The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-22
MURDERER IN JAIL
LEWIS ASHBY BROUGHT BACK AS
A PRISONER.
LOCKED IN PASSENGER TRAIN.
show is MY WIFEf" THE FIRST
QUESTION HE ASKED.


Was in n StupOr When the City
Was Reached, and would Not
Talk of His Bloody Crime-Asked
for Bromide on His way to the
Jail, But the Drug Was Refused
Him-said That He Told the Con-
ductor Who He Was, and That He
Boarded the Train at GuytOn.
Lewis NJ Ashby, who shot his wife
to death in a cowardly manner Fri
day, an account of which was publish
ed in the Morning News, is safely con-
fined in a murderers cell in Chatham
county jail. Ashby was brought to the
city last night on Seaboard Air Line
passenger train No. 81, in charge OF
Conductor Herbert. The murderer was
a prisoner in the toilet room OF the
first-class coach and was turned over
to Central Railroad Patrolman Eagle
son.
How is my wife," were the first
words spoken by Ashby, when he was
placed in the patrol wagon by Eagle
son.
The man appeared to be in a stupor
his dastardly crime. At police head
quarters he stated to Superintendent
Reilly that he did not know whether
he left the city in a wagon or a cab,
and asked Coroner Keller for some
bromide. Those who heard the man
talk believe that he will put up the in
sanity plea when his case is called for
trial.
Ashby boarded the Seaboard train at
Stillwell, a station about twenty miles
from the city. Just how Conductor
Herbert discovered the identity of the
murderer, and placed him under arrest,
is not known. The train reached the
city about three hours late, and the
railroad man had no time for explana-
lions. He reported to Patrolman Eagle
son that he had Ashby confined in the
toilet room, and the prisoner was TAX
en- out at once. The train, with the con-
ductor, left for the south before the
arrival of the patrol wagon, and just
how the arrest was made could not be
learned by the police.
Ashby was nervous and suffering
from the use of whisky and probably
morphine. He pretended to know moth
ing, and would not talk. At the police
station house, where he was confined
for very short while, he stated that
he got on the train at Guyton, which
is not on the Seaboard Air Line, with
ticket to Savannah, and that when
the conductor came in,he told him who
he was After this statement Ashby
would say nothing. He begged for bro
mide. but the drug was refused by
Coroner Keller.
The murderer, when searched, had
no weapon. He had 81 in silver. but
would not say what had become of the
pistol with which he did his bloody
work. The prisoner was taken from the
station house to the Jail by Supt. Reil-
ly, Constable Lilienthal and Coroner
Keller The officers hope to get a full
co>2sssion from the murderer to-day,
when the effect of the drug he is sup
posed to have taken wears off. 1t may
be, however, that he will continue 70
play the insanity game and refuse to
talk nationally about the homicide.
Immediately after the killing -Ashby
got in a street wagon on Harris and
West Broad streets and left the city
by way of the Augusta road. Thomas
Walker of No. 61S Bryan street, west,
did not know that he was assisting a
murderer to escape. AS soon as Walk
er learned of the homicide he realized
that his freakish fare had been Ashby
and he reported the matter TO Supt.
Reilly.
Walker says that Ashby hired him
to drive him in hurry to the Ocean
Steamship Company's wharf, and stop
ped at saloon on Lumber and Bay
he
half-pint TASKS Of whisky with quinine
Walker says that when the wharf
was reached the white man told him
to drive to the Vale Royal Mills. That
point had been passed when the negro
was told to drive to Hardeeville. the
white man claiming that his home was
at that place.
Walker says that his passenger was
armed, and that he was frightened
He told the man that he couldn't go
that far, because there was a river. be-
tween them and Vaudeville. His fare
then ordered him to drive faster Wal
ker was thoroughly frightene by this
time. and said that he could go no
faster. He turned the lines over TO
the white man.
At the 19-mile post on the Augusta
road the horse was stopped and Ash
by offered the negro 70 cents. Walker
says that he demurred, but that when
the white man asked him If he didn't
like what he had received, he said, yes,
that it would buy feed for the horse.
Walker returned to his home on the
west side at late hour with a jaded
horse. The police believe that Ash
by walked across the country to Still
well, and while in a drunken stupor
took the train for Savannah, probably
intending to go to his place at Miller's
station.
If the murderer had been permitted
TO leave the train and had gone to his
place in the country, he would have
been arrested Just the same. A posse
or city and county officers left during
the afternoon for the mans home
thinking that possibly he might have
returned there. They had not return
ed up to an early hour this morning.
Those who know Ashby say that he
has been dope fiend for several years
and that, while Eighty, he is naturally
OF mean and surly disposition. He
seemed to take q particular delight in
showering blows upon his wife, and
IN cursing his aged mother, during her
life. When Ashby lived on Park ave-
nue.. he frequently drove his mother
out OF the house, and in all sorts OF
weather made her draw water and
gather fuel No one seemed to con-
slider Ashby demented in those days,
and II the insanity plea is entered, the
state VIII make a vigorous fight
against 1t and endeavor to have him
pay the penalty for his cowardly crime