The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-10-02
PINI0NED WHILE ASLEEP.


PoMERoy, o., September 25.-This morning
small-sized, lightweight man, attired in a
weather-worn suit Of butternut and jeans, and
with a wondering and unsafe look in his eye,
was taken from Jail in the custody of two dep
uty sherifIs and placed on board train on
route for the Columbus penitentiary to begin a
twenty year sentence. The prisoner was Han
son Willis, against whom there stands the
bloody record of four murders, with the fur
Their allegation that he shot and seriously
wounded fifth man. His record of crime
has seldom been paralleled outside of the wild
west beyond the Mississippi, and seems
impossible in the midst of the high civiiza-
ton and dense population of the middle Ohio
valley.
Hanson Willis, whose luck in escaping the
gallows as punishment for one of his crimes,
can only be attributed to the inclination OF the
authorities of this county to escape the iinan-
cial burden which prolonged trial would
place upon them, by accepting his preferred
plea OF murder In the second degree, has for
years been looked upon as one of the eccentric
characters common TO every community, but
until April Of this year he was never regarded
as o criminal. Ever since 1882 he has made
his babitation in u ilatboat, where he and his
wife and the latter's father, George w. Carter,
maintained q precarious existence doing odd
jobs for river men or farmers along the banks
Of the Ohio, Some times the boat was tied to
the West Virginia shore, and again to the
Ohio side, its location varying fifty miles up
and down the stream. Little was known OF
Williss anteeedents by the people along the
valley, except that he had come among them
from some point down stream. On this sub
ject Willis always displayed adisnclnation to
speak, and as he was the possessor OF vicious
temper, no ono cared to question him too
closely to satisfy mere curiosity.
Soon after the election of President Cleve-
land IN 1851, Willis. who up to that time had
excited no particular attention, suddenly ap-
peared on the outside of his house boat with q
large can OF fiery red paint, which he proceed
ed TO distribute evenly over the outside OF his
floating domleile. Upon the Ganguinary back
Rround thus obtained Willis painted ia wLits
letters q foot long the name, Hanson Grover
Cleveland Willis" This was accompanied with
a rude outline sketch of O revolver OF mammoth
proportions, and beneath was the warn
ing, beware Of me!' This peculiar freak
was for months i'll plain view of all the travel
up and down the river, and led to innumer-
able questions as To the identity of Willis and
his peculiarities, and he soon had q wide no.
toriety.
On the evening of March IA last, Willis's
boat was moored on the Ohio side OF the river,
few miles north of this city. Willis and his
father-in law, Carter, were present in the boat
with Mrs. Willis The two men had been drink
ing and quarrelling at intervals, and the woman
had good deal OF trouble to keep peace. At
last she told them to go out on tho beach and
she would prepare supper. They accordingly
passed through the door, Carter III the lead. A
moment after he disappeared there was q re-
volyer shot, and Carter plunged off tho plank
shot through the head. Mrs. Willis, hoping
to save the life of her father and at the same
time prevent her husband from becoming q
murderer, sprang from the boat and
but she was rudely pushed aside by the
infuriated Willis, who fired FIVE ad-
ditional shots into the body of his victim.
Mrs. Willis fed to Poineroy, with tho double
purpose Of there seeking safety from her hus-
band and OF acquainting the authorities with
the details OF tie crime, and in e few hours an
armed posse OF men wcro en- route for the
scene of the murder. The body Of Carter was
found lying whoreit had fallen, but Wills was
missing, and with him had gone his Winchester
rifle and two reyolyers. Inquiry developed the
fact that he had crossed into West Virginia.
and thither his pursuers followed him and
were soon hot on his trail, being reinforced
by many citizens Of Jackson county, through
the forests and mountains Of which the muir
deror was fleeing. The pursuit'was continued
into the night, boing conducted all the more
keenly because Of information given by Mrs
Willis that, in addition TO the murder OF her
father, Willis had killed o man and his wife
named Jennings in boat house near Point
Pleasant, West Virginia, five years before
and had secreted tho bodies by weighting
them down TO the bottom Of tho Ohio with
heavy stones,
Tho pursuit OF Willis was continued for
about fifteen miles, and then, there being
some doubt as TO the course he had taken, the
party divided into several squads. One Of
these squads was surprised by the fugitive In q
thick piece of woods some time after mid
night, and dozen or more shots we're OK
changed. Willis escaped unhurt, but young
Jackson county citizen named Thornton was
killed by the outlaw, and another OF the pur-
guers wounded,
That was the last seen OF Willis for several
days, when a farmer, walking along q road on
the Ohio side OF the river, suddenly saw the
murderer sitting on the top rail OF fence with
his Winchester lying across his knees. Seeing
he had been recognized, Willis told tho farmer
that he would never be taken alive and that
he would promptly kill any one attempting TO
modest him. Several times during the ensuing
week he was seen along the river but no at
tempt was made to arrest him.
On tie morning OF April 8, Willis boarded
the little steamer Ben Hur, plying between
Portsmouth and Wheeling, and paying his
passage TO Wheeling. lie was almost in
Btantly recognized, but no one on the boat
cared to run tho danger by pretending TO
know him, and nothing occurred until Willis
found that the boat ran up stream only as far
as Wheeling. He said he wanted 10 20 TO
Pittsburg, and during tho evening
hailed passing Pittsburg towboat and
asked TO DO taken on board, but the officers
Of the boat refused TO carry him. The Ben
Hur arrived at tho Wheeling wharf about
o'clock on the morning OF April 8, and as viii
lis was lying asleep on pile OF freight his
Winchester was takon from him and seereted
by some Of tho deck hands, while others went
in search Of the police. Thoy returned with
Officers Shorts and Wilkie. Ono of tho
deck hands led the way 70 tho spot
where Wills lay, and, pointing him
out, said, That's him." and Mt
once skipped out for tho stern OF
the steamer where the rest Of the crew had
gathered out OF reach OF tho bullets they ex-
pectod to hear soon whistling through the air.
Onicer Shorts stopped over Willis and gently
raised the edge Of his SLOUGH hat, and then a
whispered consultation with Wilkie resulted