The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-26
THE DAILY ARGUS.
Saturday January 26, 1884.
A DOUBLE SHUTTLE.
Two Young Miscreants Shuttle Of
This Mortal Coil.
Account OF the Deed which Brought
the Vengeance of the Law
Il. Upon Thcm---Crime
Confessed.

Confessed.
Mous;T VERNON, lid, Jan. 26.-Notwith-
staining the severe cold, a greal crowd came
into town on account of the hanging of Zach
rder and John Anderson, the murderers
ut Vanwye The men prayed fervently
during the night, ate a hearty breakfast
in the morning, and professed to feel hope
full. Both men had become Methodists,
aud ministers were with them at an early
hour At noon they marched from the Jail
10 the scaffold, about fifty yards, in view of
the spectators, but the gallows was inclosed
being only twelve feet square, holding the
sheriff his assistants the ministers, and the
condemned, The hanging was, therefore,
t.rivate.- Anderson was very composed.
Snyder was emotional and prayed aloud
constantly. Anderson made q brief prayer.
Tbs trap was sprung at ll:5O Snyder's neck
was broken. Anderson struggled and twitched
for moment Life was extinct in Snyder
in seven minutes and in Anderson in
eight minutes Their bodies were cut down,
put il Collins, conveyed to Weisinger's under
taking establishment, and exposed to public
gaze.
The story of the crime is singularly brutal,
and, even in this age of horrors, reveals ap-
palling deprayity. In April, 1888, James
Eanwye left his home in Clayville, KY, and
came to Mount Vernon. He had some money
with him, ard he soon became acquainted
with the boys" of the town. He fell in conf
pany with John Anderson, a bootblack, who
introduced him to the different dives in the
village, and otherwise made himself agree
able.
When Anderson found that Vanwye had
money, he planned to rob him, but the plot
was never carried out Shortly after Van
yves arrival in Mount Vernon he secured
situation on farm near the city, and in
August he drew S3l, and on the evening be
fore he was murdered he went to the store of
Rosenbaum i Bro, with whom he deposited
IS Is. saying he had been robbed Of SIS the
night previous The next morning. Friday
August II, 1888, he drew his money deposited
the night before, and that was the last seen of
hlu until he was found dead. In the after
noon Of that day u large pool Of blood was
discovered on the river bank, Just east of the
city. Upon closer examination blood was
found near the waters edge, and neck-tie
stained with blood was found, containing
COliar-hutton in it. The river was dragged
immediately, but without discovering any
thing. Another search of the river was
made the next day Saturday, but with the
same result However, or Saturday morn
ing the body of dead boy was dis
covered living in the river near the embank-
mont by fisherman named Miller. who no
titled the proper authorities At the coro-
nor's inquest the body was identified as that
of the boy James Vanwye, by Burnett
Campbell, a notorious character of Mount
Vernon, Nanwye's throat was cut from
ear to ear, the jugu!ar vein was severed, and
bruises on the head showed that he had been
struck with heavy club
On the morning Of Monday, Burnett,
Campbell, Johnny Anderson and Zach Sny-
der were arrested by Officer Hoguge on sus-
picion. Sheriff Hayes, after the boys came
in his care, got to talking with them and, to
his astonishment, Snyder and Anderson
made a complete confession. Snyder was
taken out by the sheriff in the afternoon to
the place where the murder Was committed,
and he Snyder led the sheriff to where the
knife had been thrown away by Ander-
son, as Snyder claimed The sheriff
returned with Snyder and took young Ander-
son out to the spot, and the hat Of the muir
dered boy twas found where the young muir
derers had taken it-200 yards away, in a
cornfield
The result of this horrible crime may be
told by giving the confession Of Anderson,
verbatim. Being visited by reporter shortly
after his arrest, ne said: The name Of the
murdered boy was jim Vanwye, aged about
II years. l got acquainted with him in
saloon short time ago. Burnett and Camp
bell, Zach Snyder and others were
with him at the time. Me and Zach
planned the murder at the saloon last
Thursday night. Zach asked me where I
was going that night, and told him down to
Lbs; lilly Dean, prostitute; he then asked
me who was going with me, and l told him
jim (YaUwye.l Zach then said; When you
go down you pretend to go out to do a job,
and will be there and knock him down
= left Zach and Jim In Melton's
saloon, and when I went to Lbs they shortly
followed. then went to the house of Maud
Davis and stayed there all night. The next
morning l met Zach in Neiderest's saloon,
and he told me he had Jim in
a corn-feld that morning, but never
succeeded. He then said: Let's
go swimming; and me and Zach started
down to the river; found Jim there, and he
Joined us, and we all three went down to the
water We were in the water few minutes,
and, when we came out and dressed, Zach
said; Why don't you box that fellows He
can't outlook you l said; Maybe he CAM
and we walked up the hill Vanwye followed
and hit me with his fist, and we commenced
sparring in fun. He threw me, and we
clinched. / raised up, picked up small
stick and struck him over the head Zach
then struck him with a big club-we we're
both down on the ground. Zach rolled him
over and commenced choking him. / gave
the murdered boy my knife to cut his shoe
string before we went in swimming. Zach
cut his throat and returned my knife short
distance below where the officers found it.
l held his feet and legs while Zach did the
work. In the scuffls Jim lost his pocket
book, and picked it up. After we killed
him Zach got astradlle OF his head and
took hold OF his legs and we took him down
to the river, and Zach pitched him over
into the water. He was not dead yet, when
Zach waded out and stood on his body four
or five minutes We killed him for his money
We got SIS in ALL and Zach took
SO and gave me S..
When l went home Saturday night mother
asked me what had been doing, and asked
her what she meant. She stood by tue
bureau crying, and said that friend had
told her all about it. / then asked her to
explain, and she said she had run the cards
and every time she did so she saw death and
trouble in them. Father was lying between
the kitchen and smoke-house on a pillow,
drunk. Before / went to bed l told mother
all about the murder She advised me to
give the whole thing away, and told her as
soon as ! was arrested would do So
Three Negroes Hung.
CENTRE POINT, Ark, Jan. 20. - LigC
Thompson, Henry Carr and Charley Wright
three negroes, were hanged here
The three negroes were the leaders in g
IL. l. i. I'll la