The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-16
SHROUD OF MYSTERY
COVERS THE FINDER MURDER IN
WOODSVILLE.
DEAD MAN WAS ROBBED.
THREE SUSPECTS ARE HELD BI
COUNTY OFFICERS.

Negro Was Found in n Ditch Back
of Fountains store With a Bullet
Wound in Head-Hundreds of Ne
GrOes Had Trampled Around the
Body and Chief Sweeney's Blood
Hounds Gould Not he Used-Pinder
Had Won stake in IA Crap Game
and Was Drunk when Killed.
Was Seen in the Ditch by n Friend
Some Time Before the Shooting.
Murderer Overlooked Money in
Finders shoe.
Mystery shrouds the killing of Joe
Pinder. colored at the rear of Foun-
tain's store. on the Augusta road, in
Woodsville, late Saturday night, al
though three negroes are held at the
county Jail for the crime. They We're
arrested on suspicion early yesterday
morning by Chief Deputy Sheriff
Sweeney, and several deputies. but
deny all knowledge of the crime.
The prisoners are Charles Gadsden
Mathew Berrien and Boise Bacon, all
negroes. When Chief Swee\ey reached
the scene of the crime, with his blood
hounds, he made an effort to have the
dogs take the trail, but found it i'm
possible. Finders body was in a ditch
on the side of the road, and hundreds
of negroes had gathered around it. For
this reason the dogs were of no serv-
ice. The murdered mans pockets had
been rifled, but several dollars that he
had concealed in his shoe We're not dis
covered by the murderer.
Although there were several hundred
negroes in the immediate vicinity at
the time of the shooting, not one could
be found who would admit having
even heard the shot fired. The bullet
entered over the left ear and came out
over the eye. The shot was fired at
close range, and while Pinder was ly-
ing in the ditch drunk. Although those
in Fountains store claimed not to have
heard the shooting, persons living a
quarter of a mile away declared that
they had heard screams of murder. fol-
lowed by the firing of a single shot.
The condition of the ground where
Finders body was found made it APP
parent that there was a scutie before
the shooting.
Motive Was Robbery.
The theory of some of the officers is
that Pinder had won several dollars
during the early evening in a crap
game, and had gotten drunk. He fell
into the ditch and a short while later
an effort was made to rob him. He
probably resisted, and to stop his cries
of murder, the bullet was sent crashing
through his brain. The murderer did
not leave until he had gone through the
dead mans clothes. Just what he got
for his trouble is not known. 1t was
explained to the county officers that
there was a crowd of half drunken and
boisterous negroes around the store at
about the time the killing occurred,
and that the noise they made probably
drowned the sound of the pistol shot.
which was fired behind the store.
Boise Bacon. one of the prisoners, is
a notorious negro gambler, according to
the officers. Chief Sweeney has abso-
lutte proof that Bacon and Pinder had
a dispute in crap game during the aft
ernoon. Pinder made a pass" and
took all the money in sight. claiming
that he had bet both ways. or TO use
the vernacular. made "a double bet"
Bacon is alleged to have threatened TO
get even. and because of his general
reputation was made prisoner.
He not only denies all knowledge of
the killing, but declares that he was
not in the game with Pinder and had
no dispute with him. He claims that
the last time he saw Pinder alive was
at 10 O'Clock Saturday morning. Chief
Sweeney can disprove this statement
by competent testimony, and for this
reason believes that Bacon, at least.
knows something about the homicide
The county officer also has a witness
TXh N npd
against Pinder early in the evening.
Gadsden is alleged to have said to this
Witness ''Tll put it to that niger"
The witness answered. "And I'll be
there when YOU do it,"
Evidence Against Suspect.
Yes and you'll see me walk away.
too" Gadsden is charged with saying.
The prisoner denies that any of this
conversation took place.
Another witness places Berrien in
the ditch with Pinder shortly before
the shooting. This witness stated to
Chief Sweeney that he learned that
Pinder was drunk, and in the ditch.
He went to pull him out and claims
that he found Berrien laying down
with him. At that time Pinder had not
been shot. and the witness made an
effort to get him out of the ditch, and
get him to go home. The witness was
unsuccessful and left Pinder in the
ditch, with Berrien by his side, he
claims. Berrien denies this story.
II is on the strength of these dam
aging statements that the three prison.
ers are held in custody by Chief Swee-
ney on charge of murder The
officer has no other evidence at this
time, but is continuing his investiga-
ton. He learned last night that an
unidentified negro left Fountains store
with Pinder about half an hour before
the killing. Pinder at that time was
drunk and Chief Sweeney is endeavor-
ing to learn who his companion was.
The officers have positive proof that
there We're dozen or more negroes
engaged in a crap game during the
afternoon and early evening, that
Pinder was one of the number, that
he won the greater part of the money.
and that later he was intoxicated.