Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-11
THE VERDICT RENDERED.
THE AUTHORS OF THE IIAER-
TEL TRAGEDY.

The Coroner's Jury, After sixteen Days
Investigation. Conclude Upon a Judg-
meut-Jonas Jackson and Thomas
Hamilton Charged a. Perpetrators Of
the Crime Statements OF the Prison
ers-The Evidence Complete. and the
Murderers in Custody.
TIE Coroner's jury in the Haertel trsg-
edv. after sixteen days investigation,
concluded upon q judgment yesterday
afternoon. and at O'Clock, after pro
. longed session. rendered a verdict charg-
ing the murder upon the suspected ne
groes-Jonas Jackson a. principal. ana
Thomas Hamilton. accessory
The details Of the horrible crime are
familiar 70 the public. The brutal murder
. Of a ueaceable citizen. his wife and unborn
babe. Is recorded as probably the most
vicious in the criminal annals 81 the
state. The murder created the WllQest
excitement and intense Indignation pre-
vailed. The threatened lynching Of the
suspected prisoners in the jail was an evil
dencH Of the feeling that existed.
L Cor0ner's jury was empaneled the
dav the murder was discovered. The
case was placed i'm the hands Of Getec-
riYeS and the speedy arrest q suspected
parties followed. The jury continued It's
investigations until yesterday. having
neld tWenty-eight sessions and examined
over one hundred and thirty witnesses.
4 News reporter called upon Coroner
>heftaIl soon after the verdict was render
ed.
There seems 10 be no reasonable doubt
IN the minds Of the jury remarked the
/ Coroner. THAT Jackson and Hamilton are
guitv Of the crime. The evidence obtained
up 70 the last moment was conclusive IN
is nature. and left no room for doubt as
10 who the murdereIs are.
The discovery OF the hammer which was
found Yesterday by Jailer Waring Rus
T sell. and which belonged 10 Jackson. and
was marked '-C. Il. r." Gulf Railroad
and the further Identification Ofthe hatch
T et as the property Of Hamilton, fastened
the crime upon these parties DeyOna "a
question. 1t Is now believed that the ham
mer was used 10 kill Haertel, being
blunt instrument which made no cash.
+ but crushed the skull while the Ratchet
was used as the instrument Of death IN
the murder Of the woman.
The testimony Of Jackson and Hanll-
/ ton is considered the most important IN
It's bearings upon the case, and IS given
in full.
-TATENEST OF JOSAs JACKSON.
ON saturday. August ~ 1 was al work at
- T. and " Railway wharf. with 4lr. George
Allen: left work about one oclpck. went
home. and after washing put on the clothes
that ] now have on and went To MT. Allen ln
T the afternoon 10 get my wages. went 10 Dir.
lI0liua- Office later and paid 8; then 3 eni
I 81 Mr. Dick 6rImm'- store. paid nIm 81 50-
SHEEN went home az about j. O'Clock with
John Leonard alias sam b9lc-. stopper al
f Mr.. Hausen- store: ] then went home; Do
E was about u O'Clock; there l= lane running
{ ~ the back Of my house " the Coast Line
Railroad track: ! wac in Mr.. Haertels store
/ 1u the sunday following my discharge from
/ jail. and bought @ glass Of beer; heaId
Or tire murder about or 10 O'Clock;
Ea- az home when ] heard 1t: Josh came
f 90 INV house about o or 10 o'clock: he asked
my wife for me. saying DE had enough 10
treat 10 beer: he was I'D company with one
johnson. Le drives wagon for Mr.. Joe
Dale; went with them and before We
reached the store Mr.. MelrEIn-. met Ben
small: I asked Hamilton j Lee had heard Of
tine murder committed on saturday ulght.
He said ye- be had heard Of Do: Josh -ald he
had heard OF the murder while he was up
town: nay home j. In theraW, :. [; ] leit
there because got job on the W, &. x \.
j. Z. worked there about months; ] got
INTO row with sandy Brown. he was a car
grea-er: We were In a grocery and bar az
The time; I was arrested that night; We
had "a tight .u front Of the store; Mr. Baudy
was Darkeeper there: ] left there anu came 70
savannah.
