The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-18
A TALK WITH BREWER.
A BRUNSWICK REPORTER CLAIMS
TO HAVE HAD THE CONFAB.


Brewer is in Georgia. Not only is this true,
but he has made a statement in regard to
the part that he took in the Jesup riot. The
statement was made to a reporter Of the
| Times. All of the rumOrs about Brewers
whereabouts were heard Of in the Times
office. Some Of them were published. but
others were carefully Kept as Office conf
dences, while a reporter was detailed to
| look into them with a view of finally loca-
/ ting Brewer and securing an interview
with him. The undertaking involved time
and patience, but the desired end has been
| accomplished.
TRAILED him TO HIS LAIR.
The reporter trailed Brewer to his lair.
saw him there in person. and from the fugi-
tive's own lips secured his story. Soon after
Tom Miller, a member of Brewers gang,
was captured in Jacksonville, and brought
to Brunswick, the reporter learned from
source that was thought authentic,
that Brewer had been hiding
near Drew's MILL in Florida, for some
time, would change his rendezvous to a
place on the Satilla river near Owens
Ferry. A correspondence was started be
tween the reporter and tho Rev. L. b.
DoAer, who tends flock of colcred Bap-
lists near Owens Ferry.
THE INTERVIEW ARRANGED.
The scheme worked. Rev. Dozier as
sured the reporter that he was intimate
with Brewer, and that if he came that way
he would certainly know of it. A few
more letters were passed and soon the re-
porter had the colored preachers word for
it that if Brewer did change his
| quarters Rev. Dozier was to make
known the fact and secure the
| reporter an audience with Brewer. Last
| Saturday morning negro who gave his
name as Hall Duncan, and who stated that
he was from Owens Ferry, entered the
Times business office with a sealed envelope
addressed to the reporter who had been
corresponding with Rev. Dozier.
ALONE AND UNARMED.
The note was delivered. 1t was full of
interest to the reporter. and read as fol-
lows:
OWENS FERRY, Feb. H.
Bob is here. You can have a talk with him
| by coming 10 this place. | warn you, though.
| TO come without an officer and unarmed. The
| bearer, Hal Duncan, will bring you here, and
| will take you to Bob Brewers camp. Respect
| fully, l.. b. DozIER.
| At 6 o'clock the reporter and Duncan
started out to find DozIer and Brewer.
THE RIDE TO THE PREACHERS.
Many hours were given to this ride and
the east was streaked with red when Duncan
drew rein in front of log hut some miles
this side of Owens Ferry and announced
that Parson Dozier lived there. Dun
can called and in short
while Dozier himself came out After a
| short consultation, the reporter mounted a
mule furnished by Dozier, the preacher got
on another, and soon the ride to Brewers
| camp commenced. About four miles to
the northwest Of Dozier's house the mules
were tethered A walk of half mile
| along the banks of the Satilla river fol-
| lowed.
CRAWLING INTO HIS HIDING PLACE.
That distance traversed the preacher
gave five short whistles. An answer came
from behind a clump of bushes which had
grown up to the edge of a rick projecting
over the river, forming a secure grOtto. or
cave, where one might hide without danger
of discovery. Motioning to the reporter to
follow him, the preacher got down ON his
hands and knees and crawlsd along a little
trail under the bushes. The reporter fol-
| lowed and when he got on the other side Of
the bushes he was face to face with the
man with whom so many in Georgia would
like TO come within shooting distance of
He was within three feet Of Bob Brewer.
JEsUP COULD FURNISH THIS.
Dozier stood to one side and the reporter
iotted down in his memory this description
of Brewer: He is a coffee-colored negro,
stands fully six feet high, has projecting
| forehead, a countenance that stamps him at
once as the villain that he is, and his face is
covered by slight growth of beard and a
mustache, while his eye is bright
and sparkling. Brewer always carries
a Winchester rifle and had it in his hand
| when the reporter met him. Rev. Dozier
| took it on himself to tell Brewer what was
wanted. Brewer mumbled out some sort of
an oath. During this performance the re-
porter held his peace.
A STORY OF THE RIOT.
Then he asked Brewer to give an account
of the Jesup riot, which he did as follows:
"That trouble at Jesup was the fault Of
| Deputy Marshal Barnhill. | killed him in
revenge for the death of my friend, who
was shot down by Mr. Barnhill the early
part of last fall. If that man hadn't been
killed there wouldn't have been any shoot
ing at all in Jesup Christmas. They say
| am the cause of the whole thing,
and reckon l am, for it seemed like the
devil got into me that day. l was mad with
Barnhill, and went to Jesup that day to
raise row. | shot off my rifle so | could
get them to try to arrest me. | had nv
men posted, and knew that if they did try
to lock me up there would be trouble. They
tried, and l reckon you know what hap
pened."
THE MEN HE HAD POSTED.
"Who were the men you had posted9"
asked tho reporter.
That's for me to know. You see who is
here, but there was some more of them
One thing, though, Bob Brewer won't do
he won't tell on his friends. They may
hunt me down some day and arrest
me because | amt able to
shoot no more, but they won't make me
tell who was with me. done most of the
shooting myself, and | believed | killed
Barnhill and Wood, and shot old man
Wood. Let them blame me for it, anyhow,
| can stand it, and kill some more of them
if they give me good chance at them"
THE REPORTER HAS A CHILL.
This was said with a vlllainous twinkle of
the eye that made the reporter shudder
and he felt cold chill run over him as Bob
went on. ~ was pretty full that day, and
| talked pretty rough. My sister kept tell
ing me not to bother the white
folks, but | did not notice her and lust
went down to the crossing to have a racket
Bill Austin knew who he was fooling with
and he told me he didn't want anything to dc
with me. When / got to the other crossing
Leggett had his rifle leveled on me. but he
didn't shoot, and | just brought BarnhiL
down to show them how nice it was to kill
a fellow"
REDDISH KNOCKED DOWN.