Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-08
TRACKING A CRIMINAL.
How Detectives Settled Upon the Perpetra-
tor of Mysterious Murder.

tor of u Mysterious Murder.
remarkable story Of a mysterious murde,
| in the southern part of North Carolina, nea,
| the South Carolina line. and the subsequent
tracing of the criminal through the great west
his arrest and removal to the scene Of the
crime. is told in a special received from Colum.
bus S. c. We're thu story not substantiated by
facts it would read like chapter from novel
by a very fanciful writer.
The murder occurred in the early part CT
last June in Robson county: N G. Major
Duncan Connolly, worthy planter. WAS
murdered in the night about II 80 o'clock.
At that hour q man who looked exactly like
negro called Mt the residence of Major Con-
nelly and asked the owner where Billy Skies
lived. The major replied that Skies house
was about three-quarters OF mile down the
road. The negro insisted that Major Con-
nelly should show him the road. and the
genial and oblieins old man started out with
him
Five OF ten minutes passed after Major Con-
nelly went out when his wife heard two pistol
shots down the road On his future tc return
the wife became alarmed and. sending out one
OF the servants. the dead body of tie major was
found lying IN the road with two bullet ounds
one in the head and the other in the back. The
shooting had suddenly been dcnt from. behind
The oruta and mystericns murde, caused
great excitement in the con Tun'tv Securing
parties were formed ard The country Was care
fully searched. "hsu the Information reach ed
Laurinbucs fourteen mics Iistan:. The nephew
OF tbs aeao man, d. A. McDvusah entered
actively into the search und ,ffersd d reward #
$1,000 for the aIre9t OF the n.urd -rer
The dag afteI this murder some negroes en-
pioyed by Alexander Mckinn. say mill man
on Lumber river. several miles from the scene,
found IA suit of clothes and wig. When car
red up to the saw mill several other negroes
ltN IyifrE thar al
washing his face in the river, and who immedi-
ateiy ran when seen by the approaching party.
The clothes were held AZ a clue and recognized
as having belonged 20 McDougall. the nephew
OF the dead man.
TIE NEPHEW SUBJECTED.
Some time before the murder MeD0ugell
took d prominent part IN q farce comedy
assuming the part OF negro. This fact at
once gave rise to nsw suspicious. twas found
that McDougall the evening before the muir
der had left LauriEburg aud told some people
that he wac going to Wilmington on business
and others that he was going to Fayetteville
Alter thinking over the conflicting stories sus-
picion was created that McDougall was in some
way connected with the murder.
Later developments showed that WcDcugall
had never gone I" Wilmington, and HE course
was traced III various WBys 70 s. mile from his
uncle residence.
Tho clothes which were discovered were
brought tc Laurinburg and identified as the
same which McDougai! we're q. the eptertoin-
nent.
lmmeC:ateiv sf!erward McDougsn disnp-
peared Weeks passed aLG oEe futp Of his
Whereabouts. His disappearance coa1ILed
The susplclca that ne the murderer and
the matter Was placed i'll the hands f Pnker-
ION detectives. The detectives traced hin and
shaGowed hin. and finally located in in
Chicago Here the detective drank with the
supposed criminal and followed linn to St
LOUIS. thence TO Denver and into New Mexico
The detective succeeded in getting on good
terms with McDougall and found that he in
tended to sail for Australia.
McDougall todd the detective that he had to
look after some mining interests in Oregon be-
fore leaving. The detective followed him to
Albany, Greg, and finding that he was making
immediate preparations TO rail, arrested him.
ReqUlsltlOn papers were issued and McDougali
vas brought back to North Carolina ard lodged
IL Jail last week ut Lumberton, the court house
OF Robeson county.
THE MOTIVE FOR THE CRIME.
1T was found that McDougall was one of the
principal heirs of the wealthy old planter
whom he is suspected of having murdered, and
that the latter carried heavy life insurance
policy. His aunt. very aged and mentally in
capable old lady. placed implicit confidence in
NcDouSall, who looked after all her affairs and
business 1t Is presumed that he expected,
naturally, that his aunt would place the estate
III his hands for settlement when he could ma
nipulato it as he pleased.
McDougall was pillar Of the Methodist
Church and commanded the respect and conf
dence OF every one. He is about thirty years
Of age. OF medium height blonde mIlstache
and handsome. with courteous bearing
II is now thought thai McDougaI burned his
store down to get the insurance some time ago.
He Is also suspected of having perpetrnted nu-
merous forgeries