Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-03-09
A Brutal Crime.

The bodies of Miss Carrie Rains and Miss
Ella Humphreys, were found on the planta-
tion of George Vinsen, in Baldwin county
Ga, on Friday morning. The women had
been brutally assaulted and then shot to
death The tracks showed the presence of
male companion, who struggled irst with
one Of the girls, and then, as both were at
different distances from him In flight, shot
them down. Frank Humphreys, the sup
posed murderer, said that on the evening
before, his wife being sick, he called at the
house of his half brother, E. J. Humphreys,
and asked his sisterin-law, Miss Carrie
Rains, to go home with him. She demur-
red at tirst but later, OH the offer of Miss
Ella Humphreys, Franks niece, to accom-
pany her, both women started out in the
dark with him. When near pine thicket,
two miles from his brothers. house, four men
with masks on suddenly attacked him. He
SAYS that two of them had double barrelled
breech-loading shotguns in their hands
and the Others were armed with knives and
pistols. He was struck on the head with n
sand bag, and as he was falling he fired
both barrels Of his gun which Miss Raine
was carrying for him, at his assailant. The
ladies screamed and he fell over and became
unconscious and knows nothing that hap
pened after that until he recovered, near
morning. He found that the bodies of the
girls had been dragged into the woods a
short distance from where the fight 10 TX
place.
Miss Humphreys arms were stretched
above her head, and there was evidence
that she had been assaulted. The bodies of
the murdered ladies presented ghastly ap
pearance and their clothes were torn aid
rumpled.
The Investigation by the coroner soon de-
veloped en even greater sensation than did
the killing IL was shown that when Frank
reached home he had blood on his wrist.
bands; that stains were on various articles
of clothing; that he had hidden these arti
cles and they could not be found. An cx.
animation OF the tracks showed that but
three persons, the man aud the two women,
bad been present. There was no evidence
to show the presence of the four masked d
| men. It was also shown that Humphrey 9
had not lain unconscious on the spot al
night. but had spent most of the night at
Ben Ford's house, where he exhibited symp-
toms Of alarm.
Finally, when the chain Of circumstances
had been firmly drawn, Frank would ha, e
| been lynched had not the Sheriff hurried y
driven him to Miledseville, where he IVES
placed in jail Miss Rains was about thirty
five years old and Miss Humphreys about
twenty-five. Frank Humphreys is about
thirty-fve years old, and has borne the rep
utation OF 81 law-abiding man. He is well
to do farmer, with wife and three children.
Miss Rains was shot through the head. Miss
Humphreys ran perhaps twelve feet before
she was shot. Her jugular vein was severed
with knife. The murderer had dragged
the bodies into The thicket. The prisoner
still protests his innocence. His eyes have
a wild and staring look, and there are many
| evidences that he is the murderer. A pud-
die of blood in the road where the young
| woman fell had been covered up with a
mans foot The hands of the bodies were
clenched as if they had struggled for life.
The coroner's jury found that Frank Hum
phreys was guilty of the murder.