Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-04

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.,
LOUISVILLE, August 3.-The Powell
county authorities have arrested Jim
Combs, Jesse Barnett and Charles Hall for
the murder of John A. Rose, of Powell
county, very prominent man, whose assas-
sination recently created such q sensation in
the mountains. The circumstances strongly
indicated their guilt, and they were placed
in the county jail at jackson. Friday they
had their examining trial, and Jim Combs
broke down and confessed the whole crime.
Barnett at first stoutly denied the affair, but
Combs confessed. He admitted the killing.
Friday night Combs, Barnett and Hall were
carried to the Jail at Mt. Sterling for safe
keeping under a strong guard of 10 or II
men. To-day correspondent, in company
with several others, interviewed the three
prisoners at the Jail. The story is one re-
markable for its
GOODNESS AND AUDACITY
and equal to any in the details of crime and
murder. Combs is q cousin of Goodloe
Combs, the deputy sheriff of Breathill
county. He says that he and Jessie Bar
nett were employed by Combs to kill Rose,
that Goodloe Combs was to pay them $500
each to do the job, and that Jim Hall was
to furnish the money. Jim is the brother
of doc" Hall, who was killed about one
year ago by Rose. Combs says that on the
morning of the killing he and Barnett
passed Rose on his way to the depot and
had some talk with him and walked on and
stopped by the side of the road. When
Rose came up they fired on him. Rose re-
turned their fire, and Combs SAYS he came
mean being shot in the head. They then
fled and made their way back to Breathill
Combs says he was in the trouble, but was
persuaded by Barnett and Goodloe Combs,
and did not care if he were hung for it.
Barnett is a mere STRIPPING, only II years
old, and is said to have killed five men, but
he only confesses to two. He says that he
made the bargain with Jim Hall TO kill
Rose and stayed all night at Halls two or
three nights before the killing; that he was
also talked to about it by Goodloe Combs,
deputy sheriff of Breathil county; that
Hall told him the money was ready Tor him
when the work was done.
SELLING HUMAN LIVES.
Barnett says that he had an opportunity
to kill Rose a week before it was done, but
he did not want to do it then. He also says
he was hired to kill George Spencer and
that the man who hired him was Goodloe
Combs. Neither Combs nor Barnett seem
to realize the fix they are in and talk about
the matter as coolly as if they had shot dog.
Charles Hall said that Jim Hall
met him and the other two
at house in Breathill county
one night and there they planned the assas-
sination of Rose, who had killed Jim's
brother, "Doc." He, however, says he told
Barnett he would have nothing to do with
it, and that they had best get out of the
place; that if Rose was killed they would
be suspected. He says he then left Powell,
and did not know anything that happened
afterwsrd, and it is said that it was the un-
derstanding between Jim Hall and his con-
federates that they were to kill both Rose
and his son, but neither of the prisoners say
that anything was said about killing any
one but John Rose. Neither Goodloe Combs
nor Jim Hall have yet been arrested. There
is much excitement at Mt. Sterling and
mob is feared.