Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-09
JEALOUSY'S MAD WORK.
laura sEABROOKE CHOKEDT TO
DEATH BY HER LOVER.

Abe CorOner's Investigation OF the Lou
isvIne Road Tragedy-sydney MoCiea-
~ Charged with the CrIme-The MARKS
OF the Murderer's Fingers Upon the
Dead Woman's Neck-The Result of the
Inquest.
Yesterday forenoon Coroner Dixon Wis
tted the scene Of the supposed murder on
the Louisville road. The house in which
Laura seabrooke's body was found IS a
mile or more beyond Station Nc. / on the
Central railroad, and is located in a rather
lonesome and out Of the way place.
Before the Coroner arrived crowd OF
negroes, numbering a hundred or more
assembled about the cabin. They eagerly
discussed the crime, and fixed il upon a
negro named sydney McCleary. This man
was known 10 have lived with Laura sea-
brook for some time before her death, and
he was seen at the house by two parues
on the night of the murder.
That the woman was murdered there Is
little doubt. Her neck plainly shows
finger marks as though she had been
chOked 10 death. One OF two of the marks
were especially plain and showed the out
lines Of a finger. Another circumstance
which increased the suspicion against
McClearv was his flight. The suspicion
against him on Monday was so strong
that Magistrate y. T. Shettall issued
warrant for his arrest. Constable David
SOlOmOns was sent to the turpentlne camp
on Mr.. NeWtOn's farm, where McCleary
worked The suspected man was awak-
ened and the constable began TO search
him. just as he was about TO handcuf
bis prisoner McCleary pushed Doc Ha-
gems. a fellow workman, between him.
self and the constable. broke away and
disappeared in the woods. SO!OmOns nred
az the fugitive. but McClearydid not stop.
The Coroner had no trouble in getting
Jury. Lizzie Payne, the cOlored woman
who was the frst person that discovered
the dead body, testified that she and Lydia
Adams went 10 the house together to
visit Laura SeabrOok about noon on Mon
dav. The doors were fastened and the
witness raised a window to look In, when
she did she saw the dead body lying on
the bed. She afterwards went in the
house and noticed that the things seemed
TO be strewn about. The body was COW
cred with the bed clothing, but the feet
projected and were uncovered. The wit
ness also saw some gun or pistol caps on
the floor. This evidence was cOTr0bOrated
BY Lydia Adams.
Virginia Cusped and Doc Hagens, both
colored, were sworn. The two were at the
house early Sunday night. They saw
MCleary there, and both testified
that he was drunk, but seemed IN a good
humOr. He asked Laura SeahrOoke some
thing about her trip to Savannah, she
having just returned that evening. The
witnesses also testified that McCleary said
he intended 10 so 70 Savannah in few
DAYS and buy pistol and be swOre that he
would use it If he had TO hang for it. Nc
Cleary seemed to be jealous OF some one.
Hagens and the woman Cusped left the
house rather late, and did not hear any
thing Of the murder until the next night.
Hagens worked at the same camp with
McCleary, and was there on Monday
night when the Constable went to arrest
McCleary. The Cusped woman stated
that on Sunday night before she left the
house in which the murder was commit
ted Laura begged her to stay until morn
ing, but she declined.
The jury decided that the woman had
been murdered by McCleary, and they
found a verdict in accordance with that
belief.
McCleary is said TO be originally from
North Carolina, and il is supposed that
be will travel that way. He is well
known ia Savannah by some Of the col
cred people, and if he remains in the
county he will probably be caught. Sheriff
Roman sent a man who knows McCleary
out in the country last night. No one
else is suspected,