The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-06
IN CHAINS FOR MURDER.
A DESPERATE TURPENTINE CAMP
CRIMINAL CAUGHT.

rured by Detectives WeCnernOrn ana
Basch in a Yamacraw Barroom, ana
Confesses His Crime-Nea-ly Three
Months a Fugitive in Alabama and
South Carolina-The Crime for Which
Wagner is Wanted the Murder Of a
Negro Near Cordele.
Detectives Wetherhorn aud Basch, as
sisted by Constable Jones (coloredD, ysster-
day captured desperate mulatto criminal
named Sam Wagner, alias Ned Williams.
who is wanted in three places for murder.
Wagner was caught in a barroom at Pine
and Lumber streets, leaning against the
bar about TO take drink. Detective Basch
and Constable Jones covered the murderer
with their revolvers while Detective Weth-
erhorn searched him for weapons In the
inside pocket of his coat the officer found
an immense Colts frontier revolver, loaded
with 42-caIiber cartridges.
The crime for which the officers arrested
Wagner was the murder Of colored man
at a turpentine camp, short distance from
Cordele, on the Savannah. Americas and
Montgomery railroad, about Dec. %. He
Is said to have murdered two other men
previous to his crime at the turpentine
camp One was on a Central railroad
freight train, ana the other a train hand on
the Brunswick aud Western.
A TWO MONTHS HUNT.
Shortly after the murder near Cordele
Detectives Wetherhorn and Basch received
q description of Wagner aad an announce
nsnt Of a reward Of $500 for his capture.
Both officers have been on the look
ago Detective Wetherhorn learned that
Wagner was in a house in Yama-
craw, and he started after him, but
the negro had left half an hour before the
officer reached the house, and had gone to
South Carolina.
The detective felt satisfied that wag-
ner would make another trip
day morning he got word that the mulatto
was lounging around Bush's barroom, at
Pine and Lumber streets. Detective Basoh
was sent for, and the three officers lost no
time in getting to the place.
AS Wagner heard the ominous words,
Consider yourself under arrest he
wheeled around quickly and attempted to
get out his gun, but. seeing that the odds
were against him, he surrendered without
resistance.
CONFESSED HIS CRIME.
After being securely handcuffsd the muir
derer was taken 10 Justice Naughtin's
office, where the officers put questions to
him regarding his crimes, and endeavored
70 get from him confession. At first he
stubbornly declined to give any informa-
ton, saying that be never harmed any one
and didn't know what he was arrested for.
Finally Detective Wetherhorn suggested 20
the prisoner that he make a statement Of
everything he knew to a MORNING News
reporter, who was present, and probably it
might help to get MIN out Of the trouble.
This suggestion had the desired effect,
aNeA A.
with smile. aud remarked: "Pll tell you
the truth" His story was told in good
language, and is as follows:
THE MURDERER's STORY.
my name is Sam Wagner, but have
gone under other names at many places.
admit killing the man at the turpentine
camp, but had cause to do 1t. In Septem-
Der, while was head of the gang on Capt
Styles gravel train we laid over at Cordele
on a Sunday. All the boys were playing
skin" when a strange gambler came up
aud joined in the game. After a little he
and one Of the train boys got into row
over bet, and the stranger, who had Win
chester rifle laying across his knees, pulled a
revolver from his pocket. ran over and
said TO him If you came here to shoot you're
In the wrong place The fellow
turned aud asked me what had TO do with
1t, at the same time firing twice at me.
One of the bullets struck the first finger on
my left hand and glazed Off.
SHOT AND THEN RAN.
II didn't see him any more for some
time, but almost every place our train
stopped / could hear that gambler had
said he intended to kill yellow negro on
Styles train, whom he had already shot
II bought that pistol pointing to the one
which had been taken from
engineer of the train, giving him s96
for it. Five days before Christmas our
train stopped at the turpentine camp near
Cordele. and in a few minutes the same
gambler who had shot me in September
jumped aboard with two English bulldog
pistols in his hand. | saw him and pulled
my gun. He jumped off and began run
ming, scared, | suppose, at the size Of my
pistol fired twice, once right at him AID
next over him.
KILLED ON THE Run
81 didn't know that had hit the fellow
until Capt. Styles told me shortly after ward
that the man was shot and would die |
then went to Louvale, Ga, and in few
days man told me that the gambler had
shot was dead. Not caring to be caught |
went to Americas, stopped a few days and
then went to Falrburn, n. G. From that
place | came back to Hardseville. s. G..
] came to Savannah, but only stopped q
short while. This morning l wasn't in
town two hours before l was caught. |
tried TO lie out of it at first, but as am in
for it thought l might as well make a
clean breast of it."
Wagner took his arrest philosophically
and said he felt it in his bones for some
days that he would be caught soon, aud il
wasn't a surprise to him. When asked
what brought him to Savannah he laugh
ingly replied
ANXIOUS FOR THE NEWS.
81 came over to get the news" and. look
ing down at the bracelets on his wrist and
lingling the chain connecting them, he con.
tinued, 81 got more than | wanted, toon
Wagner said he had done nearly all hi,
travelling since the murder on foot, because
he was afraid of being identified by some
one if he rode on trains.
Looking Detective Wetherhorn in the
face, Wagner asked: "What - negro
gave me away? know some of them did
and I'm sorry that I've got drop of negro
blood in my body"
Wagner is bright mulatto about 5 feet
10 inches in hight, compactly built anc
weighing about l75 pounds He was borr
near Raleigh, n. c., and is % years old
He said he weighed about 100 pounds wher
he killed the gambler, but had lost abou
Hffoan TNO1pdS in 4 .,