The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-07-24
A MOONSIIINE MURDER.
APPARENT CLEARING UP OF THE AS
SASSlNATION OF BEN ROSS.

| oASSlNRIlON OF. BEN ROSS.
Little Bill' Howard Makes II Confession
His Cousin tho Man Who Firod tho Fatal
Shot-Koss Killed for Treason to Block
| adcrs.
| (Grecnvillo 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 wcok charged
with the murder and is now in jail.
Ben Ross, the murdered man, was a
moonshiner and was % member of
one of the strongest and most secret
moOnshme organizations in the
world. 1t is not known whether Il
regular organization exists, but it is
known that it is next to impossible
to convict anyone arrested for rove
nuc oflcnscs, and that criminal can
hide from the officers for years in the
mountain Businesses. The fate of Il
traitor is death and this is SO we'll
known that not man dares to COM
municatc with revenue officer, and
II once seen talking to one he is un-
der the ban OF suspicion forever.
Every stranger entering tho county
is suspect and he had better quick
ly prove himself not revenue officer
OF II detective. The sheriff and 9th
cr county officers are received with
hospitality and the people have often
assisted Sheriff Gilreath in making
arrests for otfcnses against State law.
On the most serious charges the man
wanted has 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 whiskcy is n
privilege that tho United States gov
crmment has no right to interfere
with. They resort to any desperate
measures to protect themselves.
On the day when Bon Ross was
killed he had been to the city as n
witness III a revenue trial before
Commissioner Hawthorne. There
were Il number of people from the
same section III the commissioners
office. Some of them heard Ben Ross
say that he 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. 1t seems that Ross had
been suspected, and his remarks in
the court room reached his sect on
ahead of him. While sitting in front
of the fireplace at his home that
night, he was instantly killed by q
| ,,l 81 lh,~,,,>l> i
rests were made, but it was impossi-
bic to unravel the mystery, and all
those arrests were dismissed at the
preliminary hearings.
"Littlc 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 conscQunccs
would be. Howard confcsscs that
he was present when Ross was Kill
led and that William NJ. Howard,
alias Big Bill Howard, a first
cousin, was the murderer. He says
that Big 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 ii he
did not go along with him he would
kill him (HowardD big Bill had a
double barrcllcd shot gun and wall
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 "Littlo Bill" stood near by.
After the shooting the twomcn walk
ed about a hundred yards and then
separated, Big Bill going home
and 'Littlo 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 ncighbor-
hood of his homo and could not be
found by Sheriff Gilrcath on Sunday
1t is said, however, he will suTrcn