The Savannah morning news., 1902-04-15
MAY PROVE ALIBlS
ALLEGED WHISKY HILL MURDER
ERs TO HAVE EXAMINATION.
POLICE AFTER WITNESSES.
PRISONERS SAY THEY CAN EsTAB-
LIsH THEIR INNOCENCE.

viii DC determined To-
morrow by Justices Bevans ana
Jones-POIice Officers in the Ogee-
chez District Searching for Fur
ther WitnesSes-Mrs. Shrenk and
Her Daughter Visited Prisoners
Yesterday-Came to City with Ne
gro boy who Was Arrested and
Held a. a witness-Wife of Dead
Man in III Health and Returned to
Her Home ON the OEeechee Alone.
Whether there is sufficient evidence
upon which TO hold John Gam, Ben
Nelson and Thomas Hargrave for the
murder of Michael Shrenk and Jake
Carter. the robbery of the store at
Whiskey Hill, and the burning of the
place with the bodies of the victims,
will be decided at a preliminary exam
.inaton before Magistrate Bevans TO-
morrow morning.
1t is claimed that the information
upon which the three men were ar
rested was in the possession of the
county officers a few days after the
tragedy, but at that time was not con-
sidered sufficiently strong to warrant
an arrest. Officers Godbold and Jer-
nigan left the city yesterday for the
Ogeechee District for the purpose of
securing witnesses. and are expected
back to-day. They appeared confident
that they will be able to establish the
guilt of the defendants. Warrants
charging Gam and Nelson with muir
der were sworn out yesterday before
Magistrate Bevans. and the prisoners
were transferred from the station
house to the county jail
Both men continue to protest their
innocence, as does Hargrave, who was
arrested last week. The men say that
they will have no difficulty in estab-
fishing alibis, and Nelson claims that
he will be able to prove that the gold
watch taken from him is his property,
and was not owned by his father-in-
law Shrenk. Nelson says that he was
at his home in Bryan county when the
crime was committed, and his wife
bears him out in this statement Gam
sets up the defense that he was about
two miles away and says that he can
prove that he got up at about the time
the murder was committed to let two
Et.N@
which he was custodian.
Mrs. Shrenk, who is in i'll health,
came to the city yesterday with her
daughter Mrs. Nelson. They were ac-
companied by a negro boy named
James Grant who had been assisting
Mrs Shrenk. The boy was placed un-
der arrest by Patrolman E. F. Davis
and is held as witness at the police
station house. Mrs. Shrenk and her
n
over the arrest of Gam and claimed
that he was the only person Mrs.
Shrenk had to wait upon her.
No one was permitted to see the boy
Mrs. Shrenk and her daughter called
at the Jail and talked with the two
prisoners in whom they are interest
ed. The meeting between Mrs. Shrenk
and her son was a pathetic one and
both the aged woman and the man
cried
Gam did not have the appearance
of a guilty man, and the impression
he has made upon those who have
talked with him has been favorable
throughout Nelson did not seem to be
greatly concerned over his confine-
ment and his wife took it as a matter
of fact.
Furnished Names of Witnesses.
The four discussed the case in all
of it's phases and with a frankness
that did not indicate guilt. The pris-
oners furnished the names of wit
nesses whose presence will be requir-
ed at the preliminary and wife and
mother promised to see that the wit
nesses are on hand at the appointed
time. Gam seemed particularly anx-
ious about his mothers safety and en-
deavored to induce her to remain in
the city. He stated that he feared if
she returned to her home alone she
would be murdered and the place
would be robbed. Mrs. Schrenk her.
self expressed some fear for her safety
but declared that all she owns is on
the Ogeechee, and that she would
have to go back and guard it.
1t is the intention of Magistrate Bev-
ans to get Justice Jones to sit with
him at the preliminary hearing and
dispose of the Hargrave case at the
same time, Hargrave is represented by
Mr.. Robert L. Colding and the other
defendants have secured Mr.. John Z.
Myrick as their counsel. None of the
men express the slightest fear as to
the outcome of the case. but are anx-
ious to end their days of confinement
for a crime of which they say they are
not guilty. Gam complained that
neither he or Nelson were given any
thing to eat from the time they were
taken in custody until they were COM
mitted to Jail.
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