The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-20


claimed that he had been invited 70 par
ticipate in the robbery. but had refused.
. This man eXplsineI Do detail the con-
spiracy 10 blow open and rob the depot
safe and the safe or Bush * Smith 1t
was generally known that Bush * Smith
always carried a large amount Of money
in their safe, and f. was thought the eX-
press safe would also pan out neat sum.
According TO Detective AVant as told
him by the white man iu question, which
statement, he says, fully cOrro5orates that
Of the TWO negroes, the several prominent
citizens of Chauncey planned TO have the
negroes 40 the work. keeping the negroes
well in front and themselves well in the
background
Henry Forrest, so the detective says.
came to Macon on the day preceding the
robbery ostensibly 10 attend the fair, but
really in order TO prove an alibi should
the plot ever be discovered. Forrest, so
the detective says, went back TO Chaun-
cey that night participated in the rob-
berry and returned 10 Macon on the early
morning train, wher- he was seen In COM
pany with the man who gave Detective
Avant so much valuable information.
When the news of the robbery became
known in EhauRcey the first men to Of
fer their services iu running down the
guilty parties were the men whose names
are above mentioned In the meantime,
so the detective says these men went to
work TO get the two negroes out of town,
going so far as TO buy a railroad ticket
for each Of them, which tickets were never
used, and viii be a part of the evidence
against the entire party
All this time, however, they were seem
insly assisting Bush q Smith in ferret
ing out clew as TO the perpetrators Of
the robbery, Finally Mr. Bush informed
them that he had concluded TO have the
two negroes arrested. The detective
oh rarrra hot TOD
Bush that the negroes be lynched and
agreed to attend to the matter themselves,
atterWard having the negroes arrested,
but advising them TO Keep their mouths
shut under a threat of death, and all
would be well in the end.
The face that the negroes did not relish
the unseltsh part they were made to play
in the proceeding and not being entirely
satisfied that everything was coming on
as welLas might be expected, caused the
negroes to fan down before the grand
stand and give up all they knew, not
caring for death or destruction so long as
they were able to even up on the men
who had promised to see them through.
All of these things made it plain to
the detective why Judge Mccormick had
hustled the prisoners off TO Jail with so
little evidence against them, and why the
other white men had interested them
selves so much in the case The detec-
tive thinks he has his case well made
out and says there is not the shadow of
doubt of the guilt Of the parties impli-
Gated, all of whom. he says, viii be CON
vtcted in the face OF the fact that they
are prominent citizens of that section and
heretofore Wen thought Of
Mr. Bush and Attorney Peacock of the
law firm of DeLacey & Bishop arrived in
the city last night en- route to Vienna
for the purpose Of having bench warrants
issued for the men whom Detective Avant
has charged with the robbery 1t appears
that they were arrested, as stated, and
gave bond, but Bush d Smith and their
attorneys do not consider the bond suf-
fcient.
The Eastman Times-Journal of Friday
says The safe robbery at Chauncey,
which is fresh in the minds OF the peo-
pie led to the arrest Of two negroes Of
that place, who were placed in Jail mere
few days after the robbery Judge
Williamson, thinking it would be best
to separate them, ordered one of them
to be placed in the Jail at Macon, Will
lam Thomas was ipune dately., taken to
Macon by Sheriff Rogers. A few days
ago he made a confession, in which he
implicated four white men of Ghauncey
in the robbery, viz: Samuel Cunard, H. b.
Thompson, w. Fl. Forrest, and w. L. VIII
cox Detective Avant TO whom the negro
in Macon confessed, in order to get more
convincing evidence, came to Eastman,
and went to the Jail and interviewed
Seth Spiyey, the other negro who was
a party to the crime. Spivey without
knowledge of Thomas confession made
a confession duplicating the same parties
Warrants We're sworn out and they We're
| arrested Thursday by Sheriff Rogers and
brought to Eastman, where all of them
gave bond in the sum of $780, and they
will be given a commitment trial next
Monday at Chauncey."