Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-16
CRAZED IN A CEMETERY.
A CONYERS BOY RUINS TONIBS
AND FIRES BUILDINGS.

Twelve Alarms in a Night Throw the
Town into -GravestOnes
and Monuments RuthIessIy Desecrated
An Insane Lad of the Village at the
Bottom of the Work
ATLANTA, GA, Sept. 15.-information
reached here to-day from Conyers to the
effect that that quiet little town is under
gong great excitement, caused by the ar
rest of Tom Marston (colored), who is
charged with having in the past few days
desecrated a number of burial lots in the
cemetery and then set fire to nearly a
dozen cottages and buildings in the town.
He began his work Friday night, going to
the cemetery and laying waste the hand
soonest monuments, among them the
monument of T. G. Posey's parents. He
broke the head slab of the father and
the foot slab of the mother. He also broke
the head slab in W. j. Huson's lot. He
tore off the dove from G. J. Huson's
little girls grave. broke the head slab of
b. j. MOrbett's father, tore up and de-
stroyed the shaftO Jasper Hamby's wife,
turned over and threw down the shaft
over j. W. BelPs wife, of Harlem, Ga,
and turned over the shaft of Mrs. Dora
Smiths grave. Flowers planted by low
ing hands over the graves of their loved
ones who had passed on before were torn
up by their roots. Vases and other re-
ceptacles for the flowers were smashed
into pieces, shrubbery broken down, and
in fact everything done which would help
destroy the beauty of the city of the dead
and send pangs of sorrow to the hearts of
relatives of the dead ones.
INCENDIARIsM BEGUN.
Gof nj o5%
ing, the torch was applied to the Method
ist Church and the house of God was
almost entirely destroyed. Sunday morn
ing the citizens could be seen in little
groups standing in the streets discussing
the terrible work of Friday and Saturday
nights. About 8 O'Clock the fire alarm
sounded, and soon it was discovered that
an clubhouse on the premises of Mr..
Winburn was on fire, but by diligent
work the flames were eXtinguished before
much damage had been done. The work
of putting out this fire was hardly finished
before another alarm was given, and
crowds of men and women ran over the
streets in every direction. The fire was
found to be Mr.. Cox's gin house, and the
hardest work was required to put it out.
FEARS FOR THE TOWNS SAFETY.
By this time the citizens began to think
that the entire town would be burned in
spite of all they could do, and the greatest
excitement prevailed. Many of them
went to their homes, pOcketed
their valuables, armed themselves
and prepared for the worst.
Things remained quiet, however, until
about dark, when again an alarm of fire
was sounded, and in the suburbs of the
little city bright light told them that the
fire fiend was doing his work. This time
IN hn in
dwelling, and was extinguished be-
fore the structure was consumed.
Within the next three hours three more
houses were burned, but in each case the
fire was eXtinguished before much dam
age was done. AboUt.9 o'clock some par
ties saw man applying the torch to the
panel of fence, but when they APP
preached him he ran off like deer
CHASING THE CULPRIT.
They pursued and overlook him in the
road. They told him that if he didn't
give up they would shoot him. 81 will
never do it,' he said, and sprang off again
followed by several shots, one taking
effect in his hip. This failed to stop him,
and he made his escape. The party re-
turned to the city and secured posse of
men and went to the place where he was
last seen. They had almost abandoned
the idea of finding him when
he was discovered concealed in patch
of weeds. He sprang up to run as soon
as discovered, when the posse began fir
ing at him. Three shots took effect before
he fell. He only remained down a mo-
ment before he arose and said: sit is
Gods work. D-n you, | will kill the
first man who comes near me-" and fired
twice.
BOY OF THE TOWN.
bn ir, IL,
him and were astonished to find it to be
boy we'll known to them, and who had
lived in the town all his life, Tom Marston,
whom they did not in the least suspect, as
he had always been a good, quiet, inOffen-
siYe boy. An examination of his wounds
showed that he was shot in his left
hip and right arm with a load of small
shot. A bullet was also found in the pit
of the stomach ranging to the right side,
and three shots in his head. It is be-
lieved that the wound in the pit of his
carried to the court house and
closely guarded. He talked freely
and seemed to look on the matter lightly.
He said that it was the work of God
through him.
EVIDENCES OF INSANITY.
81 was on my way to burn the Christian
it yet. You have caught but not con-
quered me. l am Gods agent and was
sent to do the work. 1t must be DONE"
During the night he suffered much, but
stood it manfully. When shot down he
still held the torch in his hand and carried
it with him to the court house, He
talked freely of what he had done,
giving every evidence that he was crazy.
He is between Is and 10 years of age, and
has always been noted as a good boy, at
tending Sunday school and church regu-
larly. After he had fired the house on
Mr.. Winburn's premises, he lodged
around and went to church with them.
This morning he said: II am the only
man in Georgia smart enough to raise
hi, and L am going to do it." His parents
are highly respected, and the people SYM
pathize with them greatly. They say that
their son has been acting strangely for
several weeks, and they feared that some
thing was wrong. About six weeks ago,
the boys teacher found him sitting on the