly Sheriff
OF Kanawha county, married Mrs Gibbons
J. sister and he left for Ashland Saturday even
ing he arrived In Huntington early Sunday
:. morning and found he could not 70 any fur
ther. As he left the depot TO go to the hotel ht
met Gill Overly, a negro who formerly liyeC
u in Charleston, coming up the Ashland road
He was wet and tired, and said lie was coins
' home. Sentz talked with him about thu
!. Ashland horror, and noticed that Bill wa.
r nervous and knew more than he cared to give
\ away. The third morning after the horror
Y was informed by Charleston lady that Bill
. was home and that his mother bad said tina
|. agent OF mine was sent to interview The Ole
0 lady, and when she was asked about tho Ash
Z land trouble she said: Jack there's a hear
!. sight too much been said now, and I'm
:. afraid Bill will be arrested; he is now a
i Cambells creek
: 1.-THE statement that he was at the Greek
was lie. ] telegrHphed and found thai be
had never been there. For ten DAYS tht
I Charleston police and my men hunted fol
!. that fellow, and ut last ran him down In /
low place in the outskirts OF Charleston
/ where he had hitl-fOrseveral days. He denied
! knowing sentz, or having been in Ashland o.
:. Huntington, or saying anything about tht
!. crime, and cOntradcted himself seyera
= times. Now, think Bill Is the third party
!. Above are the main points Of Captain Bur
] nCtts story, which he told. carefully p0int
!, into the smallest details He censures jndg,
Brown severely, and firmly believes that Nca
: and Gait are innocent Burnett has gooC
reputation as a reliable officer and not as
wild guesser,
LIVELY SPORT.