The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-16
THIEVES PULL TOGETHER
OARS BROKEN OPEN AND ROBBED
AND HOUSES PLUNDERED.

Colored Woman Gets Fer One
Suspicious Lot of Jewelry and Tim
Pieces-A Clue to Bigger Stealings.
There have been some daring robberies OF
the lines of the Central railroad and tn
. the Atlantic Coast Line in the past twt
weeks. Freight cars have been broken int
with axes, and jewelry, cutlery and othel
merchandise stolen. Even bales of cotton
have been dumped out, conveyed to plact
of concealment, the brands cut out, the bag
ging patched, and under cover of darkness
brought to the city and sold readily.
On Friday last a negro by the name Of
Phil Henry was arrested by Constable
McDermott on suspicion of completely in
the theft of cotton from the Charleston and
Savannah railway, and was committed t.
ial by Justice Eudres Last night II. II.
Frierson was arrested on the affidavit of F.
A. Jones, freight agent of the Central rail
road, charging Frierson with being acces-
sorry before the fact to breaking INTO car
on Tuesday night last and stealing a bale Of
cotton of the value of $40. FrersOn gave
bail in the sum of 500, which was fur
nished later on.
LOOKING UP THE CASE.
The case has been very diligently worked
by Constable McDermott. One day last
week one of the officials of the Charleston
and Savannah railway reported to Officer
McDermott that three bales of cotton,
shipped over the Atlantic Coast Line, had
not reached their destination in this city
One was missing Oct. 5. 1t was marked
NJ & B. B., from DR.. Nj. Bellenger, and
shipped from Hattersville, S. c., 60 G. L.
Montague d Co. The other two we're from
W. ?. Wilcox, and shipped from Allendale.
70 g. n md
missing Oct. s. One of these bales has since
turned up all right.
When Phil Henry was arrested be main
tanned strict reticence until he learned
that McDermott had got a clew to his con-
nection with some cotton stealing. 1t
was learned that ON the night of
Oct. 8 he had driven a cart out
of town and brought a bale Of cotton
into the city before daybreak, in Frier-
sons cart and into Friersons lot. That
later in the forenoon Henry was seen with
two S. bills; that Frierson had sold bale
of cotton to Decker & Fawcett on that dav,
and Henry had driven the cart back from
Decker & Fawcett's to Frierson's premises
on Ann and Olive streets.
TOLD THE STORY.
When confronted with these facts, Henry
: weakened and informed the arresting officer
that a negro by the name Of Heartless
LOdCOH DIOhCl lulO Il Gar Oh bu6 OcUUTdl
road and thrown off bale of cotton near
the fair grounds That it was understood
between Bacon and Frierson that the latter
should furnish mule and cart to bring the
bale of cotton into the city that night
Henry says that the arrangement was that
he should drive the cart and Frerson
should go along riding a mule, but that
Frierson concluded that it would be best
not to go along, but that Henry should take
the mule and cart and go after the cotton.
He hitched up the mule, and when he
got to the place agreed upon Bacon
had rolled the cotton near the roadway
and was standing guard with a double
bareled shot gun and an ak. Henry aud
Bacon then loaded the cotton in the cart
and drove it to Friersoa's, arriving there
between 3 O'Clock and 4 o'clock in the morn
ing. Frierson sold the cotton and the
money was equally divided by Frierson be-
tween himself, Bacon and Henry.
RAILROAD OFFICIALS SURPRISED.
When Officer McDermott learned this he
visited Supt Hege and Freight Agent Jones,
of the Central, to inquire if they had lost
any cotton. Here it was found that on the
day that Frierson sold the bale of cotton
three bales were missing. One was from
Montgomery marked ~. B. j." one from
Waynesboro marked "W. N. j." and one
from Eufaula marked ZONE O."
Officer McDermott then visited Decker
& Fawcett, where it was learned that on
wednesday last Frierson had delivered
them bale of cotton. 1t was not branded
and when questioned, Frierson said he had
brought it from Liberty county. Henry
was then committed to jai Friday night
and diligent search was made for Bacon.
But Bacon could not be found, although
Frierson's place was spotted and put under
close espionage. Saturday Frierson's wife
appeared in Justice Endres' office and com
planned of what she called "McDermott's
spies" about the place, and, not getting
much satisfaction, she visited Justice No
lna's Office with a like complaint.
FRIERsoN ARRESTED.
Despairing of arresting Bacon Yesterday
1t was thought best to arrest Frierson, as
the game was flushed. Last night shortly
after nightfall Officer McDermott, armed
with warrant, and accompanied by a
MORNING NEWS reporter, went to Frier-
sons place, a barroom, eating house and
small grocery, and Frierson was placed
under arrest Mrs. Frierson was prepared
for the service of the warrant
The reporter asked Frierson if he had anv
statement to make, and he remarked that
he was not gong to criminate himself. The
Central railroad, he said, could not prove
that the cotton he had sold was cotton taken
from their train. he said that Heartless
Bacon was a "myth" and he re-
marked to Officer McDermott, 'You
couldn't find such person." He
did not know what statement Henry
had made, and declined to say where he had
sold the cotton. Officer McDermott said to
Frierson that he had used rather strong
language to the reporter, who had sought
only to get his version of the matter, and
Mrs. Frierson then took up the subject.
She criticized her husband for the manner
of answering, and then proceeded to detail
the matter from her standpoint.
FRIERsoN's wIFE's STORY.
Mrs. Friersons story is that Mary Bacon,
q colored woman living in Indian street
lane, near West Broad had first introduced
Henry to her as a horse doctor and she EN-.
ployed him to treat a mule Mary had
frequently tried to get mule and cart for
her friend, Henry, and on the morning Of
the night that Henry had gone
after the cotton she had tried
to get the mule and cart for him. That
night, however, she had consented to let
Henry have the mule and cart for s..
Henry said that his brother-n-law, living
five miles out of town, owed him money.
and that il he did not slip up on him at
night and get bale Of cotton for the debt
he would never get it. If any blame at
tached to the renting Of the mule and cart,
he said, it was hers; that IL was understood
she was to he paid 50 when the cotton was
sold and that her husband sold the cotton
and retaining her s., paid the rest n Henry.
Henry had narrowed fiftv cants from har "a