The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-04-23

ne appeared pleased that she hat
kept her engagement. Several time
before it seems that McShann had t.
wait for her. They did not tarry Ions
at the roadside as she expressed feal
of being seen. When they were some
distance from the road McShann want
| ed to stop, but she pretended to heal
some one coming through the thicl
| underground and prevailed on him tt
move on, leading him to where Crosby
was stationed with his gun. When
within few feet of the log Crosby
arose to his feet with the gun pointed
at the young man, who started to run
Throw up your hands," said Crosby
'or | will shoot" McShann raised his
hands above his head and stood still
Mrs. Crosby says that, according to
the plans made on Friday night, she
then walked around behind her hus.
band, awaiting his signal, ready"
when she reached her hand over his
shoulder and pulled the trigger.
The full charge of the gun struck
McShann in the mouth and chin, when
he ran few steps, moaned pitfully
and fell, expiring almost instantly.
Went For His Gun.
Crosby threw down his gun and
stood few feet from the body of his
victim until he was sure that life was
extinct, when Mrs. Crosby says they
returned home.
1t dawned on Crosby during the af-
ternoon that he had left his gun in
the woods. This he knew, would
point Enthusiastically to the identity of
the murderer. 1t was therefore plan
ned to recover the gun and he went
alone to the spot where the dead body
of McShann lay during the night to re-
cover the weapon. The witness broke
down several times while relating this
part of the story.
Mrs. Crosby is mere slip of a girl
having only recently passed her fif-
teenth birthday. Prior to her mar
rlage she was Miss Minnie Jones
and resided at Soso in Jones county,
where her parents now live. G. L.
Crosby was reared in Smith county
and Is about thirty years of age. He is
employed as a saw filler by the Nc
lnnis Lumber Company at Petal, spend
ing most of his time in the woods with
the logging crews.
The child-wife admitted that she
slept little and had no peace of mind
during the week following the crime,
as the husband left early Monday
morning and did not return until Sat
urday night.
Crosby's Story.
1t was after dark when the examina
tion of Mrs. Crosby was completed by
the coroner's jury, and Coroner Fair
ley instructed deputy to bring G. L..
Crosby into the courtroom. He had
already been before the jury, denying
emphatically any knowledge of the
crime. The prisoners had been sepa-
rated in the JAIL and he did not know
that his wife had confessed to Deputy
Sheriff McGilvray, and that she had
subsequently repeated her confession
to the jury.
When told by the coroner that Mrs.
Crosby had confessed, a contempt
uous smile played over the face of
the husband.
What are you trying to give me?"
he asked. A portion of the details
of the tragedy had to be minutely re-
told before he was finally convinced
that the jury was already in posses
sion of the facts. He then went over
the story, substantiating practically
everything as told by the terrified
woman. His only request was that e.
L. Woodruff and his wife, who were
arrested on suspicion of having par,
ticipated in the tragedy, be released,
as they had nothing whatever to do
with the affair.
The head Of the dead man, from
which the flesh had been picked by
the hogs and vultures before the body