The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-14

fhsoy Comegys. Charles Brooks aud Moses
Brown were hanged was the murder, on April
-, lss2, near Millington, Kent county. Nd of
w. James Heighe Hill Charles Brooks was the
man VINO felied the doctor with stone, Fletcher
mHHams cut the victims throat, and Moses
b.own mace the first confession of the deed
Lnese murcerers were all co.ored men. but
Frisoy Comegys, also colored, was only a youth
ne alleged instigator of the murder was John
fo'es' coiorco- against whom naught could be
proven, ana who was discharged from CUSTODY
ne ieft the county Immediately TO escape
!nchlng The causes which led up to the
'ne murder OF Dr.. Hill are easily traced. It
sH,.eo ~ quarrel in which none OF the siayers
% Dr. Hal were interested in the slightest.
John aud Joe Potts had house bufl, during IRE
winter OF le9l-92 at Mllington, and jus, before
was completed they got into discussion in q
saloon IN Wilmington, which was freouented by
whites and blacks, with the builder a man
named Jones, as 10 turning the house over to
them- The builder said he would not do 90
until ali money due on 1t had been paid; other.
wise No would put q mechanics' lien upon il
Inc Potts brothers declared that this was con.
trary to the agreement One word led to al !.
oiher, the liz was passed, and the contractor
sirucx one Of the Potts brothers. The latter
then ieft, saying they would raise a crowd and
"ciean OUT the saloon. They secured the ser
vices OF big coiored man named Tom Camp.
pen, a virginia importation with . bad record
" neither or not the Potts were in tae assaultiug
crowd or not is not known Acrowd of negroe.
headed BY the desperate Campbell, troke into
tie saloon. Once inside, Campbell declared
with vile imprecatiou tina. he could whip aav
White man n the place. The white nea In
the saloon had evidently prepared for the Al.
tack, and IL less than three minutes after Camp.
ee.t hao onist into the place WIZ his mouth
lIh OF 6iaiphemy he was pitched OFT All fell
Int
followed. coroner Jury was 10 paas.ed sud a
post-mofteE heio CO Campee..s bsay Dr. HI,
now appears on the scene He was called upon
70 eonauct shs autopsy. He reported that 90
far a. ne could discover there wete 40 wounds
On the person of Campbell sua.c.en. TO c.use
oeata Inc remains were cui:sd. nobody Geo.
cerned IL thu row was arrested for the murder
and the matter seemed to % at rest until some
OF the citizsns OF Miiiiuztoa decided 20 make a
more searching investigation The BODY O.
Campbell w1s exhumst ana another post-mor.
tenn was mace Tais time d.. Toad, another
physician n Aiiiinstoa, assisted Dr. Hill.
second time wss the verdict o. the paysi.
wounds received in the brawi wers of
nature 70 cause death Tae inic,iss vera
described in dstaii aai TIE report was sir,s1
both by DIR. TODD ana DR.. Hill. The death o,
Campbell ana the failure 20 spprehsud aay.
oooy for his murder aug.rsd the .o.ored oeools.
especially me Po,ts faction, In lighting whose
battles the big desperaio had los. his life.
Pretty soon there came hot. mysterious rhi..
pcrs that there had been a discussion between
the two doctors, Hill and Todd; tina, Todd bat
maintained that Campbeli's neck had ham
broken, while Hill had denied the TACT. pre.
kumabiy 90 that no white man who had been
implicated in the saloon brawl where Cam nbell
met his death, should be he'd for tbs crime
1t has never been discovered how thsss in.
hammatory reports originated. Alter the
murder OF Dr.. Hill, gossip connected the
name OF DR.. Todd with him, not openly, but
in a covert way. No reputable white man.
it Is said, gave credit to these iusiuuatious but
within the past few months Dr.. Todd has left
Millingtou, although his drug store is still in
operation there, owing to the IN pleasant re.
suits which this gossip has entailed 1t was
thought that the Potts crowd put these rumors
In circulation. Up to the night Of April %
Charles Brooks. Fletcher Williams, Moses
Brown. Joshua Brainerd, Louis Benson, Henry
HURT, Frs by Conegys and Charles 5. Emery.
all coiored. upon whom the crime was finally
fixed after seventeen suspects had been ar
rested, had had no connection with Dr. Hill in
any way which might have aroused their hatred
or enmty. On the other hand, he had gwen
them every reason for gratitude by attending
the families OF some of them, for which he was
never paid. But the person who circul ated the
stories about DR.. Hills suppression OF facts at
the autopsy hsd fred the animal nature in tina
three men. Brooks, Brown and Williams. with
the idea that the death of Campbell, the des.
peraio, must be avenged, aud that By the death
OF white man. To their ignorant and
british minds Dr.. Hill was the proper
man to suffer. SO he was elected to die
On May l, 1882. Moses Brown made confession
and the story the IN rr:er was thus told ny