Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1883-04-26
MURDER WILL OUT T"
Ann Crockett, CoIored, Weak
ems, and Tells the Story Of
the Church Burnings.
BRO. sILAS SMITH, MRS. REDMAN
AND MRS. RICH GLOVER I'm.
PLICATED AND ARRESTED.
The Would.be Assassins Of Smith to
be Brought to Time, and Made Eat
Hay from the Rack.
The Doors Of Deyiltry will Get Justice
Melted out to Them.
8F
A Neat Little Piece Of Detective Work,
on the Part of Colored Boy.
The Doors Of Deyiltry will Get Justice
Melted out to Them.
A Neat Little Piece Of Detective Work,
on the Part Of Colored Boy.
From Last ThurSday's Extra.


From Last Thursdays Extra
Mexico, during the past few weeks,
has acquired the reputation Of having
more incendiary fires than any town
of any size in the State. We have
had score of fires this winter, sew
eral of which were known to be the
work of incendiaries. The brick
church used by the colored Baptists
was burned, the preachers house was
burned, he was shot at twice, once
badly wounded, and only last week
a vacant frame house used by one
faction of that church was burned.
Great excitement has prevailed in
this city on this account. Threats
have been made against parties who
said or did anything towards bring
ing the guilty parties to justice. Our
sheriff and prosecuting attorney in
the meantime have been doing all in
their power, assisted by others, to
find the guilty parties. Their
efforts have been crowned by success.
A few weeks since they employed an
intelligent colored boy to assist them,
and this morning Ann Crockett, who
the LEDGER stated sometime since
knew something about the affair, was
arrested and On promise of leniency
turned States evidence. The editor
of this paper, in company with the
sheriff and prosecuting attorney,
talked with her at the Jail as soon as
she was arrested. She said that she
burned the brick church and that she
done so because she was almost forced
to do it by other parties. There
is two factions IN the Baptist church
and she belonged to the Smith fac
ton. Smith was discharged and it
appears that lis friends did not pro-
pose for any one else to preach in the
church if he could not and so got up
a scheme to burn it. Ann Crockett
says that once, before the church was
burned. that she and Harriet Redman
after a talk started to burn it
but did not do it. She says this was
only few days before it was burned.
She also says that Smith, Mrs. Glov-
er and Harriet Redman repeatedly
asked her to burn the church and
that finally she did. She is now in
jail and will be held for the grand
jury. She also says that she knows
something about the fire that hap
pened this week. She says that Sal
lie Miller said that Rev. Young,
who preached in the vacant house of
c. W. Bakers, should never preach
there again. That night the house
was burned down. She says that the
night she burned the church down
Smith, Mrs. Redman and Mrs. Glow
er advised her to do it. She was
the sexton and had the keys.
She went down TO light up the church
for preaching but it rained and she
waited till late at night when she
threw trash over the floor and
touched it off, and then ran home,
She says she has been sorry thous.
and times but that these parties in
duced her to do it. She says that
Smith told her the other faction was
stealing all the money and was run
ming over them, that he had beer
turned out of the church and thai
the only way to get even was to burr
the church. After the above an6
other facts which it is not advisable
now to publish had been been CLEANED
the editor of this paper, in company
with the sheriff, deputy sheriff ant
constable, started out to arres
Smith, Mrs. Bedman who lives witt
Smith, and Rich Glover's wife.
Constable Gilbert went after Mrs
Glover, the rest went after Mrs. Red
man and Smith. Mrs. Redman wa
arrested, and said that Smith was il
st. Louis, at 1928 North Tenth st
Sheriff Woodward telegraphed at ono
to the chief of police at st. Louis t
arrest Smith. Deputy-Sheriff Henr.
Woodward went down on the Wabas
J tram at / :35 to st. Louis, and wi
bring Smith back tonight or in th
morning. Mrs. Redman wanted t
know what she was being arrested fol
and, on being interviewed, said sh
knew nothing about the burning tbs
she was at home the night OF the f1ft
She said she had heard that An
Crockett and Mrs. Glover knew a
about it, and that she had heard th'
Ella McKamy and Helen Nichnso
! knew who did it. She says she dl
not talk with Ann about burning Il
: house for Smith. She also heai
Geo. Gamble and John Miller 81
i, that Bro. Smith should never preat
in the church again. She did n
know whether they shot Smith,
that they burned the church. 81
also heard Malinda Lindsay say tn
if Smith did not preach in the churc