The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-10
CUT NPIECESAN BURIED.
A MuTdeTeSS Hides Her Vic
tim Under the Floor.
THE BODY THE MISSING LINK.


Pieoes-she Says That She and Hel
Husband Dug the Body Up Monday
Night and Removed It, but Rrefusei
to Tell Where It Is-The Dead
Negroes Clothes Play an Impartant
Part-An Attempt to Lynch the MUIR
derer-Edwards and the Won an 8
Husband Protest That They Know
Nothing About the Crime.
One of the most sensational murder,
that has occurred here in years was
brought to light yesterday through tbs
efforts of Detective Henry Wetherhorn
who has been working steadily at the
case since last Monday.
The details which led TO the discovery
of the crime were published in the Morn,
ING NEws of last Tuesday.
The murdered man was Isaiah Harden,
a negro about 30 years old He was a
longshoreman, and at the time of his dis
appearance was employed under the
header, Robert Priley, who was loading
for J. L. Graham & Bro.
Those who stand charged with his
murder are Mary Washington, with
whom Harden was known to have been
intimate; Sam Edwards, the sexton of
the Bryan Baptist church, who was also
intimate with the Washington woman.
and Richard Washington. Mary's
husband, who was in Charleston Just be-
fore and Just after the killing, but who
very mysteriosly came to Savannah Sun
day, Sept. 3, the same day that Harden
{s +bo,,rrk+ 70 have
STILL YELLED IN MYSTERY.
There is a veil of mystery surrounding
the crime. The body was cut TO pieces
and buried under the floor of the room
occupied by Mary Washington and her
husband.
When suspicious were aroused as to the
fate of Isaiah Harden the body was re-
moved as it could not be found when a
search was made yesterday though there
was sufficient evidence that it has been
there recently.
The Washington woman, who confessed
that she and Sam Edwards committed
the crime, refuses stubbornly to tell
where the body has been taken Threats
of lynching the murderers were made by
some of the members Of the colored long
shoremen's society, of which Harden was
a member, and some Of them appeared in
Justice Naughtin's court with a rope lust
before the prisoners were carried to the
Jail.
HOW THE CRIME WAS DISCOVERED.
The events which led to the discovery
of the murder as published in the
MORNING News are briefly that Ida Brin-
son, a negro woman, who lives in the
basement Of the same house occupied by
Mary Washington and her husband at IA
Margaret street about five doors from
West Broad, lost two watches about a
month ago. Edwards was believed to
have been the man who stole them. At
the same time the Brinson woman sus-
pected the Washington woman of compli-
city.
About three weeks ago Richard Wash
ington, the husband of the W oman charged
with the crime, returned from Charles
ton, where he had been working. Some
time before that he had also been confined
there in hospital When be returned
he found a coat hanging in his room. On
inquiry he found that this coat belonged
to Harden. 1t had blood on the back of
it and hole IN the back, which appeared
to have been made with a knife or some
sharp weapon.
Washington claims he threw the coat
out in an alley and that the blood on it
came from some chickens which had
been killed there For revenge the
woman Ida Brinson took the coat. and
turned it over to James Harden, the
brother of the missing negro Thinking
this had solved the mystery Of his
brothers's disappearance whom he
thought had gone to Port Royal he went
at once to Justice Naughtin's Office and
swore out warrants against Mary Wash
ingtOn, Richard Washington and Sam
Edwards charging them with the murder
Of his brother.
HAD A COLD PERsPIRATIoN.
The parties were all summoned before
Justice Naughtin. There was only small
circumstantial evidence on which to hold
them at that time, though it could easily
be seen that something had gone wrong.
Under the questioning which the Wash
ington woman underwent she almost
broke down, and large drops of cold per-
tails in connection with Harden's disap-
pearance were brought out On account
OF the lack Of evidence on which to mold
them, however, they were allowed to 20
on their own recogniZauce
Detective WetherhOrn then went to
work to quietly work up the case He
had evidence sufficient to Indicate that
there was more behind il than was ap-
parent on the surface. Yesterday morn
ing he had accumulated sufficient evil
dence to warrant him in making the ar
rests OF the guilty parties. He arrested
Mary Washington, her husband Richard
Washington, Sam Edwards. the negro
who, from subsequent developments. is
supposed TO have committed the crime
and Abelard Berrien, the father of Mary
Washington, whose connection with the
case was only slight one He was al
lowed to go after the matter had been
fully investigated.
TOOK PLACE ABOUT SEPT. g.
Isaiah Harden was missed about Sent
3, 1893. He had worked during the weeks
which preceded that date for Robert
Priley and had drawn his pay Saturday
night. Mary Washington went to Friley
that night and asked for Harden's money
Priley told her he had paid Harden some
time before.
Harden was missing the next day. His
brother, James Harden believed he had
gone to Port Royal as that was the story
circulated by those who had killed him
HIS body, however or rather the nierag