The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-01-18
is BELL A MURDERERail
Almost Conclusive Evidence that He5
Killed An Old Umbrella Menle;. ss3f ssf
DENIES HIS GUILT II. A REPORTER.
Isut in tho Noxt Hrent,, Confesses Is %
Was Near tho scene OF tho Mur
der When it Was Commitfed-Hs
is tho Convict burglar Now IA
tho Norfolk jail.


VIII Matthew Bell, the yconvicteaS
burglar who Is In the city fail AWAITING
sentence for breaking into the clothinSf
house of B. Kantrovitz. on Main street. /
week ago, go TO the penltentiary or
VIII W., nc pay the penalty of his life on
the gnllows In North Carolina? ?s2 IS;
There is n question which is tcaIsino-3
the convict some loss OF sleep al the
present time, and properly SO, judging
from from discoveries made in North Caro-
poitce King several days ago, and which,
ne did not hesitate in repeating to q
Firsinan reporter last night.
II VIII be remembered that officer
George WoodhouSe caught Bell In the
very aot of leaving the store he 3ha ci{
ropbed In this city early one morning
last week Within thirty-six hours he
had had hearing before Justice Bur-
by the grand jury, tried by u petit Jury.
convicted and IL term In the Richmond
pcnitcntiary fixed as his punishment. a n:
was II case OF justice meted out in such;
Iulck tine that all records were broken
In this State. TSGTT'7f&
1t will be further remembered tnnts
Bell. when searched ut the jail, was
found to wear convict's suit and wore
shackies on hi. waist and legs. 1t be-
came evident that lie was an escapeda
convict and he confessed that he 7haG1s
ran off from the State farm on the Roa-.
nolie river, In North Carolina
EEL confessed that he had deserted
the farm on the lst of January. . }5i RS
On the I'd OF January an umbrella
Venuer was burtally murdered near Lit-s
Teton, n. c.. the body being horrible
butchercd, stripped of its clothing, and
an attempt made to burn 1t to prevent
Identification. rs;
The authorities at North Carolinnf
have now made the startling discovery,
that on the day OF the murder an es-
eaped convict called At the house of ~
farmer near Littleton and demanded
food, threatening to kill the farmer un.22
less the demand was complied with z ISsS5 ISssS5
From descriptions furnished the far-S
mer has recognized his convict yIsitorg
as Matthew Bell, the Norfoll, convict?
Chief King few days ago had an in-S
terview with the prisoner, who said
that the day after he escaped he was
at Wurranton, near Llttlcton, and that's
the clothing he wore over his convict
garh was given to him by colored peo-is
pie in that place, who also supplied him
with food He claimed To have come to-
Portsmouth harecootcu and TO have sc-5',
cured pair of shoes In that city. $5 &
Last night Bell repeated this to al
NhSinian reporter at the jail and tried =
TO laugh the matter off. &SJs
1t is thought that the clothing he
wore when arrested was that taken3
from the body of the murdered um-g
brelia vender. Si,&
Bell has very bad record. He has
twice escaped from the North Carolina
authorities, having once been taken
back form Norfolk by George Brice, a.:
colored detective. While confined in#
jail here he made an attempt to escape.S
which came near proving successful. Il
1t is probable that officers viii be-
here from North Carolina to-day to-
make an effort TO induce this state toW
surrender the man, that he may be s.
placed ON trial for his life. How f2rei
they will be successful is not known.
1t Is said there is reward of 5000 foriB
the murderer of the peddler and II hess
is given up to North Carolina and con-
vlted In that State Officer GeorgeSs
Woodhouse will claim the reward. us
OF course Bel denies the charge ofFa
murder, but the fact that he admits bed
ing near Littleton will prove strong
evidence against him. and coupled ;withSh
the discoveries made by the North CaroTSs;
lima authorities may send him to the
gallows. Il; ,gs sgSs