The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1883-08-07
Bellaire Tribune, Both ult.
MURDER WILL OUT.
A Crime Hidden tor SeventeeH
Years Come to Light at Last.

/
A Crime Hidden tor Seventeen
Years Come to Light at Last.
Seventeen years ago a man whose
name cannot now be recalled, came to
Washington county and msde his head
quafters at Matamoras, going from there
| into the surrounding country, being In.
terested in the purchase Of oil lauds.---
He seemed to have plenty of money,
drove good horses. and became general
" well known. Suddenlyshe disappear.
ed as completely as though tue earth
mad opene,, and swallowed him up
His horses, wagon and gold watch we're
found in the possession of man named
Ward, who claimed to have purchased
them from their owner; but many per.
sons suspected that he had murdered
the speculator, and this suspicion was
streLg gthened when afterwards Ward,
who had hitherto been . poor farmer,
sold out and came to Matamoras. where
be pure iased hotel and made display
of money altogether out of place when
his previous poverty was considered -
However, the matter was never pressed,
and about four years ago the suspecte l
MAJ died.
| Nnw comes the strange part of the
story. Living about four miles from
Matamoras, in what is known through.
out the county as the "Yellow House."
was one George West, o leading mer-
chant aud highly respected business
man. About the irst Of April be took
sick, and on his death bed be confessed
to the murder of the oil SPECTATOR. He
said that be could not die until be had
divulged his guilty secret. His story
was that he and Ward with man name,l
Krkhride, sho now runs . butcher chop
lin Matamotss, were the murtiefers--
Ward and he holding the victim while
KTkhride cut his throat. The body
vas then thrown into we'll The lncation
of which tho dying man disclosed He
spoke of ring upon his victims finger,
which they had not removed. The well
was sesrche,i, and a human skull brought
TO lieht. The search isstill in progress.
The excitement in the neighborhood
is intense, and K.rk5ride will undoubt-
edly be arrested as soon as discovered
He has uoti,een in. his shop for several
weeks, and his whereabouts are not de.
finitely known This is another and
striking instance OF the truth OF the old
adage that Murder will out" Or in
formation was cleaned from private
letter from Mstamoras. AMI is entirely
reliable.
I, is fact, that an oil spectator dis
npreaied back of Matsmoras. about the
time stated, that JESSE WARD. no dead,
afterwards opened hotel in Matamor-
as, that GEoRae WEsT, deceased, lived
al the "Yellow House," and that WARD
was in possession OF the horses, carriage
and watch of the missing oil speculators
But it is q mistake, that WEST. when
on his death-bed, or at anv other time,
confessed any knowledge or participa-
ton in the murder, il murder .was
committed.
There is an old, unused well o9the
WARD farm, but no skull had bee4 dis
covered in tito Monday, the 30thEuls ,
in fact. no search had been made. iMr.
JOSIAH DAVIS. OF Woplsfsld, inror@ed
US last week that Wards son, who re-
sides. on the farm, intenis to have the
we'll cleaned out to satisfy him m.eif as to
the truth or faisehood of the many re-
ports in circulation.
The following letter is published to
clear awsy the cloud that is over the
reputation OF the deceased man, WEsr
There Is report in circulation that
George West, Win died last winter q,
hi residence, near Matamoras, did, on
his death he'd, make confession to Rev.
Thomas Cline, his spiritual adviser, and
his brother in-law. Mr.. Graham, that he,
George West, j. Ward, deceased, and
Andrew Krkhrie, of Matamoras, did
about seventeen years ago kill an oil
specula,or near Cow Ran Throus sh !
the request of friends, l, Josiah Davis.
OF Woodsiald. formerly of sMatamnras,
went and interviewed the parties, Cline
and G ahau. and they said itswas base
lie and that there was no truth in the
report as far as Mr.. West was concern.
ed The reliable Matamoras correspon-
dent was evidently not we'll posted re-
gariing Mr. Vests illness. date Of death
and so forth. We are positive that Mr.
West died in D cember, 1882, and that
he made no statement whatever in rela- !
ton to the murdered oil speculator.
JOSIAH DAVIS,
- U1ode6ald flhfo