The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-10-11
4 NEGRO'S CONFESSION.


\ Murder OF Twelve Years Ago nc.
sp'H scribe.l. ~
PHILADELPHIA, October lO.-The mur.
derer's cage on the third floor OF the Cam.
den County Jail is again tenanted. Isaiah
White, rough.looking, ignorant negro,
is its sole occupant, Isaiah Arthur and
Anthony Barnard, two other negroes, oc.
cupy separate cells in other parts Of the
building, and in few weeks the trio will
be placed on trial for their lives on the
charge Of numbering Mrs. Catherine Muir
ply Mt her home ut Snow Hill, Camden
county, over twelve years ago.
The confession made by Barnard we'll
illustrates the truth Of the old adaec that
murder will out" 1t seems singular TINT
alter the lapse Of so many years the slayers
OF Mrs. Murphy should be npprehcnded
and brought to trial. On Friday morning
Barnard, who had protested his INNOCENCE
Of the crime charged against him, was in-
formed ,that he would be brought before
the grand jury to be Questioned concerning
the murder. He appeared to grow nervous
when this information was conveyed to
him, and tremulously asserted that it
would he useless 10 bring him before that
body rs he Was ignorant OF any OF
the particulars. Halt All hour later
Barnard sent word to Prosecutor Jcr-
kins that he desired to make "a clean
breast" as lie termed it, OF his conuec.
ton with the affair. Mr.. jenkins immc-
diately caused theman to be brought before
him, and ascer,ained what Barnard pro-
posed telling. Then Barnard was led before
the Grand Jury and his statement was re-
duced to writing. lie said that about l2
o'clock on the night OF February os, 1870,
as he was returning from his lodge he
saw light in the house OF Mrs. Murphy,
which she alone occupied Thinking it
strange for the woman to be awake ut that
hour, he cautiously approached the shan,y
and peered between the shutters. lie
claims 10 have seen White and Arthur
rumaging through several bureau drawers,
which had been taken out OF u
bureau and laid on the floor. Juds-
ing that they were ransacking the house
for money, Barnard remained ut the window
to .see if the intruders would succeed
in finding what he supposed they were
after. While thus engaged the door OPEN
ing on the stairs leading to the second
story was. noise(essly opened, and Mrs.
Murphy appeared on the landing in her
night dress, holding candle in her hand.
When. the woman opened the door she
stood rs one transtixcd, and appeared per-
fectly helpless md unable 10 call out for
MD. Even il she had done so it would
have done no good, as tho nearest neighbor
lived a hundred yards away. Mrs. Murphy
remained in this position for probably one
minute, and then tainted and fell in heap
on the stairs. The noise OF the fall caused
the two men 10 look around. Finding that
they had been discovered, Whi.o and Ar.
thur instantly turned on tho deienseless
woman and began beating her in shame
iul manner. They dragged her out on the
floor and continued kicking her in m
unmcrciiul way. Barnard says lie dis
tinctly saw: White draw II razor from
his pocket and almost sever Mrs. Mur-
phys head from her body, The blood
spnrted out and covered Whites hand:
and clothing Both men then set fire 10
the house in several places, and Barnard
fearing that il he was discovered he might
might lose his own lie, hastily ran away.
He says that when he arrived home he was
60 frightened by what he saw that he re.
frainedfrom going 10 bed, and walked up
and down the floor for an hour trying to
calm his Thoughts at the end Of which
time an alarm OF fire was sounded, and he
turned out in company with the rest OF the
inhabitants Of that little village 10 MD in
extin4uishing the tlames. When the fire
was put ut the building was in ruins. and