Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1895-12-06
4 BRUTAL csrxr.
capt. Robbins. Ct Cambridge, knocked
sntAs head, roshsa and left fer asaa.
The cAaas and cspturs Of the
Criminals .s~s9...-

1"o1a sunrise, Iuesday morning. De
cemoer 3, 1895. Cap:. william Courtney
vent alongside the pungy "Colburn's
fschi,' Capt Richard l.. Robbins, of
cambridge. lying near the mouth of the
o. Heorge's river. TO PIT out oysters. On
boarding the Yacht Capt Courtney saw
what he supposed was the dead body of
Capt Robbins laying with the head on, Of
the companion way. Capt Courtney no
naed Capt o. L. CFowder, of the oyster
police sloop Peerless, Of his discovery. and
Capt Crowder sent word Of the tragedy 10
Trice < Hobbs store Messrs. joseph C.
Hobbs and Derby A. Lynch went speedily
on board the pungy and found that Capt.
Robbins was not dead but was in a semi.
conscious condition. From the stricken
man they learned that shout the last Of
week oefre last two colored men had
shipped with him from Cambridge. He
didn'tknow their nance. il being their first
trip with him He ate supper Monday
evening and was standing in the cabin and
knew nothing more until sametime near
daybresk when he became conscious that
he was lying in q puddle II biod and tina,
his head was very painful Did not know
what had become of his men,
An examinatioA Of the vessel dilclnsed
pool Of blood In the cabir floor, blopd
stains on deck and bloody finger prints on
many places, Meantime, Jesse Greeuwell,
c,lored came alongside and said that about
or 8 p. m. Monday. twn colored men had
landed from a yawl At Swann's wharf, anu
the Yacht yawl was found tn be missing
Messrs Ly nch and II rbhs concluding tina,
following this clue would result in the
capture Of the criminals determined 10
make an effort Ia overhaul them The tug
Enterprise happening up At the time, its
captain, - Thompson, t)ok Messrs l. and
Fl aboard and steamed up 20 Swann's
There, they learned that IN the previous
evening two suspicious colcred men had
left Piney Point neck A team was hired
and the two young men started on their
long and arduous chase vi the supp 80 d
murierers Arriving Il William Beans
store, Valley Lee, information was obtain
ed that about 8 p. m Monday two da:kies
had engaged Mr. Peter Herbert to drive
them 20 Leonardtown. and 10 this village
the two pursuers fastened At 1850 a m.
they were here the sheriff was notified
and joined in the hunt and. with fresh
team obtained from Mr. H.. F Mnore, the
drive TO Mechanicsvillec commenced. That
town was reached as the train was leaving
and the two colored men. it was here learn
ed, were still ahead of them Mr.. Hobbs
was left in charge Of the team. The Sher-
III and Mr.. Lynch boarded the train On
the cars they learned that two colored men
had made considerable purchases at
Hughesvil'e Arriving at Hughesvile. the
Officers inquired of Mr.. Bowling it two
strange colored men had been in his store
that day and had made purchases Of him
MIR Bowling answered. "yesr' that he
"had sold them about $50 worth Of dry
goods, and that they had not yet left the
station" Boarding the train, Mr. Bowling
rested them, assisted by some of the cili-
zens searched aud tied them, and the long
chase which had begun that morning at ST.
Georges Island was ended AZ Hughesville,
Charles county, by the capture of the cul.
prits. About $40 in cash was found On
the prisoners Mr.. z Joy brought the
officers and prisoners 10 Mechanicsville
where the Leonardt0wn team and Mr.
Hobbs was awaiting them and. about r.
m. driver Henry Cole refined up to The Court
House fence and the prisoners were hur.
ried 10 Jail The slender. chestnut coiored
man gave his name as William II Bennett,
Walter Harris Brth men had on COM
pete outfits of new clo'hibg with gloves,
cuffs, silk handkerchief, etc The Sheriff
took charge Of the new clothing, bundles
Of shirts. &c, and made the prisoners put ON
their old clothes.
Wednesday morning Sheriff Wathen in
vited the BEACON representative TO go with
him 10 see the prisoners. At the Jail, Ben
nett was first seen hut he declined To talk
until he had seen lawyer Harris was
next seen and he readily and willingly
gave his version Of the ARRAY.
WALTER RARRIs' STATEMENT
Ny name Is Walter Harris. Twas bnrr
in Fluvanna county, Va. Am II wears
old. Hired To Capt Dick Robbins in Cam
bridge about Nov 90. 1895. was hack
forward in fnrepeak when Capt Robbins
was struck. Iheard him when he fell He
(the other felIowl came running back and
said Il got him r. and says ~ me, "if you
don't CIV arm giving to run my knife clear
through you" He had butchers knife.
Told me 10 get that AK. didn't get il
He jumped out on deck himself and got it
Priced the DOR of the cupboard out with
it. / never went in the cabin at all Las,
heard Of the captain, heard him groau
| asked him where did he strike him and
he said. he struck him right back Of the
head. / says 10 him. "he amt dead, is
hep He said, mo; didn't mean Ia hit
nowhere to kill him"
The cupboard is in the cabin ard the
captain kept his money in il He got al
the money and paid more for his things
than he gave me in ali Idont know how
much he took away from him didn't
see when the captain was hit, but heard
him when he fell This fellow came back
erw~ard and OF fha ~ ard emit IN his