Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-07-02


On the afternoon of January 3d the
dead body of Capt. Thomas Camp,
owner OF the schooner Manaway, was
discovered floating in Back creek, face |
downward, with his skull crushed. The
body was brought ashore and an in.
vestigation started by the local
authorities.
The schooner Manaway had been
lying at the dry dock of Edwin Del
bert for two weeks. Near the boat
was discovered "a large pool of blood,
which was traced along the shore for
some distance. A 10 pound sledge
hammer was found in the engine room
of Deihert's dry. dock. covered with
blood. An empty pocketbook was found
six feet from whore the body was dis
covered.
Magistrate Vandegrift summoned
Jury Of inquest, with William b. Cole
man as foreman, and State's Attorney
Austin s. Crothers went to the scene
OF the occurrence. 1t was evident from
the first that the deceased was MUIR
dered, and 1T was supposed the motive
was robbery, as Capt. Camp was known
always to have considerable money
about him. He was alone, his son
Frank having gone home several days
before. He was last seen alive at D
o'clock the night previous to,the find.
ing of the body. The perpretator of
the crime forced open the door Of the
engine-room of the dry dock, whore
the schooner was undergoing repairs,
and after killing Camp washed the
hammer and returned it to its place.
After Camp was killed his body was
dragged considerable distance along
the shore and then thrown overheard
to make it appear that he had been
| drowned.
DR.. William G. Kersner of Chesa-
peake City held post-mortem exam
| ination and found that he had six
large wounds upon the right side of the
head, three OF which fractured the
skull, and any one of which would
have produced death. The doctor said
the wounds were inflicted by blunt
instrument.
Capt. Camp resided at Goshen,
Salem county, N. j., where his wife
and 500 lived at the time, He had been
visiting Chesapeake City for the past
three years and was we'll known and
highly respected by the citizens. He
was about 80 years of age and was a
| sober and industrious man. Tho
authorites went to work and in a
short time arrested Truss, toward
whom circumstances pointed. He was
4 given trial and was found guilty OF
murder in the first degree, afterward
being sentenced to be hanged.
BELIEVE TRUSS GUILTY.
Elkton, Md, June 81. - Winfield
Broadway, Truss brother in law, in
arguing the matter with the con
demned man said, "If | were in
your place and was as innocent as you
say you arc, | would not care where
they buried me; they might. put me
away in the jail yard for all l would
care.'' But Truss saw things in diff
ferent light, and it was finally agreed
that the body should be taken 20 the
old cemetery in the town bere, but
after the execution objection wai
raised to this, and the only place fol
the body appeared to be the Potter's
Field.
One of Truss last requests was thai
he be buried with the moose about hit
peck, which he implored the sheriff t.
grant, but that official promptly re
moved the moose after the body hat
been cut down.
The fact that Truss made no con
fession has not had the effect of reliev
!. ing the minds of tho majority OF th,
, people of the belief that he wa
, guilty. There are few who doubt hi
. guilt, especially does this opinion pre-
i vail among the people of Chesapeake
, City, and they cannot conceive hi
purpose in retaining such secret
ii be his secret-to his death.
Truss brother in law, Winfield
Broadway, an,intelligent and uprigh
i citizen of Chesapeake City, evidentl
! is firm believer in Truss guilt, b
having intimated as much to reporte
q of The Gazette. AS stated in yes
. terday's dispatch Broadway did every
thing in his power to get Truss to con
fess He had no other motive than
good one, proof of which is the fac
that Broadway appeared to be his bes
, friend, excepting his wife. He los
considerable time from his work an
was frequent visitor at the Jail. eac
time buying something outside an
s taking 1t in to the prisoner. He keT
: the doomed man supplied with writin
|, paper, stamps tobacco and incidentalt
Q for all of which Truss was not ovel
y grateful.
!. The minister. too, used his persua
!. sive powers, but all to no purpose. II
II recited the incidents which had OF
II CURED in connection With the hearing
!, but as effectual as they would be
ordinary mortas they failed to hay
tho desired effect.
The wife, too, evidently believed j
o her husbands guilt. as she endeayore
J. to get him to tell all he knew, but fl
u some reason best known to himself l
Il would say nothing, and tie crime wi
:. probably always be myetery.
IL Several Chesapeake City people, WI
were present at the execution, expresse
satisfaction after the sentence OF JudG
e Weeks had been carried out. One gel
" tleman informed the reporter that the
d was great indignation against Truss 9
ID Chesapeake City, and he believed
J. he had been allowed TO return to Il
Is town the people would have lyncht
te him.
ID Whilo the evidence upon which Tru
was convicted, his own actions told {
Y, him SO plainly that there was lit
I'd doubt about tho facts, and the judi
IN found it rather an easy matter to con
5h to decision.
to The wife is heart-broken, her ment
10 condition being aggravated by her hu
IN bands silence on the scaffold. 81
in had anticipated that he would 81
something, and his silence led many
believe that he had little considerati,
III for her or in fact any of his people,
,haa There is general feeling of satisfa
ho tion at Chesapeake City, as near
uo eynrybply ia of thp opinion that i'll