Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1894-03-08

through The carTiagegate into the publit
rad. Seven well mounted men, In addi
ton to the keeper. rode with the hounds
The sun went down and the stars came
ont, yet she fanliless and untiring. though
speeches, detectives still hung upon ID.
invisible trail Az they swept onward In
silence they seemed commissioned from
on high 10 FIRING from darkness into light
the doer Of that deed, against which ''ths
Almighty hath SET lis most awful seal"
They followed the trail for 50 miles. Il
ended at the static door Of a handsome
country house about six miles -suom
Waynesboro, Ca. Among the horses in
the stable was thoroughbred sorrel mare
with broad white blaze in her forehead
The dogs took trail at the stable and ran
il 10 cabin in the negro quarter, where
the hostIer was found. In reply 10 in
quries he stated that .he sorrel mare be.
longcd 10 DIR. Cashcart and that the doctor
had ridden her home the afternoon before
after being out all night, and that he was
then in the house He further stated that
when DR.. Ca;hcart returned he wore q
dark brown suit with sack coat. The
proprietor Of the mansion was soon
aroused and the deputy sheriff, who acted
as spokesman for the party, stated that
they had important business with DIR.
Cathcart, and wished to see him at once
After some parleying they were shown up
to his room. He was dressed, and opened
bis door as they approached and asked
what their business was with him al that
hour. The deputy's answer was "Hugh
Cathcart, arrest you for the murder OF
Henry l.. Pr1tenus." ARREST mew ex-
claimed Cathcart. where's you. war.
rant. What's your evidence against me
Take care what you are about; you're in
Georgia noww He was informed that
they we're not there 10 argue, but to act
and that the intended TO take him back "a
Barnwell, dead or alive.
On searching brown sack coat that
hung in the wardrobe a small scrap oil
letter paper was found, on which the
words. IN the name of God, amen," were
written in blue ink.
THE ARREST.
Although it was midsummer fire had
been made in the room, and on searching
in the ashes a small piece of shirt cuff was
discovered. Cathcart well knew the resO
lutte men with whom he was dealing, and
they knew him as the nephew and heir at.
law Of Mr.. Porteous, he having resided
with his uncle in their neiehbo:hood for
eight years. He had left the State three
years prior TO the murder, the deceased
having disowncd him for many dishonOr'
able acts, the daughter of the deputy sheriff
who now confronted him being his last
victim. Without awaiting the slow pro
cess If requisiiion upon the Governor 81
Georgia, they started with their prise,
ner a. i O'Clock in the morning for the
South Carolina line, and on the same day
he was duly committed to Barnwell Jail
1t was shown at his trial that the
words on the scrap of paper found in
the coat pocket were the commencement
of the last will of the deceased, dra wn up
the year before by an attorney who had
identified them. The will disinherited the
prisoner, and devised the estate to more
distant relatives. The prisoner had learned
of the will, and knowing that his uncle
kept his valuable papers in a secretary in
his bedroom, he decided to commit the
murder to secure possession of the will
A microscopic examinations of the stains
found on the breast pocket OF the coat
and on the scrap of paper showed that
they were made by human blood. Other
proved acts completed the chain of cir.
cumstantial evidence. There was a seem.
ing break at one Of the links, for the boots
WORM by the prisoner at the time of his
capture were tried in the tracks seen al
the foot OF the oak near the house, and
their soles were both wider and Longer
than the tracks. The broken link was
closed up, however, by what might be
called the testimony OF the dogs. 1t was
proved that Monk, their leader, who wa:
five years old, had run down the trail:
of nearly one hundred men, and had never
been "faulted." II was clear that the pris
oner had changed shoes after the murder
1t could not be shown, directly, that be
had riddle the sorrel mare on that dav
for although four persons had seen hin
go and return on her, including the ferry
man who had carried him over the Sa
vannah river on the boat to which The
hounds had tracked the mare, they were
all slaves, and under the law their oathi
could not be received on the trial of ,
white man, even had they seen the murder
He was convicted and hanged within -
| days after the commission of the chine
He admitted his guilt just before his exc
cution, but stated that he had done th,
deed with scalpel, or dissecting knife
and had then smeared a razor he fount
in the room with blood, and placed j
near the dead mans right hand to sugges
the idea Of suicide. He had entered III,
bedroom through the window in the man
ner supposed, knowing he would no
be heard by his uncle, Who suffered from
painful malady and was in the habit O
tSking an opiate every night He ha,
torn up the will on reaching the publ
road, bur fearing that the fragments Nigh
be found if he threw them away, he pu
them in the pocket. where the tell-tal
scrap was overlooked wheashe burned Ia
rest Of Il.
lie further stated that when captured b
was ON the eve of starting for New Orlean: