Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-01-04


knowledge of cruel murder which for
of BlRckbird and the surrounding coun-
try, Samuel Bennett, white laborer,
has made complete confession of the
crime and the revelation of the hidden
secret has produced a profound sensa-
ton in the neighborhood. The name
of the murdered man is Alexander
,Baynard. The men implicated by the
confession Of Bennett in the killing of
the old man are: George f. Davis,
james Brooks, white, together with
Washington Smallwood, and his two
sons, Joe and George, the last three
being colored.
-Four years have passed since the body
Of Alexander Baynard, a colorsd miser,
was found in q small, tumble-down
,shanty, along the line of the Delaware
railroad, about mile from Blackbird
station. Baynard was an industrious
man, and saved considerable wealth by
his frugality. He found employment
among the residents of Blackbird, was
sober and peaceable and without
known enemy. He lived alone in the
peculiar shanty in the woods, and seldom
was it that any one attempted to pene-
trate the seclusion Of his humble home,
which was a one.story affair, Just large
enough for man to comfortably find q
place of shelter. He never veutured out
at night and was afraid of being robbed.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT that the old man
had boarded up considerable sum Of
money during his lifetime, and 1t was
the love of gold that tempted the
assailants to take the miscr's life.
Baynard during the fall of 1899, found
employment on the farm of Thomas
Hill, two miles south of Blackbird, and
together with George +. Davis and the
remorse-stricken Bennett, was engaged
in husking corn. One cold day in De-
cember, Farmer Hill missed the miser
from his daily work, but knowing that
he was possessed of means of his own,
he did not 60 in search of him. Several
days passed and still Baynard did not
show up. Two weeks after he had been
missing from his usual haunts, "Wash"
bmallwood went to the farm of Thomas
Hill and told him that he feared some
thing had happened Baynard. He said
that he had found the old mans dog
tied to a stake in front of his masters
cabin, and the poor brute was almost
dead from hunger. Smallwood had also
found the miser's hat lying in front of
the cabin, and he told Mr.. Hill all was
not right in the old mans home. Mr..
Hill says that Smallwood asked him to
60 to the cabin as witness, for he
feared that an investigation might reveal
the body of the missing man. Mr.. Hill
agreed to accompany him to search for
the miser, and Joe Smallwood and Ben
nett went with them. The door of the
cabin and the windows were closed and
fastened. There was pad lock on the
door. Smallwood opened the window
and peered into the room He saw the
body OF Baynard lying upon the floor,
the head resting in pool of blood, and
then Smallwood called Mr.. Hill to come
and look at the murdered man, which
he did. Without making any further
search, Smallwood and Mr.. Hill, to-
gether with Bennett and Joe Smallwood,
left the scene Of the murder. Wash
Smallwood went to the house of v. D.
Hill, whose property adjoined the cabin
of the dead man, and notified him of
the finding of the body. Mr.. Hill sent
word to Nevin G. Gamble, who was
then coroner of this county. The in
quest resulted in the arrest Of Davis and
the Smallwoods for tile murder, but the
evidence being insufficient to connect
them with the crime, on advice Of John
Biggs, who was then Encouragement
they were discharged. With the release
OF the suspects the mystery surround.
ing the murder of Baynard deepened
and the details Of the crime had begun
TO fade from the memory of those who
reside in the neighborhood and were
familiar with the murder four years ago
Now comes the strangest part of the
story. Samuel Bennett continued to dc
laborer's work since the murder, but
those who observed him closely noticed
that his mental faculties were giving
way, and several weeks ago he confded
TO his wife and two other persons of hi:
acquaintance that he was constantly
bounded by the burden of secre
which was fast clouding his reason and
urging him to make confession. He
did not at that time tell what the secreI
was. On Monday night Bennett walked
from his home to the house of Constable
james DuHadaway in Townsend, dis
lance OF three miles, arriving thert
about 8 o'clock. He did not find tn,
constable, aud returned to his home
On the following morning, soon afte
daybreak, Bennett entered the store o
ex Levy Court Commissioner Robert Il
Simpler in Blackbird, where he pur
chased bottle of patent-medicine
which he took to Thomas Hill, who wa
confined TO his bed from illness. IL,
said that on his return he would hay,
something to confess, and then he HOPED
his mind would be free. He returned
about 3 O'Clock and sure enough he die
have n confession to make. He said Ii
had been to see Constable DuHadawa,
the previous night, and the officer no
being at home, he was unable to wal
any longer, and would tell his secret h
Mr. Simpler, as the latter had Away
been friend to him and treated hin
kindly. With that he told his story:
"ln December, 1880, / was workin
for Mr.. Tommy Hill, husking corn to
gether with George +. Davis. 1t wa
cold weather. Davis went away on
Saturday night and when he returne
In day orso there was man with hir
by the name of Brooks, who walked
little lame. The next night after Davi
returned with Brooks, l overheard
conversation between these two, whit
men, and from what | could learn the
were plotting to murder some one.
was in the garnet Of Mr.. Tommy Hill
house, aud the window being raised an
the house being low like could hea
them talking at the wood shed. 1t wa
just light enough for me TO see then
While | was watching them from th
window, one of them walked up 10 tn
window and pulled open the shutter a
the head of Mr.. Tommys bed. H
always slept in a bed in the kitchen
and there being but two stories to til
house, l slept over him. Mr.. Tomm