The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-07-25
A MOONSHINE MURDER.
APPARENT CLEARING UP OF THE AS
SASSiNATION OF BEN ROSS.

Little Bill" Howard Makes a Confession-
His Cousin tho Man Who Firod the Fatal
Shot-Ross Killed for Treason to Block
aders.
(Greenville News.)
The mystery surrounded the Kill
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 member of
f5ohsfine @ 4ssasSa @ is sss
world. It is not known whether a
regular organization exists, but it is
known that it is next to impossible
to convict anyone arrested for reve-
nue. offenses, and that criminal can
hide from the officers for years in the
mountain businesses. The fate of a
traitor is death and this is so we'll
known that not man dares to COM
municate with 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 a revenue officer
or detective. The sheriff and 9TH
or county officers are received with
hospitality and the people have often
assisted Sheriff Gilreath in making
arrests for offenses against State law.
| On the most serious charges the man
wanted has been known to come to
the sheriff and surrender, and if there
We're 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 a
witness in revenue trial before
Commissioner Hawthorne. There
were number of people from the
same section in the commissioner s
Office. Some of them heard Ben Ross
say that lie was getting tired of the
old ring and if things did not go bet
ter he intended to break it up by tel
ling the whole thing to the revenue
officers. It seems that Ross bad
been suspected, and his. .TAfaef ID
the court room reaecHeds his scot on
ahead of him. fWhi5kaitti In front
night, he was iSstaitiy Flsfsd l s3v
| shot throuph window. Several ar
rests We're made, but it was impossi
BILE to unravel the mystery, and all
those arrests were dismissed at th.
preliminary hearings.
"Little Bill" Howard's confession
was made freely and voluntarily @
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 "Bfg Bill' 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-barfelled shot gun and wan
ted him to take weapon, but he re-
I 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 two men walk
ed about hundred yards and then
separated, "Big Bill going home
and "Little Bill to the house of Mr..
Moon. AS the two men walked
away from Ross house "Big Bill
said to his companion that he thought
he ''got him that time"
Deputy Marshal Fisher has been
working up the case. big Bill
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-