The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-05
WAS FRANCIS KILLED?
STRANGE STORY OF A MURDER
FROM eCRlVEN COUNTY.

], c. Francis, a Colored Detective of
This City, Said to Have Been Slain
by a Man Named Cane and Buried
ia the Woods-A Letter From
HalcyndoIale, Signed Outlaw Re
latine the Details of the Crime.
The MORNING News yesterday received
an anonymous letter from Halcyondale,
signed "Outlaw," which tells the story OF
the alleged murder Of Savannah colored
detective" in Scriven county Thursday
night 1t is written in a neat, legible hand,
and from its contents the writer shows him.
self to be pretty we'll acquainted with ss-
vannah's officers.
The letter was 10 an envelope, addressed
''The Morning News Building somewhere
In town, Savannah town, city" In the
lower right hand corner were the words, 81
write Friday; don't think hard" This was
scratched over with pen, as if the writer
wanted to erase IL. The back flaps Of the
envelope were bordered with lead pencil,
indicative Of mourning.
STRANGE DOCUMENT.
The letter reads as follows:
HALCYoNDALE, 2, q, 1898.
Morning Mems Building, SdUdnndh, Ga;
DEAR SIRs-I now take it upon myself to
state hurriedly OF tragic crime which / seen
tonight OF Joseph p Cane, who willfully
stabbed, cut, beat and shot Julius O. Francis,
government detective. They had been together
for the past fourteen or fifteen days is what
Francis told me before he was killed came
along go far from Atlanta to Outland, place
on the Central, and there we got OF and went
aboRt sixteen miles out in the lbackwoods when
heard the report OF Canes rife. l don't see
now it was, for they both were just the same
as an armory. Francis carried fine
Winchester and q brace of SS-calibers
of the Smith & Wesson make, long range, and
was very shrewd fellow in all respects as far
as ! know. Francis leaves q wife and mother
in the south, and think in Savannah. That Is my
reason for addressing you is to let her know of
her husbands and sons mshaps for hardly
think she will ever md him, for we dug hole
and buried him IN the woods and will never
be a witness in the case without you carry me
dead, so you can tell Wetherhorn and Morgan;
Haney hope is dead. heard Of his mishap;
and especially Bossell, the liquor SPY. You may
know me. will give myself away for you to
get clew. No one here knows of
the crime, for would not give
myself away until got out Of the bounds. 1
am not 1000 miles from Waycross now. You
will find the body buried in a MYSTERIOUS place
on the SCARBOROUGH road. am the leader OF
the gang that took the warehouse at HerSh-
man S lake and shot s. Q. Jenkins and taken
Paul Lees two horses and one mule, and after
ward turned aloose tSVlvania Telephone, copied
by your paper on Feb. 10. 30 ahead now detec.
tives. II was Bossell would have them in
day, prove your good work by finding your com
rade. / am feet high 80 years, wear II
shoe, very black, carries two guns, pop and
rife, got cross cut on both cheeks and four
fingers of, two off each hand, no whiskers.
There, jingo. Good-by. Yours, etc. OUTLAW.
SOME OF FRANCIS BELONGINGS.
Accompanying the OUTLAWS" letter was
o letter from the treasury department by
Chief MacAuley of the secret service re-
plying to Francis application for position
in that department, saying that no vacancy
existed. On the back Of this letter is pasted
q letter head as follows: ~. G. Francis
Private and Special Detective, Savannah,
Ca" Another was a piece OF a circular
letter from Grannans Detective Bureau
Company of Cincinnati to Francis. slip
Of paper, written in the same hand as that
Of the outlaw. explained these as follows:
These are papers found about him that may
lead to his discovery. He is a very polite, but
pretty brave fellow Ia cievD.
OUTLAW LEADER.
/ Just want my famous work to the
public.
SOME TRUTH IN THE LETTER.
The matter was called TO the attention of
Detective Wetherhorn, and while he looks
upon the letter as something OF fake, yet
be says that part of it relating to the steal
ing of Lees horses and mule is true, because
he has had kilograms sent to him about the
robbery.
Francis has been known around Savannah
for some time as a private detective. He
lived with his wife and mother in Yama-
craw. About two weeks ago he was charged
with having stolen some things and Justice
McDermott issued a warrant for his arrest,
but was unable to serve ii, as Francis left
the city. His wife and mother claim not
TO have heard anything about him since.
The MORNING NEWS of Feb. 10 had an
account of a negro nAmed Charlav Pterce
shooting s. G. jenkins at Hershman's lake.
Jenkins WAS trying to arrest Pierce and an
other negro named Grant for robbing a
warehouse there. They both escaped. If
the "Outlaw Leader" who writes to the
MORNING NEWS about the alleged killing
Of Francis is the same man who shot Jen-
RIns, as is claimed in the letter, his name
must be Charley Pierce. The affair Is a
strange one, TO say the least.