The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-01
SUSPECTED OF MURDER.
W. q. NErTLES ARRESTED FOR
COMPLETELY IN AN OLD CRIME.


Johusonville IN 1884, in the Bar
racks Jail-His Arrest Effected By
the Dead Mans Brother.
W, Il. Nettles, white man about IS
years old, is locked up at the barracks
station house for safe keeping under sus-
picion Of having had a hand in the
death of James Stafford of this city,
whose maugled body was found one morn
ing In June, 1884, on the track Of the East
Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia railroad
at Johnsonville in Appling county. The
coronsr's jury returned a verdict at the
time that Stafford had bean murdered and
his body placed upon the rails for the pur-
pose Of hiding the crime.
Nettles was arrested last night at the Sa-
vannah, Florida and Western railway by
Policeman Reilly Of the railroad force at
the instance Of J. J. Stafford, brother Of
the murdered man. Stafford claims that
Nettles was the last man seen with his
brother, that be left Jacksonville immedi-
ately after the finding OF his body, and has
since been away, travelling under assumed
names.
LONG WAIT REWARDED.
Stafford has been watching for Nettes
ever since the affair, and last night when he
learned that he was in the train dispatcber's
Office at the depot getting ready to leave
for Charleston, he secured the services Of
Policeman Reilly and had him taken to the
barracks. Honeysuckle was the name
which Stafford said Nettles was going under
here
The prisoner was seen at the barracks and
talked freely Of the arrest. He was indig-
nant at being locked up, and said he is an
innocent man. II was train dispatcher for
the East Tennessee road, and time
keeper and assistant commissary for
Lem Johnston's mill, y said Nettles. "Staf-
ford was the engineer. We were both warm
friends, and never saw a man liked bet
ter. The night he was killed he and l we're
together and we drank from jug of whisky
he had brought up from Savan-
nah. We both got pretty full
at the railroad station, and after awhile
Stafford suggested that we go over to Mrs.
Vaughn's house. went with him aud we
had more to drunk there.
THE LAST SEEN OF STAFFORD.
THAT was the last time saw Stafford
alive. got 30 drunk that staid at Mrs
Vaughn's house all night, sleeping with her
son. The next morning | went home, and
while eating breakfast l heard man had
been killed on the railroad. l went to the
scene and identified Stafford. The thought
of him being killed never entered my mind
until l saw his body. He was terribly
mangled and appeared to have bean
dragged 100 feet by the train.
81 went up the road short distance that
morning and came back 10 the afternoon.
was Immediately taken before the coroners
jury, told what knew and was conn letely
exoneraUed. The foreman OF the Jury was
the lawyer Of the East tennessee, Virginia
and Georgia railroad, and believe he had
the murder verdict rendered In order
TO save his road from liability. He was the
only man who irtimated that | had killed
Stafford, and be had TO get out for fear
of violence from the men at the mill for
doing so. don't believe that Stafford was
murdered but think he was killed by
train.
DISCHARGED ON SUSPICION.
AFTER the affair Mr.. johnson discharged
me because he said, he didn't want any
drinking men around him. remained in
Johnsonville three days and left for Macon
TO look for work the very day Statford's
brother came up from Savannah. l wanted
TO talk with him ana explain everything,
but my friends advised me not to as the
man naturally felt bad about his brothers
death.
"Afterward l worked at several points
along the East Tennessee as a train dis
patcher and also at Leesburg, Fla. l never
heard anything further about being sus-
pected OF killing Stafford, and there
wouldn't have been any trouble for the Ap-
ping county officers TO have apprehended
me II was wanted.
81 came to Savannah yesterday on nv
way to Charleston, where was going to
accept position. | walked into the dis.
patcher's Office at the Savannah, Florida
and Western railway and there saw an
engineer named Burns whom had known
on the road.
LOOKING FOR A JOB.
The boys always gave me the nick.
name OF Honeysuckle, and when l shook
hands with Burns he wanted to know who
was. l asked him if he didn't remember
Honeysuckle. Burns replied that nv
face was familiar and asked my right name.
and told him Nettles. l also know Mr.
Mobley, one Of the dispatchers and talked
with him.
~ never made no attempt to conceal my
identity. l sat down in the office and told
the boys that was going over to Charles
ton. Pretty soon man came in, looked at
me and asked me'some questions. asked
the boy who the party was, and he replied
that his name was Stafford, that he had
asked who l was and said he was going
after an officer.
II remarked that the proceeding was
strange one, but dismissed it from my mind
almost at once. In about ten minutes STAFF
ford and police officer walked In. and
Stafford, pointing his finger at ms said
Arrest that man. was surprised, but SUBJ
mitted quietly. That is the whole story"
INDIGNANT AT HIS ARREST.
After making this statement Nettles grew
quite excited and said it was an outrage
that he should have been arrested. "It's a
terrible thing" said he, 'for an Innocent
man to be charged with murder. It will no
doubt cause me to lose my Job
in Charleston and the country will
be flooded with an account Of my arrest on
charge Of murder. II am wanted at
Johnsonville it is q very easy thing to fud
out by telegraphing there. have never
Travelled under assumed names or tried to
hide Several times since Stafford's killing
have been in Savannah and also in John
sonville. yet here l am locked in
cell under baseless charge and must
remain till Monday, and still when get out
there's no redress for me-"
Train Dispatcher Mobley Of the Savan-
nab, Florida and Western railway. COR
roborates Nettles' story about having been
present at the inquest over Stafford's body.
Just what is going to be done in the case
cannot be determined yet. Mr.. Stafford
acted under legal advice in having Nettles
arrested.