STATEMENT OF THOMAS HAMILTON.
left Major Hamlet's new building al 7lX
O'Clock August =, and went h0mei stald there
about half an hour. then went t. market, 10
Ta- about half past SIX or q quarter 10 seven
o'clock, left the market q quarter u elght
o'clock: reached home about quarter pact
or haif past ei ght O'Clock; jackson came home
about eleven O'Clock; jackson told me lhat ne
went out about Que O'Clock 10 get drink;
don't know what shop he WeLt %; II was near
TWO o'clock when Doe got back home; Jackson
did not have Oh the same clothes sunday that
he wore on saturday night; on saturday
night he had on dark coat, light pantaloons
darker than steel gray, dark vest, low
quarter SHOES, red socks, red handkerchief
.
at one o'clock sunday morning: wore black
alaUaca lrOck coat, tight pants. same shoes.
same socks and black felt hat; he carried
hammer: he borrowed II IN the rartrOad yard
{ and said Dee carried 10 back; he told me This
between five and six O'Clock sunday morning.
some one came 20 my house and whi5tled Tor
jackson after eleven O'Clock; jackson went
OUT he came back in about a half oT one hour
| after going out: changed his clothes; jackson
/ had q hatchet when be came in sunday morn
/ ing. heard JACKSON remark that " he ever
did ANYTHING wrong he would not bring any
thing around his house. jackson and his wife
came home Al eleven O'Clock; his wife came in
several tunes previous and asked II jackson
had come home yet; jackson SAID that if he
brought any thing he stole ID would convict
him
Yesterday Hamilton was recalled be-
fore the jury. when he made the following
additional statement:
Jackson asked me on sunday morning if
was asleep when be went out; asked him IF
/ be went out after had gone TO sleep: ne told
me YES. he and two others went out 10 get
! "a drink and went truislng around: jackson
told me hc had a hammer and he and the
other two men carried 10 back to the -ayau-
nah. Florida and Western Railroad yard: !
I said jackson, sou had better not be getting
INTO any more rows. because YOU are under
bonds now: jackson said lit matters not "a
Z damn. what ] owe you I am going 10 pay you:
! ] won't let any damn man impose upon me-
! jackson and myself were told that man had
[ been murdered at the store at Waters road
/ and Coast Line Railroad: jackson asked me
4 10 90 mp there with him: did so: asked
( Jackson If this was the place he had the row:
I DE said be did not know. but it was some
/ where on Waters road: jackson told me, my
wife, his wife and several others, that he
killed q man in North Carolina and lost his
eye making h-- escape: when jackson was
going 10 wash be stopped az my cell and told
me that ID was IN that shop that he jackson
and those other two men killed Henry Hacr-
tel and family; the hatchet ! saw with Jack
son was a small head and small blade and
rough handle: ] recognize this hatchet as be-
ing the one used by jackson in his ROOM
OTHER WITNESSES.
William Reid, Sr., living in the vicinity
Of the Waters road and Coast Line Rail
road crossing, testified that he sent his
son. a lad about fourteen wears old, to
HaerteFs store between and : O'Clock
on the morning the murder was discOv-
cred for some horse feed. The boy failed
to get the feed, but was not questioned
by his father as TO the reason.
The son was then placed upon the
stand, and testified as follows:
William Reid, Jr.. sworn. saith: ON sun
day. August 70, ! went TO Mr.. Haertels
store early in the morning for horse feed:
I knocked at the residence door facing the
railroad; Jack came 10 the door and told me
10 wait a minute; ] waited; did not see Jack
any more. / heard some one talking. but
twas so low could not understand what was
said: when Jack came TO the door he looked
no and down the road: / recognized Jack.
when he was shown % me in Jail. to be the
man who came to the door and told me 10
wait minute. ! recognized him because he
has but one eve. I've known Jack before:
me lives on ThunderbOit shell road. with Tom
Hamilton: Jack had on black felt hat black
when went TO the shop did not see any
one on the road, but when ] was going back
home / met a boy about my size named Willie:
the reason did not mention anything to my
father about not getting tie iced "a a. because
it is customary FOR people 70 90 to the shop on
sunday.
FINDING OF THE RATCHET.
The testimony Of Jailer Waring Rus
sell in regard to the finding Of the Ratchet
and the bacon had an important hearing
ON Monday, the 3D. instant. the Jailer
and Messrs. Daniels, Nathans and Jones,
employed in the case, went 10 HamiltOn's
house and made thorough search Of the
house. yard. field and entire premises.
In one corner Of the lot in the rear Of the
house Mr.. Daniels found the Ratchet. as
already stated in the NEWS. The bacon
was found il the garden
The testimony Of I'll. X. Daniels, guard I
at the Jail, who discovered the bacon and
hatchet, corrObOrated the testimony of
Mr.. Russell.
Marsh Fields who was one Of the first /