The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-03
HUNTING GILL'S SLAYER.
HENRY MATHIS STORY OF THE
POOLER TRAGEDY.


Bird Cabin after the Murder-Bird's
Familiarity with the Surrounding
He Tells Mathis where to Look for
the Tell-Tale Musket - Disproving
Birds Story of How He Got the
Iiver-Confiicting Stories About the
Two Men on the Railroad.
A new feature in the Gill case was devel-
oped yesterday and grew out of the arrest
of Henry Mathis, who has all along been
alluded to as Henry Marcus
Detective Wetherhorn arrested Mathis
yesterday morning at the steamer St
Nicholas wharf, and a more dilapidated
case of tramp in the shape of negro was
never taken into custody in this or any
other country. His garments, if such a
bundle of rags can be dignified by the ap-
pellation, were as full of holes as a sitter,
and his copper-colored cuticle was not more
than half covered. His pantaloons, coat
and shirt were airy to the last degree, and
the shreds, rents and patches were a
curiosity. How he managed to keep from
falling through the holes in his trousers is a
conundrum that no fellow can find out.
His haiti wasn't a hat-was a piece of
black felt which at one time might have
served as hat band, but it is only streak
of black now.
A MORNING NEWS reporter had a long
interview with Mathis last night, and if his
story is true, Rafe Bird knows more about
the murder of Joe Gill than he has yet told,
or is likely to tell. OF the two narratives
that of Henry Mathis is the most straight
forward, frank and plausible, and it differs
materially from the contradictory stories of
ri Mt n
negro, 81 years old next Christmas
day, and who came down from Augusta
on the steamer Katie last summer. He
was taken sick and was admitted to the
hospital, and after his recovery he has
worked about here and there, part of the
time in Savannah and part of the time in
the country.
MATHIS STRAIGHT STORY.
His version of the Pooler affair is given
below and wherein it conflicts with Birds
statement is noted. Mathis saws that on
the Friday morning of the day that Gill
was killed he was up first and that Bird did
not wake him. He heard no gun fired that
morning, as Birds wife says she did, aud
Bird and his wife had no such conversation
about shot as she alleges. When Mathis
went to Murnelps to work that morning it
was the first time, he said, that Bird and
his wife had ever failed TO go with him. On
they would come after awhile. Bird and his
wife must have staid back fully two hours.
1t was only fifteen-minute walk to Gill
town, and on that morning for the first time
Sam, the boy, was also left at home
Mathis says that Bird had little else to eat
than the offal of the chickens he killed, and
he did not raise anything, having only four
stalks of sugar cane that were given him
and a few hills of vegetables. The family
were often out of bread, and once Mathis
bought sack of flour and some butter and
divided with them. He did not eat with
them at any time. He says that on the
night of the murder it is not true, as Bird
claimed, that they slept at all, or in chairs,
as Bird alleges. There was but one chair.
and that broken one, in Birds cabin, and
Birds wife occupied it.
GETTING AWAY WITH THE BEEF,
Mathis detailed the carrying of ellis
body to Birds house and the return for the
beef. Bird, Graham and himself went for
1t upon the order Of Joe Ferrill and Marion
Gill There was no liver, heart nor lights in
the sack with the head and tripe which Bird
carried. Graham carried the sack with the
hind quarters and himself the sack with the
two fore quarters, to which the neck was
attached. There was no liver, he said, in
this sack, and it did not drop out as Bird
stated. Bird wanted Mathis to help him
cut off the neck and hide it and he refused
and then Bird finding that he could not
well do it himself abandoned the theft of
the neck On Saturday the boy Sam said
that he intended to get the liver, and when
Mathis asked him how he would get it he
wouldn't tell, but repeated, ''rm gwine to
get de libber"
After o'clock railroad time), while thew
were all sitting outside in front of the house,
a man came along at the back of the house
and said: Hello, Rafep and when Bird
answered, the man told him to step out. as
he wanted to see him. Bird did so, and the
two went off down the dirt road together.
Bird was gone about half an hour. When
he returned Mathis asked who it was with
him, and Bird told him it was man inquir-
ing his way down the road piece
RAFE BIRDS VISITORS.
In about half an hour some one hol-
Tered "hellon at tho back door again.
and when Bird answered, the man asked.
us Rafe Bird hereF and Bird said, "Yes. "
That man said, "Step out wants to see
you" and the two went down the dirt road
and were gone about ten or fifteen minutes.
When Bird came back again Mathis said TO
him, ''Now, who's dat onep and Bird said
1T was countryman, on cart, who wanted
TO know the way, and how far it was to
Mumlock's. Mumlock's store is only milo
down the straight road from Birds After
awhile Mathis says that another man came
along and called Bird out, and Bird said il
was Mr. Oliver, whom Gill had sent to see
if be had got the beef out Of the swami.
After this Bird and he went up to where
ellis body had been taken to Gilltown,
where they sat up until the chickens were
Growing for day, and it was daylight when
they got to Birds house.
Saturday morning Birds conduct, as de-
tailed by Mathis, in the negborhood of the
killing, was very suspicious They were
sent by Marion Gill, Mathis says, t. get Joe
Gilrs gun and hat. Bird readily took
Mathis to the hole in a ditch where the in
testines had been buried; the entrails had
been pulled out, and part of them were
gone. Bird seemed TO be familiar with the
ground.
ONE BARREL WAS EMPTY.
The gun and hat were found where Joe
Gill was killed, and only one barrel of the
gun was loaded. Bird told me.u said
Mathis, Ito look between the stump and
the log behind where the beef had been
killed, and see if didn't find another gun.
! did look there and found the musket
where he said. He couldn't have seen
it from where he was standing.
] said here's de gun nowr ! examined do
gun to see if it had been shot off, and when
! dropped de ramrod in | found il was
empty, and / said de gun is been shot OFF,
and Bird said i knowed it had dun bin shot