The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-08-19
Jesse RUf:f|''||.n||
SAE.EL.NlAJ.!|A||I,!.L!:.
Identified as One One Of the the
iss5 Murderers 81 Jolii,
JGrubb.
Hill MY WITNESS W I lE:t';
Recognized Ruffin as the Man an
IN Who Did sthc3D ccdSWith IN
II F.''Railroad Bill.
. . !.

Especial to Tho Times Dispntch.)
n F1ARNfv1L LIE, Az August n S.--Sherlf
Dickinson returned to Farinville on the
midnight train With Jesse Ruffin, alias
being one OF the negroes Who, on the
night OF June 9Th last, murdered John
sGr,lbb merchant and postnlustcr& at Ac-
teon, better known as truEgl lie. IL t4 d
" After preliminary hearing this morn
Ing Def ore q magistrate O, Ru Tin was tnke1,
to 1ynchburg for snfekeeplng until tho
September term OF Prince Edward Cir
cult Court. This step was advised tlby
Commemorative u Attorney Watkins, OH
account the insecurity of tf,s jail here.
"a Ruffin, who was & arrested ut Winton,H
Hereford county, N. e., charged with
carrying concealed weapons was held
prisoner there for$the Prince Edward au-s
tborlt les upon n description Of him given
q by sMassies Hill. another negro IN jail
here, ana who has confessed the part 2hc3
took In the murder of Mr.. Grubb. THIS
morning Massic3 Hill was taken before
$R,iffn and instantly recognized hir1-l n
fact, the ecogn!tion was mutual Y except
that RtIffln addressed Hill ms Johnson
but acknowledged that they had tray
eled together and were together at ,Tu
fgle on the day OF the murder. AZ q as
y5S Several citizens of Tuggl Q were adj
united to the Jail to-day for the PURPOSE
Sof Identifying Ruffin. Mr. r. B. Prince,
II partner in the mercantile blu siness With 1
Mr. Grub, recognized the prisoner e. 7, q 4
glance. He said he & sold Ruffln some
canned goods, and accommodated e =!
with change for n tcn-dollar note on the
9Th day Of June. N s83# u
Il This statement OF the visitor wa read
lily acknowledged to be true by Ruftin.&3
Il At the preliminary hearing this morn
Ing, which was held In the jail. only one
witness was examined, ho being Massic
HILL Witness said that four were in.the
crime" Railroad Bill, Ruff1n and an Il's.
known negro. Ruflin and Bill, witness
declared, did the murder, bbery and
burning that he stood watch witt the
unknown, man Oh the outside. He heard
several pistol shots and afterwards saw
tile flames bursting from the wooden
structure After tile crime had been
completed all four walked down the ~
folk and Western tracks H to II Farmvilie,,|
where they sat In front Of the tool- = ouse Use
and waited for a passing frelKht 55ltraa ain; N.
e Ruftin did not question the VI tn ess
d Just before the examination OF the pr1s-
oner was commenced Rufiin motioned to |
the sheriff to hold his ear close. indicat-
ing that he wished to whisper something
ito7him. III m 4undertonet he asked per-
mission to II talk privately with Massieb
Hill This being denied him., the prison
3cr then suggested that II tho officers
would allow him to see Hill alone he
would have talk with him which they
could hear from Il hidden posi- tion. lAe
Swas asked what he believed would be
accomplished by such an interview. and
his reply was that Fills statements made
TO them would not tally with what he
would tell him. and thus the & officers
would catch him (TIil) In lie.
M Rnf1ln is an ex -convlct, distinction
which lie dislikes to be reminded Of. lle
was. sent up from Nottoway county Tor
a term OF years for burglary His rec
ord for the past fifteen years ls said to |
lie of the Swors t character. The theory
Of the officers here now s that there.
were only two in tho crime committed at
5Tuggle's, ana that they were Massie Hill
and William Ruftin.