The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-29

! as to the identity Of the man, nor any trace
| of the murderer was ever found An old
negro man and woman testified that, COM
| ing up the railroad just after dark the night
| before the man was found murdered
| they saw three men sitting around
camp fire near the place OF the murder.
| Several months-possibly a year-after-
ward a convict's suit of clothes was found
hid away under some brush near by. The
circumstances suggested that one of the
men camping was an escaped convict
and murdered the man for his clothes
| in order to avoid detection by his
stripes. The body Of the murdered
man was buried at Kingston and moth
ing more was ever heard of the circum-
stance until last week lawyer from Green
vile, s. c., was here tracing up the MUIR
der. A fortune of e5, 900 was recently left
by a relative in England to the only sun Of
widow lady living in Greenville, S. C.
Her son left home ten years ago, and has
never since been heard from. She has en-
gagged the services of this lawyer, who has
traced the young man to Atlanta, thence to
Gainesville, then to Rome, back to Car
tersvllle. then to Kingston, where he lost
trace Of him. The year and time of the
murder corresponds with the time the
young man left home. The widow lady is
poor, and of course il 1t can be proved that
her son is dead, she can come into possession
of the legacy.
A brief account Of the Prospect church
murder has been published. The Walton
NetUs gives the following details On Friday
night last supper was given at Prospect,
a negro church, six miles above Walton.
And, as is usual on such occasions, a large
crowd was in attendance. Things passed
off peacelbly and quietly until about mid
night, when the crowd left the church.
Some of the negroes had drank little too
much "red-eye" and began quarrelng. This
was kept up until about $50 yards from the
church, when several pistols were drawn
and shooting commenced in earnest. Some
of the more peaceable negroes attempted to
quell the riot, but failed. There were two
posses firing at each other at the same time,
and when Alexander was shot, and fell
dead, William Polk accused Charley Cooper
of firing the fatal shot. This caused a fight
between them. Polk picked up rock, but
before he had time to use it Cooper struck
him a severe blow on the head with piece
of fence rail and skipped. Early Saturday
morning Polk came TO town and swore out
warrants for Capt. jackson, Willis John
son, Scott Long and Charley Cooper, all
colored. Three of these were put under
arrest, but Cooper made good his escape
Sam Alexander. the negro who was killed.
had been working Ave miles from the scene
of the murder. The ball that killed him
enteTeu MS neau Jusb peloW Inc Ielt Deuple,
between the eye and the lower part of the
ear, and death was instantaneous. Sheriffs
Knight and Smith, Coroner Chain, and
others from town, reached there about IL
O'Clock Saturday morning, for the purpose
of investigation and to hold an Inquest
The dead negro was found few PAGES from
where he had fallen, having been removed
in the shade Of walnut tree, and was par
TALLY shrouded with a counterpane. After
hearing the evidence the jury returned
verdict that Alexander came to his death
by pistol shot in the hand Of Charley
Cooper (colored).