Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-03-28
The BOSS LIAR.
Another Confession by Geo. Ellis,
of the Ashland Murders,
In Which BE Goes Back on His First
Statement.
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| George Ellis, one of the Ashland mur
derers, is the boss confessor of the day
In fact. be discounts anybody at tina
kind of amusement. He says Neal ant
Craft are innocent, and makes an ath
davit to it.
Your correspondent heard this new
as it rapidly few around town to day
and he proceeded to run it down, ant
found out that there was some trutl
about it. The man who took Ellis
alleged affidavit was found, and re
| fused to disclose anything about it. A
man who had seen the paper was theE
found, and furnished thee facts abou
it: For several days, or rather nights
Ellis has been seeing ghosts and othel
startling visions. He says he has seer
on three occasions the forms of hi
victims, with the dreadful wounds
from which the blood was flowing
enter his cell and stand by his bed
telling him to tell the truth or he
would surely 90 to the devil
and that these apparitions have
so worked on him as to make his mind
once more clear and bring back his
former reason. He says the spirits
told him that if he would tell the
truth about the matter they would
haunt him no more. So he proceeds,
with the aid of an affidavit, to tell that
Neal and Craft are innocent of the
murder; that he and two negroes whom
he hired are the real murderers; that
on the night of the murder they all
went to the house Of the victims, and
after outraging them, killed them, the
negroes holding them down while he
murdered them. After they had com
mitted their hellish work they were
creeping away from the house, when
they suddenly came upon Neal and
Graft, who were going towards the
residence of the victims. They hid in
the bushes until these two had passed,
when it occurred to him to fix the
crime on them! That he then left the
negroes and fell in with Neal and
Craft, and persuaded them to go with
him TO a house where some damsels Of
easy virtue resided, and on their way
he persuaded them to creep through
the fence and pass around and away
from the house he had Just committed
his crime in, in order that they might
not be seen. That after arriving at
the place they were in search of, he,
after remaining awhile, left on some
excuse, and going to Meals house,
succeeded in stealing a coat that Neal
had worn that day, and going back to
his victims smeared the coat with
their blood, and then hid it where he
thought it would soon be found.
That fearful the negroes would
become scared and tell on him, he
persuaded one to leave the country,
and the other one refused TO leave and
can still be found. He gave their
names, but we could not not learn
them.-Cor.]
"He says he induced Neal and Craft
to go with him to that place that he
might be seen in their company, in
case be should be arrested and tried,
that he could easily turn States evil
dence and get clear by fixing the guilt
on them. He says he had a feeling
from the moment be committed the
crime that he would be caught up
with; that he felt like some invisible
power was holding him back; he tried
to get away, tried to leave the country,
but that be could not do-something
he could not tell held him back. BE
felt that he would be arrested snd
convicted, and after turning State
evidence on Neal and Craft, he still
knew that he would be hung, and that
no power on earth could save him.
HE says that he is living in torture
more than all that is painted Of Hades
and he wants to get out Of it by telling
the truth and suffering for his crime;
that he has lied about these two mer
enough, and wants them to go clear.
And further my informant saith not
From all that | can learn about il
there must be some truth in it, and
the affidavit is doubtless held back b.
the man who has it, to furnish to thu
proper authorities when Ellis has his
trial.
But George Ellis is hard man h
believe. He has made so many ICON
fessions, and said so much about th,
case that one don't know what to be
lieve. But, in justice to innocen
men, if they are innocent, and in Jus
tice to murderer Ellis, ifhe is a muir
derer, let US hope he has at last tolC
the truth.
| The confession must be taken FOL
what they are worth, but TO those VIII
know all the evidence elected at tn
trial, it is very easy to see that Ellis
confession is a very straight ono, ant
brings out a good many things proyet
at the trial.
| Governor Blackburn, in respitin
Neal and Craft, said he would le
them live until their innocence wa
established or their guilt was 6rml
| fixed in his mind.