Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1895-05-02
MURDER AT BIVALYE.
ALEXANDER HAYS KILLS
JOHN BOOTH.

Terrible Ending of a Quarrel in
a Little Cabin Down in the
Little Oyster Settlement of
Bivalve, Near Port Norris
The Murderer Arrested and
Witnesses Held = Coroner
Robbins Takes Charge of the
Case After the County Ply
sician Examines the Dead
Body.
! "You haveI stabbed me to det to, -
muttered John Booth, colored man,
at Bivalve, Saturday nigh t, and stag
gered out upon the railroad track. and
In few minutes was cold In death.
Just be fore the dawn of the peace.
ful Sabbath the. wful ever occurred,
and all day Sunday there was great
excitement about Port Norris and Bi.
valve.
The news of the crime reached the
telephone c office In this city about half
past nine, and a PIONEER reporter i'm.
media tsly notified County Physician
Thompson. At one O'Clock that Of
fetal and the reporter we're bound for
Millville on the trolley, and from that
point drove to the thriving little town
made famous as the home of the Maui
ice River Cove oystermep.
1t was Bivalve, formerly Long Reach
where the centre of excitement was,
and In company with Constable George
Reed, the two went. down there, where
along the slippery wharves hundreds
of boats were lying tied up for Sun
day.
| THE SCENE OF THE CRIME.
The body of the victim of murder
was lying upon the. floor of the lii tie
house or cabin where the death wound
was In 1icted. Surrounding the cabin
was big crowd of very curious people
all anxious to see the body cold In
death.
1t was lying upon the floor as the
man had died, the head upon bundle
of quilts. All about it was a scene of
confusion and desolation. The little
cabin had two rooms down stairs and
one up. In this building two families
lived. The crime occurred In the rear
of the house on the fl st floor.
The body was dressed. A coat and
pants Of striped material, q blue over
shirt and white undershirt. The
coat was almost soaking wet, and the
shirts were damp with life blood. The
left side of the face was covered with
oyster shell dirt. Tine right side of the
face was covered with blood, which
had flowed from wound in the fore.
head over the right eye. The shirt
which was opened in front, showed a
small gaping wound, which had caused
death, and stamped Alexander Hays
as murderer.
County Physician Thompson made a
thorough examination. Over the right
eye, about three inchts from the eye
brow, and at point just where the
hair begins to grow, was small knife
wound about one-half inch long. The
instrument that had caused II, pene-
trated to the bone, but the skull had
not been fractured.
The wound In the breast was an
ugly one. 1t was about three-quar.
ters OF an inch long end the knife
blade had slashed under the skin,
striking between the fifth and six ribs
and penetrated to the bearf. Death
probably resulted from internal hem
orrhage.
After the body had been examined,
the reporter went out into the room
where the fatal wounds we're inflicted.
In this one room Alexander Hays,
better known perhaps as Sandy.
lived with bis wife and three chill.
dren, one of them bat babe.
In the room was small cook stove,
table, a settee. two or three chairs,
bed, and endless amount of rubbish.
The place was slovenly dirty, hardly
tit for swine to live In.
The front room OF the house was
Occupied by Andrew Williams and his
wife.
STORY OF THE CRIME.
The hrst story OF the crime Cleaned
by the reporter was from Andrew Will
SOD, colored. He was quite reticent,
and 1t was only after much question
Ing that he gave any Information.
1t was sometime aftsr eleven O'Clock,
Andrew says, on Saturday night
when the ''fussing' began. He was
In his room talking with friend,
having but few minutes before that
come from Sandy's room. Andrews
wife had retired, and he was about
eating q bit OF fish. He heard the
QuRrrellin0 In Sandv,s apartments. and