The Savannah morning news., 1902-11-09
BATTLES THEM ALL
DEAN FOREST TRAGEDY STILL
sHROUDED IN MYSTERY.
SINGLE RAY OF HOPE.
REMARKABLY CONFESSION OF MIL
LER MAY YET MEAN SOMETHING.

As the Investigation Continues the
Case Becomes More Puzzling-NOt
in the History of the County Has a
Single Crime Retained the Public
Interest for So Long "A Time-The
Deep Mystery Inspired Solicitor
General Osborne to Assist in the
investigation and n Score of Per-
sons Have Been Exnmined-The
Murder Occurred After 1905 a, nA.,
an Important Point if an Arrest Is
Madc-For a Solid Week the OIL
GERS Have Been Working Night
and Day.
So completely shrouded in mystery
that Sherlock Holmes himself would
be baff1ed, the murder of Gugie Bour-
quin and his aged servant, Fred Tay-
lor, week ago to-day. is hardly any
nearer being solved than it was few
hours after its discovery.
The uncertainty of it all has stead
fly become more intense as the inves-
tigation has progressed. Not in re-
cent years has a single crime aroused
and held the interest of the public like
the tragedy of last Sunday. The
chances of discovering the murderers
seemed much brighter when the simple
fact was related that Bourquin and his
servant had been killed than at any
time since. Then, even before they
had viewed the bodies, before they had
visited the scene they strongly suspect
ed certain individuals.
Worked Every Clue.
For three nights and two days the
officers secured the country in search
of information that would add strength
to their suspicious and warrant them
in acting. Just at the point where
public interest was beginning to lag
and where usually such searches are
abandoned. Joe Miller, thief and es-
capped convict. was arrested by the
police as a fugitive from justice. Then
came his remarkable confession of
guilt, a confession that sent a thrill
through the police department, such
as it has seldom experienced. Over
and over again he declared to first
one and then the other that a man
named Sapp had promised to pay him
to fire the fatal shots.
This startling and improbable con-
fesston awakened new interest in the
case, and the thoroughly fatigued Of
ficers took on new energy. In local
criminology nothing similar had ever
occurred.
Miller n Mystery.
Although fully aware that the
crime could not have been COM
mitted as described. by Miller, the Of
ficers were unable to supply a salts
factory motive for his confession. Try
as they would to push the confession
aside, the persistence with which the
escaped convict maintained his guilt
held their attention. Each clue that
was followed made the mystery darker.
The most remarkable case in his ex-
perience as prosecuting attorney, So
icitor General w. w. Osborne began
TO show signs of activity. Under his
direction the deputies kept at their
work night and day. Mr. Osborne,
barrister, became Mr.. Osborne, detec-
tive. The uncertainty of It all held
him as 1t held the public When the
crime was committed he had a theory,
as did every one else. Last night he
was as much in the dark as one who
has never even heard of the Dean For
est tragedy.
Theories Failed.
One by one theories have been close
ly followed, and one by one theories
have melted into thin air Bewilderad
perplexed, annoyed though they he
the men who are trying in every way
to ferret out the double murder. refuse
TO stop and admit defeat absolute and
unequivocal. Although they realize
that they are confronting what seem
to be insurmountable obstacles they
continue their work against fate it.
self. And Miller, the confessor, is re-
sponsible for this remarkable condition
of affairs
The clouds of mystery began to gath
er and grow darker with the confess
sion of the escaped convict and from
the same source is expected the first
ray of light. This is the last straw at
which to clutch and the officers now
realize it.
Hunters Questioned.
Since the confession of the negro
more than score of persons who were
hunting anywhere within a radius of
i've miles of the lonely spot where the
crime was committed, have submitted
TO cross questioning at the hands of
the solicitor general. With each
statement the likelihood of ever soly-
ing the mystery grows DINNER
Ii IS know that the two men were
killed after 1905 in the morning. and
quite while before ,4:30 o'clock in the
afternoon, when the rigid bodies were
found by Mr.. Ed Lowell and Mr.. Harry
Dreese. The hour at which the men
We're killed will prove an important
matter in the event that an arrest is
made. The old negro was killed on
the tracks of the Seaboard Air Line
and fell between the rails where he
was found by Mr.. Lowell and Mr..
Dreese at 4:30 O'Clock. His body had
not been mutilated at that time and a
train passed at 1905 o'clock in the
morning.
At 5:45 o'clock in the afternoon. aft
er Mr.. Lowell and Mr.. Dreese had left
for the city to give the alarm, a. train
ran over the body of Taylor
and mangled it. These facts
were secured from the records in the
train masters Office. 1t is also known
that Bourquin was shot from behind
as he sat in his buggy, and that his
servant was killed while running down
the railroad track. Doubt surrounds
every other point in the case, but urged
on py Mr.. osborne, the deputies intend
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