The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-06-21
THE ASHLAND HORROR.

IL
Three CoIored Men Arrested for the Con,
IuissiOn OF the Crime-AlIeged Confession
0fwilIiam DireIy-The Ashland People
Discretlit the story-Neal land Craft he.
jolce Over the News.
COLUMBUS, O., June 13.
Bill Direly, colorsd, was arrested here
yesterday by detectives on suspicion of be-
ing one of the men connected with the hor-
Eible tragedy at Ashland, KY, in the winter
of 1881, in which Fannie and Robbie Glib
bons and Emma Carrico were murdered,
the two girls being first viciously assaulted
by the murderers and the house being
afterward burned.
1t is also reported that Reuben Kendall,
colored, was arrested yesterday afternoon
at Cassville, W. Va, and Dabney Jones,
celored, at Coalsburg, W. Va, for COM
plicity in the same terrible crime. The ar.
rests are based upon alleged confessions of
the crime made by Direly to a colored man
employed to work in the case, and to EN-
ma Twine, colored girl at Charleston, W.
Direly's alleged statement is to the effect
that the deed was first proposed to him by
two other colored men, one of whom he
said was Dabney Jones, in a saloon at
Ashland.
81 left them, and did not think they
meant it," said he. "But they came to my
shanty after it was late. Mary Minor and
others were in there. They told me to
come on; so went out and saw them be-
fore dressing, and then went back and
dressed and put on my rubber boots and
went up there. They went in first, and
watched. When they got in the little boy
jumped up and said they were not going to
| do anything like that. Then the big one
hit the cripple on the head with an ak, and
he fell over on his face under, the 1tairs
near the closet: After they were
started in and met them coming
out. The boy and little girl were dead, and
| the big one was sitting on the floor near the
| corner with her head on her hand, and was
| very much scared and excited. l told her
! what l wanted. She said no, and fought
me, but I succeeded twice. And then the
other two came back, and we got oil out of
| the closet and finished the job, and they
were fixed so as to leave no trace. We
went up above town to the bridge and fixed
| 1t to say nothing, and then l skipped
| across the field and round next to the river
and home. I saw one of them at the bar
room next day. They asked me what
was going to do about it, so concluded
not to stay there any longer. I walked to
Huntington and took the train to Charles
| ton."
He further said: 81 found some money,
a gold ring and a bracelet on the floor. I
kept the money, ana gave the bracelet to
| EN- Twine and the ring to Mary Jane
Miller. The bracelet is brass, with white
woman's head on it and is cracked. George
Ellis is liar and ought to have been hung,
| for there was not a white man in it. They
was gentlemen, though. Them as was in
Jail was innocent, but the detectives warn't
smart enough to catch the right men,"
| The bracelet and ring referred to have
been secured by the detectives, who claim
| that they answer the description given by
the murdered children's mother.
| Direly did not give the name of Kendall,
as one of his accomplices, but it is charged
that the latter left Ashland the morning
after the murder very mysteriously, throw
| ing away his trunk on the road, and upon
the suspicion thus cast upon his move
| ments he was arrested.
| For this crime, which it is alleged Direly
confesses to having committed in company
with the other two, George Ellis was
Ellis Craft and VIM. Neal were sentenced
| to hang. Both the latter were granted new
| trials, and Craft was again sentenced to
hang. Neal is yet to be tried.
INTERVENE WITH NEAL AND CRAFT.
LEXINGTON, Ky, June lathe regnant
.tion, which is discussed everywhere on the
| streets and at home. As soon as the report
was read number of newspaper reporters
| wended their way to the Jail, and on being
| ridor on box, having finished reading the
account, and had handed the paper to Neal
The first shock over, the first words were
of thankfulness to Providence for His pro
lection, and then said that he knew his in
nocence would at last be discovered, and
that he would not be hung for crime he
did not commit. Neal shortly after came in
| and the visitors piled him with numerou:
questions, all of which were replied t.
| seemingly with forced calmness, and al
they labored under. Neal occasionally
would become impatient when the same
questions would be reiterated, while Graf
being the spokesman as usual, answered al
| questions with considerable control. Ht
said that he always felt secure, knowing
his innocence would one day be proven
that he always had a clean heart and fell
that Providence would not desert him. Or
being asked if he knew any of the negroe,
who had been arrested he replied in thu
guilty ones would be caught sometime
consequently he lived in hope; had Away
said they might as well take a child ant
hang it as hang him. Craft also spoke of tn
crime, saying that he knew nothing abou
the crime he had been arrested for; that tn
they could, yet he bore them no malice, ant
il the Lord forgave them he could also. H
didn't know Burnett, the detective, but ex
pressed rather strongly his opinion of Hef
to which Neal heartily agreed, comment
ing on Hefiin's mendacity. Craft then con
tinued: 81 was raised honest and true
and troubled no one, and those that hav
injured us will have it to answer for SOM
day. can forgive them if the Lord can
took the matter coolly, for knew wa
innocent, and if placed on the gallows
would say the same"
Neal was then asked about Ellis motive
in making the statements that he did, re
me. 1 feel now as 1 always did, the sam
old Neal. No man that knows us can sa.
anything against us. Craft and 1 hav
worked together peacefully, and for men t
treat us as they did is the most scandalou
thing in the world"
Gauging public opinion it seems as il /
is pretty well divided, some accepting tn
late version, others sticking to the frs
story, duplicating Neal and Craft.
A colored prisoner in Jail this morning
for this Ashland murder, was about to a:
sault Craft, saying: "Of course, had to tr
and lay it on a Niger" Many colore
folks outside of the Jail express themselve
similarly.
REGARD IT HOAX.
ASHLAND, KY, June 13.-The citizens {
Ashland think the arrest of the negroes fc
the Gibbons murder is hoax. 1t hs
caused no excitement here. One of til
negroes arrested has been brought to Ca
lettsburg, but the fact is hardly mentioned
1t is what the people here thought woul
be done as the last effort to save Craft
> neck. A correspondent talked with man
of the citizens this morning, and they a
: treat the subject as joke.
, MIR. Lola Scott, the Greek hal
breed has certainly furnished evident
that his people have progressed in spi
of the disturbed state of affairs in IL
Territory. He says that fifty years az
5 he used to paint and go to war dane,
l with the rest of the braves, but With
$ the past twenty years he has joined th
Baptist Church, helped to sell 800 sew
$ ing machines, and seen reapers CON
e into general use among the tribe. Eve
| ;E likfla for,,ilrx c,,,orral %