The morning times., 1896-05-27
THINK THEM NOT GUILTY
Continued from First Page.


splitting their skulls wide open and kill
ing them. Such a weapon in the hands
of ten-year-old boy, they say, could
have been used with fatal effect, even had
not the boy exerted half his strength.
The nature of the wounds on the heads
of the Buxtons show that both the butt
end and blade Of the ak were used by the
assailant, and the detectives say that
owing to its heaviness, if the weapon had
been held aloft and simply allowed to
drop OF its own weight on a persons
head the force would be sufficient to sink
it an inch.
For these reasons they cannot believe that
the person who assaulted the Buxtons
intended to kill them but simply struck
the sleeping persons light taps ON the
head to stun them.
Another important phase OF the case in
which Detectives Weldon and Horne take
issue with the citizen investigators is the
statement OF Mr.. English and others that
they saw colored man, believed TO be
the perpetrator of the deed, rushing across
| the large field at least five hundred yards
in the clear in a southwesterly direction
from the Buxton house. Why should he they
tquery, take to the front in full vie w OF the
road and several residences, and make
a 500-yard run to the skirt of woods when
by going a few feet i'll the rear of the
Buxton house, the fleeing man could have
reached cover.
They interviewed the seventy-year-old
grandm other in the tumble-down Naelshanty
over half mile from the Bu xton home, and
she declared that George Neal retired at
10 o'clock Sunday night, after attend
ing church and did not arise until 3
o'clock Monday morning, an hour after
the crime was committed, when a colored
man named Frazier called at the shanty
to get some milk cans he had left there
the night before. She added that this
can be proven by several witnesses.
BELIEVES HIM INNOCENT.
"De boy is got a bad name" said the
poor old nanny, but he didn't try ter
kill dem fo' people wild an AK Er 1
believed he did l would be willin' ter
see him kiIrd. But de boy didn't do it.
He's bin ter prison an de white folks
is down on him. OATS de reason dey TUX
him fust as de man dat chopped dem peo-
lple."
The venerable colored woman explained
about the buttons and piece OF charred
cotton cloth found in the cook stove. She
said the buttons had been taken from her
sewing box by some of the five or six
small colored children in the house, and
scattered about the floor. The aged
woman is superstitious and believes in
the ancient adage that 1t is unlucky TO
deposit the first sweepings in the morn
ing outside the door.
The first debris swept up IN the morn
ing should be burned, she said, other
itxicn I,,ol
away. The buttons found in the stove were
among the articles in the first sweepings
Monday morning. The partly-burnt rag.
she explained, was a bandage from the
head of one OF the children, who had been
struck with a stone during a row at a
baseball game.
| Mr.. BuXton's brother n-Iaw was one OF
the first men to reach the Neal house ON
the morning of the crime. He had double
barreled shot gun in his hands and was
apparently greatly excited. George had
Just stepped out. the grandmother said.
aud the brother-in-law and others rushed
out aud captured him after examining his
clothes in the house and failing to find
any blood stains on them.
QUESTIONED THE PRIs ON ERs.
Detective Weldon also had long inter
view with Neal and Randolph in their cells
in the Rockville jail before they were spir-
tied away to Baltimore. He tried TO draw
from them some discriminating statement,
but they stouty maintained that they knew
nothing whatever of the crime and were
not even acquainted with each other. Their
manner and tone while being 'sweatcd"
made u favorable impression upon both
MeSsrs. Horne and Weldon.
Now as to the citizens side of the case
Rev. Mr.. Lloyd says ne followed the foot
prints Of the assailant across the wide clear
ing and into a newly ploughed field. Up
to certain point they were made by the
naked feet of q man evidently running
In the ploughed plot OF ground a depression
in the soft earth was found where the fleeing
man sat down and put on his shoes, sup
posed to be the bundle seen in the hancs
of the fellow when he was in the Buxton
house. Beyond the depression the foot
prints continued, but the runner had his
shoes on.
The tracks led close to the home OF
George Neal and then continued to Hunt
ing Hill. The runner. it was shown, avoid
ed the vicinity of houses and kept near
thickets and other covert places. In fol-
lowing the trail Rev. Lloyd became en-
| UdURltO III JuUSitS from WHICH ne was COIl-
PEELED to cut his way with his pocket
knife. After passing around Hunting Hill
the fleeing man evidently became confused
or got lost, and returned towards Gathers
burg, the footprints leading to the point
where Randolph was captured.
TALE OF THE TRAIL.
The citizens believe Randolph was di-
rected by Neal to strike out through the
big pines and swamp region for Virginia,
but became confused. missed his way ana
doubled on his trail. The citizens also
point to the fact that the Neal cabin was
once disorderly house and 'speak easy"
and place where jobs of thieving and
other crimes were plotted and hatched.
Rev. Lloyd claims that evidence will
be produced when needed to show that
the wounds on Randolphs hand and leg
were inflicted by Mr.. Buxtons pistol at the
time of the assaults, and not by that Of
either Messrs. Ward or HaCkett, his cap
tors, who fired at him.
Another piece of evidence the citizens say
they are in possession of and can prove by
competent witnesses is that Randolph was
seen in the vicinity of Gaithersburg Sunday
afternoon wearing a coat and overshirt
while when captured he had on only pants,
| an undprshtrt snparad with blood IN it's