The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-23
1T WAS A HORRIBLE CRIME.
PREACHER" JONES SAID TO HAVE
MURDERED SIX PEOPLE.

Used an Ak on Two of the Family
and Then Set the Bed ON Fire-The
others Were Burned to Death.
seven-year-oId Girl Escaped With
Her Sister-She Told the story of
the Crime Upon Which the Arrest
Was Made.
Raleigh. N. c., March 22-The most
horrible crime in the history of North
Carolina was perpetrated early this morn
ing at Gamers, five miles east of this
city, VIXEN a negro. Tom Jones, common
ly known in the county as Preacher
Jones, murdered Ella Jones and her old
est daughter Ida Jones, and then set fire
to the beds in which lay the bodies of
the murdered victims and four others,
all small children, ranging in years from
a baby one month old, to the largest
boy. who was not more than . years of
age
The work was done with an ak, the
murderer, according to the story of little
7-year-old Laura Jones, who escaped with
her younger sister, deliberately and coolly
striking the mother four times, and then
making two heavy strokes into the body
of the oldest child.
The house was completely destroyed by
fire, and the bones of the four youngest
children were so frail that they are now
distributed among the ashes which alone
remain to tell the story of the confagra-
ton. The body of Ella Jones and that
of Ida, the 13-year-old child, were burned
beyond recognition, aud are lying on the
ground charred crisp and with the whole
bodies cut open aud displayed to view.
The dead are: Ella Jones' the mother,
ased 49,; Ida Jones, 10 years old; Jessie
Jones, years old; Nancy Jones' years
Old Clever Jones, , years Old and an
unnamed baby, one month old.
The TWO girls escaped from the fire
with their lives, We're Laura Jones, years
old, and Sid Jones, years old.
When those who heard the story of the
murder from the little ragged negro, went
to Jones' house TO arrest him, they found
that his clothing bore the stains of fresh
blood, and his hands even showed spots
of human blood.
Though there was talk among the ne
groes of lynching no attempt was made
to do So and Jones was brought to this
city and placed in jail to await trial for
his crime.
The Two children, having no relatives,
were taken to the county home to be car
ed for.
How the Crime Was Discovered.
Jones was arrested on the evidence of
the 7-year-old girl, who escaped from the
burning house after he had gone. She
took with her, in her arms, her little sis
ter Sid, who was sleep ping in bed with her
and an older sister, Ida, who was muir
dered.
They went to the house of neighbor,
half mile away and told what had hap
pened. Those who went to the fire could
see distinctly the bodies ON the bed inside
the burning building, but it was too late
to rescue them. To-day the charred re-
mains of the two murdered women were
taken out and buried. The four small
children, except the baby, clasped in It's
mothers arms, had been entirely con-
sumed.
The child Laura is very bright for her
age, and though she Told the story of the
murder many times to-day she never va
ried from her account of it given last
night while her home was burning. She
said:
Preacher Jones came to our house last
night about 8 o'clock. l went TO sleep.
Then | woke up-rnother woke me, scream
ing. I saw Preacher Jones strike her four
times with an ak. Then he came TO my
bed and struck sister twice. The blood
flew in my face After that he struck a
match and SET both beds afre and went
out. After he had gone l took Sid up in
my arms and ran out. l carried her in
my arms all the way to Mrs. Winters
and told them what Preacher Jones had
done"
Tom Jones denies the murder but he
does not undertake to explain his where
abouts at the time He admits that he
was intimate with Ella Jones, who is not
related TO him, though she bears the same
name. He says that they had uuarreled
about her charging him with the pater-
nifty of her mOnth-old child, and this il is
understood, was the cause of the crime.