The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-07-23
A MOONSHINE MURDER.
APPARENT CLEARING UP OF THE AS
SASSINATlON OF BEN ROSS.
Little Bill" Howard Makes Confession
His Cousin the Man Who Fired the Fatal
(Greenville NewS.)

(Greenville News.)
The mystery surrounded the hl-
ling of Ben Ross, in February, 1888.
has at last been cleared up by the
confession of William L. Howard,
who was arrested last week charged
with the murder and is now in jail.
Ben Ross, the murdered man, was a
moonshiner and was a member of
one Of the strongest and most secret
moonshine organizations in the
world. It is not known whether a
regular organization exists, but it is
known that it is next 10 impossible
to convict anyone arrested for reVe-
nue. ofenses, and that a criminal can
hide from the officers for years in the
mountain businesses. The fate Of O
traitor is death and this is so well
known that not man dares to COM
municate with q revenue officer, and
if once seen talking to one he is un-
der the ban of suspicion forever.
Every stranger entering the county
is suspect and he had better quick
ly prove himself not q revenue officer
or detective. The sheriff and 9th
er county officers are received with
hospitality ard the people have often
assisted Sheriff Gilreath in making
arrests for ofenses against State law.
On the most serious charges the man
wanted las been known to come to
the sheriff and surrender, and if there
were others implicated, the arrested
man would go out and bring them in.
A revenue officer is most bitterly ha-
ted, and the people consider that the
making and selling Of whiskey is a
privilege that the United States gov
ernment has no right to interfere
with. They resort to any desperate
measures to protect themselves.
On the day when Ben Ross was
killed he had been to the city as
witness in a revenue trial before
Commissioner Hawthorne. There
were a number of people from the
same section in the commissioners
Office. Some of them heard Ben Ross
say that he was getting tired of the
old ring and # things did not so bet
ter he Intended to break it up by tel
ling the whole thing to the revenue
officers. It seems that Ross had
been suspected, and his remarks in
the court room reached his secti on
ahead of him. While sitting in front
of the fireplace at his home that
night, he was instantly killed by a
shot throuph a window. Several ar
rests were made, but it was impossi-
BILE to unra7el the mystery, and all
those arrests were dismissed at the
preliminary hearings.
'Little Bill" Howard's confession
was made freely and voluntarily a
few days ago and was written down.
he was advised not to make it, but
said he knew what the consequences
would be. Howard confesses that
he was present when Ross was XII
led and that William NJ. Howard,
alias "Big Bill' Howard, first
cousin, was the murderer. He says
that "Big Bll'' spoke to him dozen
times about killing Ross'and that he
refused to have anything to do with
it. big Bill told him that if he
did not go along with him he would
kill him (Howard) big Bill'' had a
double -balrelled shot gun and wan
ted him to take a weapon, but he re-
fused. They went to Ross's house,
and big Bill" went up on the piazza
while ''Little Bill" stood near by.
After the shooting the twomen walk
ed about hundred yards and then
separated, "Big Bill" going home
and ssLittle Bill'' to the house of Mr..
Moon. As the two men walked
away from Ross house ':Big Bill'
said to his companion thathe thought
he "got him chat time
Deputy Marshal Fisher has been
working up the case. "Big Biu'
Howard is hiding in the neighbor-
hood of his home and could not be
found by Sheriff Gilreath on Sunday.
It is said, however, he will surren-
der.