The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-10
MURRAY'S SLAYERS CAPTURED.
STEWART FINNIE AND JAMES Ed
WARDS CHARGED WITH THE
CRIME.


Both Men Desperate Chara cters-The
Police Have Little Doubt They Are
the Murderers of the Old store
keeper-Onc Captured in Cooper
shop Lane and the other in Frog
town.
Stewart Finnie and James Edwards, the
supposed murderers Of W. II. Murray. in
his store at Levy's Cross Roads in South
Carolina, about eight miles from Savan-
nah, were arrested at an early hour this
morning by the detectives and police.
A constable arrived from South Caro-
lima yesterday, bringing warrants for the
two men, which had been issued by Jus
tice Hayward of South Carolina. When
he called at the police barracks last night
for assistance in making the arrests the
constables had already located the men in
Coopershop lane in Yamacraw.
Acting Chief Reilly at once ordered De-
tectives scully, Godbold and Barrett to
go with the constable and make the ar
rests, and as the supposed murderers were
known TO be desperate characters, Police
men Gunfoyle. Fleming and Bradley were
detailed with the detectives in order that
the house where they were believed to be
might be surrounded.
The house in Coopershop lane was first
visited about o'clock, but it was ascer-
tanned through a colored spotter that the
men were not there. The detectives and
police returned at midnight. The house
10.
arrested about ] o'clock. Edwards was
not in the house. Information was Sc
cured, however, which enabled the detec-
tives to locate him in Frogtown. After
sending Finnie to the barracks the officers
went to Frogtown, where Edwards was
arrested shortly after o'clock. Both
men were given well barred cells.
The murder Of Murray was one of the
most brutal that has occurred IN this sec
ton in years. He was a harmless, tnor-
fensiVe old man. For a number of years
he was janitor Of the Cathedral, and only
left the city about ten months ago to open
q small store a Levy's Cross Roads. The
details OF the story, as given yesterday
by the constable, show the murder to
have been cold blooded, and done purely
for the purpose of gain.
Finnie and Edwards are South Carolina
negroes who spend most of their time in
Savannah gambling and thieving, and
occasionally making trips to the country
IN search OF plumber. In one of their eX-
cursions they saw and sized up Murray's
place, and planned to rob It, One night
about a month ago, while the old man
was on his knees saying his prayers two
men entered his room, seized and choked
him into insensibility, and then took all
the money they could find, about $40.
/, h.earr
doubtless spent the money in gambling.
After that they decided that 1t would do
to rob Murray again, and in order TO pre-
vent their crime from being discovered, TO
murder him also. They may have thought
that he had money hidden about his place.
After the robbery month ago Mr..
Murray gave good descrip-
ton Of his assaants to his
neighbors and also to the Of
ficers. When the murder was discovered
It was thought there was no clew. The
murderers, however, had cast off the shoes
which they wore when the murder was
committed and equipped themselves with
new shoes. The old shoes were found and
one pair, on account OF their peculiar
shape, was identified as belonging to Fin
ME, and as being the same shoes which
he had worn the night before Another
witness was found, who had see the two
negroes, Edwards and Finnie, leaving the
store shortly after the time when the muir
der is believed to have been committed.
Their description tailed with that given
by the dead man of the two men who had
robbed him three weeks before. 1t was
easy to trace them to Savannah, and the
next thing was TO capture them.
The murder was a horrible one. The in
dications showed that the murderers met
the old man outside his store and knock
ed him In the head with some heavy in
strument, crushing his skull. They then
dragged him inside and behind the coun-
ter where they cut his throat from ear
TO ear. They took what cash they could
ind and helped themselves to such things
as they wanted.