The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-14
FOR SHRENK MURDER
THREE WHITE MEN ARE IN CUsTO-
DY OF FOLICE.
THEY DENY THE CRIMES.
PRISONERS ARE JOHN GAM, BEN
NELSON AND tom HARGRAvE.

ed i'm the OEeechee District by
Sergt. Fleming and Patrolmen
JerniEan, GodbOId and Christie.
Gold Watch said to Have Belonged
to Murdered StOrekeeper Found
on NeIsOn-Omcers Claim to BE Ger
tain That Prisoners Committed
Double Murder. Robbery and Ar
son.
The mystery that has surrounded the
murder of Michael Shrenk, the aged
German storekeeper. and his clerk,
Ogeechee district, on the night Of Feb.
2S, has been solved, according to four
members of the police force.
The officers are Mounted Sergeant
Walter Fleming, Patrolmen Jernigan.
Patrolman Godbold and Patrolman
Christie. They believe that they have
in custody the men who murdered
Shrenk and Carter, took in the neigh
borhood of $1,000 from the store and
then burned it with the bodies of their
victims. The prisoners are John F..
Gam, Shrenk's stepson; Benjamin f.
Nelson, his son-in-law, and Thomas
Hargrave all white. The men deny all
knowledge of the crime, although the
officers assert that they will be able
to establish their guilt.
CAPTURED on the Ogeechee.
The four officers left the city Sat
urday night and returned yesterday af-
ternoon with Gam and Nelson. They
Travelled fifty-two miles and arrested
both men on the Ogeechee river, Mel
son in Bryan county. Hargrave is
from Effingham county and was ar
rested Thursday night at the Central
depot by Constables Barrett and Con-
stantine A warrant charging him
with murder was sworn out before
Magistrate Jones and Hargrave was
committed to jail on that charge. A
gold watch which the officers claim
was taken from the old German before
the store was burned, was found on
Nelson when he was arrested at his
home, on the Pine Barren road. The
prisoner says that the watch is his
own, that he has had 1t for several
years.
Positive They Have the Murderers.
The officers who charge that the
three men committed the deed that
stirred up the county and prompted
Gov. Gambler to offer a reward of $3.50
for the arrest of each murderer, say
that they will be able to convict the
prisoners, but are not willing at this
time to make public the evidence in
their possession. 1t is contended by
them that the arrests were made only
after a large amount of evidence had
been accumulated, and they say that
they will be able to prove that robbery
was not the only motive. The death of
Schrenk followed by that of his
wife would put the property
into the hands of Gam and Nelson's
wife. 1t is charged that Hargrave was
paid $500 as his share of the money
taken frim the store.
Believe Nelson Planned 1t.
The officers accuse Nelson of being
an arch conspirator, and charge that
he killed a white man in South Caro-
lima seventeen years ago, and a negro
in front of his place on the Pine Bar
rem Road about three years ago. Nell
son is a native of South Carolina and
came to Chatham county about seven
teen years ago, but he denies that he
has ever killed or harmed any one in
any way He says that he witnessed
the killing of a negro named Foster in
front of his place about three years
ago and that he was arrested for the
deed. He was acquitted of the charge,
and says that his fatherin-law, whom
he is now charged with having muir
dered, furnished him with money to
employ counsel. He claims that his re-
lations with the old man We're very
friendly and that he had no reason for
wishing his death.
Nelson says that the negro Foster
was engaged in a fight with two ne
groes who were employed by him. He
claims that one of them used a club
and the other shot Foster but that he
took no part in the trouble. Nelson
claims that one of the negroes is now
dead and that the other has never
been arrested. He says that on the
night of the Whiskey Fill tragedy he
was at his home. His arrest he says
did not surprise him and he rather ex-
pected it. He had heard it stated that
he was suspected of the crime and
rather thought that the officers would
place him in custody.
Gam Declares His Innocence
Gam, who was put through a
"sweat box treatment in the sheriff's
office several days after the homicide,
continues to protest his innocence and
to speak affectionately of his dead
stepfather. When he recalled the
charred bodies yesterday, as he saw
them on the morning after the tragedy,
he broke down in his cell and wept.
He declared that his mother has been
i'll since the brutal murder of her hus-
DdIlQ anu llldN ne mas lldu W COHSldul-
ly watch her. He claims that she is
now in a precarious condition and
without any one to attend her wants.
CAMS manner yesterday when he re-
ferred to the death of Schrenk was the
same as it was on the morning
after the homicide, when he
begged the officers to permit
him to throw water on the shoulder
ing body of his step-father That
CAMS grief was affected cannot be
credited by those who saw him upon
that occasion, although the four Of
flcers say that they are absolutely GER
tain that they have the right men in
custody.
Hardgraves' Denial.
Hargrave denies that he knows any,
thing about the crime and says he did
not see either Nelson or Gam on the
day of the double murder He denies
that he passed the store when the two
men were doing the work and that he
received 5000 to keep his mouth shut.
He says that he passed the place about
6 o'clock on the afternoon of the muir
der. but that he saw neither Gam nor
Nelson ana that he did not even stop.
He has employed Mr.. Robert L. Cold
ing as his counsel and may demand a
preliminary examination this week.
Hargrave denies that he is in posses
sion of any information that would
throw any light on the tragedy, and
claims that ne has never told anybody
that he witnessed THE commission of
the crime