Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-04-24
A Mysterious Murder About to be Cleared
up at Last.

| LIN ASGCuu OCClolOli VI uLtC NOulU VI 1Ap-
peals at Richmond, in the Council case
which brought to mind the mysterious
murder on the G. & o. train near Waynes-
boro, seems about to be cleared up at
last. A convict who recently died in the
penltentiary, confessed to have been one of
the parties who did the killing and, that his
accomplice was still at large. The Rich
mond State of Saturday has the following
in regard to it:
IAN effort will undoubtedly be made to
capture the partner of Jack" Prince, who
shot to death D. F. Council, of Portsmouth.
Ohio, in sleeping car on the Chesapeake &
Ohio railway in August, 1891. It is known
that Council S relatives and friends have
never given up hope of bringing his MUIR
derers to justice.
Detectives, it is believed, will he put to
work on the case Immediately. 1t is thought
that they can ascertain the name of Prin-
ce's pal at the penitentiary if they do not
already know it.
The colored convict, to whom Prince
acknowledged that he had a hand in Con-
nell s murder, can materially aid the de
tectives and undoubtedly will if promised
aid in getting out OF his present predica-
ment.
This convict, while given five years, is
not believed to have been as bad as he was
painted at the time Of his trial. In fact
there is little doubt that his liberty was
sworn away by members of his own race,
who wanted to get rid Of him, as he was
considered an informer. A great deal OF
this sort of thing is done by negroes to pro-
tect themselves. Unfortunately for this
wearer of stripes, he was caught in very
bad company and made to bear the prison
burden for even men worse than he is.
This convict told a State reporter that
the man Prince accused Of being his part
ner in the Cornell crime has spent a term
in the penitentiary for another crime since
the Basic City murder. He was released
from the penitentiary not long ago.
A GOOD PRISONER.
Major Lynn says that Princes friend il
truthful, model prisoner and has rendered
the authorities considerable aid from time
to time. Not long ago he was instrumental
in having a man punished for crime that
looked as though it would always go IN
punished. He was given to understand
then, but not from Major Lynn, that efforts
would be made to obtain for him a pardon
of which he has heard nothing to this dates
though it cannot be denied that he rendered
t,o ua1aIa cnrUipe Consequently
ne may at first hesitate to give any desired
information to the detectives. Doubles
if he is given assurances that he can &C.
pend upon, that efforts for his pardon vii
be made he will talk and tell the name OIL
Princes accomplice in the Basic City busl
ness, if it is yet needed.
Even without further aid from the con
Wet informant, the detectives are very wei
fortified to begin work on the case. Prince s
history can be traced from the time he left
Clifton Forge on his alleged Holmes like
career of crime up to the time he entered
The penilentiary. 1t will not be difficult tt
ascertain the Wen who worked with hin
and in that way discover TIE identity OF The
man who helped him rob and slay Council
HE MAY BE HERE.
The location of the living murderer ough
not to be difficult task. If he now enjoy
his liberty he is probably in the State ant
may be right here in Richmond. From
what Prince told his convict friend and ths
latter told the reporter he is a characte
that would not be content with living an
honest life, and undoubtedly has been up t.
some sort of deviitry since he departed
from Major Lynn's care. If this be tru
he may be confined somewhere now and th'
prison records will help materially in cap
turing him.
1t is not creditable to the State that thi
crime go entirely unpublished, and it is du
to the interests of law and order that Con
nel's living murderer be made to pay tn
penalty of his crime"