The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-13
THE GILL MURDER CASE.
The Pooler Tragedy as Much of Mys-
terry as Ever.

The Pooler Tragedy as Much or a Mys-
terry as Ever.
1t begins to look as If the murderer or
murderers of Joe Gill have thoroughly sue
ceeded in hiding their tracks. The circum-
stances Of the murder are still fresh in the
public mind. Some thief or thieves killed
a beef in the neighborhood of Joseph ellis
house near Pooler in April last, and the
beef was found concealed near the spot
where it was butchered during the day.
At nightfall Joe Gill, his brother, and
posse took up their station in proximity to
the beef to confront and take into custody
the thieves. When they approached Joe
Gill came forward from his hiding place
and accosted the thieves. when he was shot
down, his murderer escaping in the dark
ness.
Detective Wetherhorn, after two days
investigation of all the surrounding circum-
stances, arrested Rafe Bird, negro living
near the scene of the murder, and last
month Detective Hanley arrested Abram
Edy colored) on the charge of the murder.
The grand jury of the superior court, on
Wednesday last, after an inquiry, failed to
indict either of them, and they have been
discharged.
While it has never been thought that
Bird was a party to the killing, he was sus-
pected of knowing who killed the beef, and
certain suspicious acts on the day of and
the day following the murder led TO his
arrest. 1t was shown that Bird and his
wife did not 60 to their work the
morning of the day the beef was killed
as early as was their custom; that
Bird was in the habit of going to his work
with one Mathis negro who was staying
with him, aud that on the morning of the
day the beef was killed he sent Mathis on
ahead That it was the custom of Bird to
take his boy with him when he went to
work, but on that morning he left the boy
at home
Mathis was arrested by Detective Weth-
erhorn, but his conduct was so clearly dis
ingenious that no suspicion attached to
him, and he was never committed to jail.
He did deepen the suspicion against Bird,
however, by relating the incident of two
visits from unknown men to Birds cabin
the night of the murder after the body of Joe
Gill had been removed to his home near
Poolers, and after the excitement had in
measure subsidized 1t was also learned that
the liver of the beef had furnished a
meal for the Bird family, and portion of
it was found hidden away in Birds cabin.
Evidence was not wanting to prove that
when the beef was removed TO Birds cabin
after the killing of Gill there was no liver
in the sacks containing the beef.
Birds statements were contradictory, and
he claimed that during the afternoon Of the
day the beef was killed he met two negroes
on the railroad near the scene of the killing,
one Of whom had a musket, and with whom
he had worked in Savannah for some time,
and whom he claimed he could identify if
brought to Savannah. He was brought to
the city and the pay roll of the firm he
claimed to have been employed by did not
corroborate his statement as to the length
of time employed, and close watch on his
actions established the fact that he was max
ing no effort to find the two negroes whom
he claimed to have met. Further than this
it was shown that he had told Mathis in the
market that if he could get away he would
go further south, or over into Mississippi.
In the light Of all these circumstances
there was a strong suspicion against him
WI hen the liver was found concealed in his
cabin the enraged citizens of Po)ler took
Bird TO the swamps, and by threats led him
to criminate one Brown, a negro living
some miles further up the road
Brown had no trouble in satisfying
his captors that he was not IN
the neighborhoOd of the crime and he was
released by the posse, Bird taking his state
ment back when brought out of the swamp
and confronted by Brown. Bird was then
brought to Jail in this city, where he has
been kept in confinement until the grand
jury this week returned mo bill p" and Bird
was released from custody.
Another suspicious fact connected with
the case was that on the morning follow
ing the night of the murder, Bird told
Mathis where to look and he would find
gun, which Mathis did, and founI the musket
which had been fired with fatal aim full in
the breast of Joseph Gill
The theory that Bird knew who killed the
beef, that two visits from strange persons
had been paid to Birds cabin, and without
inviting them in, but to better conceal
their identity from Mathis he had gone to
the door and talked in low tone to one of
the visitors, and had gone down the road a
part of the way with the other visitor or
visitors, all led TO the natural conclusion
that ne knew more of the circumstances
than he was inclined to furnish.
Whether the case will rest here depends
upon the course which the authorities take
in the matter. 1t is strange that the gun,
the Ratchet, the canes and the steel found in
one of the sacks have never been traced to
an owner, although the musket has initials
cut deeply in the stock. The rewards offered
for the identification and apprehension of
the murderer will no doubt stimulate the de-
factivaS tO ranawad affOrf IN trooIx Inu,,, . ,o