Evening journal., 1896-11-21
FATE OF MURDERERS.
Seven of the Brutal Assas-
sins of DR.. Hill Dead.
DEATH OF BENSON YESTERDAY

JOSHUA BAYNARD, A BOY OF 10,
is LEFT-HISTORY OF THE MUIR
DER.
BALTIMORE, Nov 21-Louis Ben
son, colored, who was serving a life
sentence in the Maryland penitentiary
for the part he took in the murder OF
DR.. James II. Hill, of Millington, Kent
county. in the Spring of 1892, died yes
terday of meningitis.
OF the eight persons convicted of the
murder-three men and five boys-he
was the seventh TO die, and now only
Joshua Baynard, a boy of 10, is left.
They wert all sentenced to be
hanged The three men, Charles
Brooks, Fletcher Williams and Moses
Brown, and one of the boys, Frishy
Comegys, died on the gallows at Ches-
tertown, Kent county, on Friday, Jan
uary, IA. 1893. The sentences OF the
four boys, Henry Hurtt, Charles S.
Emory Louis Benson and Joshua Bay
nard, were commuted to Imprisonment
for life by Governor Brown.
At the time Of the murder and later
when the boys were brought 10 the
penitentiary, they looked to be in ro-
bust health Within a year after they
entered the prison HURT and Emory
died of consumption Benson was also
taken sick and had been i'll for a long
time before his death He was sup
posed to be suffering from consump-
tion. His condition became so serious
three months ago that he was sent 10
the ponitentiary hospital, and he never
left II until his body was delivered to
the ST. Vincent de Paul Society yester-
day for burial in Laurel Cemetery Oh
the Belair road. He was about 10 years
old and had been in the penitentiary
nearly four years.
Baynard, the only survivor of the
party, seems to be in good health. II
was partly owing to a confession from
him, published soon after the
murder. that strong evidence was OBJ
tanned against the other boys and the
men who were convicted.
Intense excitement was created all
over the Eastern Shore OF Maryland
and over Delaware by the murder of
DIR. Hill, who was a prominent young
physician. He was found dead I'm his
road cart I'm his own yard, at Milling
ton, shortly before daylight on April
%. 1892, by his wife. IL was at first
thought that his death resulted from
an accident. the theory being that DR.
Hill had stood up in his cart and the
horse, starting suddenly, had thrown
him forward, and that the deep cash
found under the side of his chin had
been made by striking against a part
of the iron work of the cart When
found his body was lying across the
foot of the cart and one of his heels
had been worn down to the bone.
through his shoe, by being in contact
with one of the cart wheels.
A close examination of the country
over which he had gone however,
showed that the cart had been stop
ped and drawn in from the road near
cross road some miles from Milling
ton. A bloody stone, a number of foot
prints and evidences of a scufne were
also discovered. With these things for
a clue, 1t was found that Dr. Hin had
been held up in the road while on
his way to visit a patient late at night
by the three colored men and five boys
who had been to a dance; that he was
killed by a blow on the head with a
stone and by the cash under his chin
which was made by a large bladed
pocket-knife; that his body was put in
the cart 50 that it would not fall out.
the horse headed homeward and senton
its way with a blow, to take the carts
ghastly burden to DR.. Hills young
wife.
The motive of the murder was re-
venge. DR.. Hill had testified before a
coroner's jury that the death OF a col
ored man, who had died suddenly after
being in a row with some white men.
had resulted from heart disease and
other natural causes. The testimony
incensed a number of colored people OF
the neighborhood, who had hoped to
secure the conviction of one or more
of the white men who were in the row
on the charge of murder, they believing
that the colored mans death was the
direct result Of a blow.
Threats were made against DR.. Hill
because Of his testimony, and when
the crowd Of men and boys found him
on the lonely road late at night he was
killed.
The men and boys were arrested, ant
were soon afterward convicted anC
sentenced TO be hanged.
The trial was watched with tn,
greatest of interest, and the feelinl
against the murderers was intense
particularly in the country. The yer
dict of murder in the first degree an,
the sentencing of the eight TO deatl
was generally approved. Preparation
were made for the hanging and
crowd gathered in Chestertown day
before the sentence was to be exc
cuted.
Strong efforts had been made to ge
Governor Brown to commute the sen
tence of the boys, but il was under
stood that he would not interfere. Tw
nights before the time set for tn
hanging he had the ice-boat Latrob
sent to Chestertown. no one suspectin
the purpose of the visit. In the nigh
notice was served on the sheriff O
Kent county that the sentences of fou
of the boys had been commuted to i'm
prisonment in the penitentiary for lif,
They were delivered to the states off
GERS, put on the steamer and brough
to Baltimore before day and lodged 4
the penitentiary before almost anybod
80