The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-08-15
BY Staff Representative.

BY Staff Representative.
About a thousand persons met the
train returning from Milton last
night AT ten o'clock, expecting
to see the negro VINO was ar
rested yesterday morning at Mil
ton, BY Sheriff Dave Mitchell. sUs-
pected of ASSEMBLING Mrs. Ed MOclair.
at her home near Bohemia Thursday
afternoon about $3.50 o'clock They
were disappointed however. for S1er-
iff Van Pelt did not send after the ne
gro and he remained in the Jail at
Milton in charge of Sheriff Mitchell,
of Santa Rosa county
There is much doubt as TO whether
or not the negro under arrest is the
guilty man. So much doubt is there
in the minds of the citizens of Mil
ton, that although he was subjected
TO a severe examination. and in gen
eral agreed with the description given
by Mrs MOclair, there was little talk
Of violence.
There were probably from 100 to
$50 men about the court house and
jail al Milton from the time the negro
was arrested-10 o'clock yesterday
mOrning-untiI midnight last night.
During the day there was every OPP
pOrtUnitv 10 take the negro from the
JAIL or to kill him in the jail, for peO-
pie were permitted TO see him and
talk vita him. but the cOncensus Of
opinion was: That he\shOuld be TAX
en- before Mrs Moclair and identified.
The negro tells a straightforward
story, and his story is verified and
cor.Oborated in zneariv every -
tiCulaT- A representative of Tia
Journal interviewed the prisoner al
his name was Oscar Murphy that he
was born in Kilmarkle Madison coun-
y, Kentucky, that he was 81 years
old, and that he had been in Florida
three years, during which time ne
had been employed as a IabOrer i'll
turpeRtine stills.
Ready to Meet Mrs. MoClair.
During the interview MUrphey was
told: We'll, the woman will reacn
here within the next hour and smell
know you
When she comes she'll prove I'm
not the man, he answered conf
IDENTITY
Murphy stated that he had been
in Chumuckla and that he left there
Thursday morning and went via
dummy line to Florida Town and
from there walked to MuIat He
membered calling the attention of the
station agent of the railroad 10 him
self, by asking the agent for permits
sion to change his clothes in the sta
ton house The agent sent him 10 "A
house near the station and he there
put on a pair of black pants and a
gray coat After that ne bought
something to eat at a house near ths
station, paying the person who served
him twenty cents.
He then stayed around the station
until train time in company with Co
lUmbUs Johnson. a negro employed
at the E F Johnson turpentine still.
across the river from Milton. He
went to Milton on the evening tram
with Johnson and spent the night at
the house OF Ida Jones in Milton,
whom he said was mis- half sister,
Yesterday morning he went to JOhn-
sons still and asked for a job.
He also got something to eat from
Mrs. Johnson, and il was this that
made Mr. JOhnOn suspect the negro.
After he had received the food he
buttOned his coat and began running
slowly away II was then that John
son telephoned Sheriff Mitchell and
his Arrest followed.
Story CorrObOrated.
The representative Of The Journal
following this interview
with the negro. teIephOned J. A. How
eli, station agent at Mulat He de-
Scribed Murphy to Howell and asked
II he recalled the negrOs request 10
change his clothes Mr. Howell re-
piled that he did. and stated that he
sold the negro two tickets 20 Milton.
Last night as the train passed Mulat,