Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1909-08-20
MURDER NEAR TRAvILAH.
Decaying Reinains of Henson Poole
Found In a Closet Id His Cabin.
OLLIE HARRIss, AssAILANT OF His AUNT, MRS.
GYwNNE HARRIss, CoNFEssEs THE
TERRIBLE CRIMES.


found in field in an unconscious condi-
ton, on Thursday morning, the 18th in
slant. with frightful wounds on her head
1t was developed later that she had been
struck with large cold-chisel, shot in the
head and left in the field for dead, and
that Ollie Harriss, the 22-year-old son of
jefferson Harriss and nephew of the VIC
tim of the assault, had disappeared from
the neighborhood. On Friday evening o.
lie Harriss appeared at the home of his
parents. was placed under arrest by Sheriff
Mullican and brought to the Rockville jail.
He confessed to the assault upon his aunt.
saying, at first, that it was committed in
resentment for some wrong she had done
him.
PooLE's BODY FOUND IN CLOSET.
On Saturday afternoon. while the COM
munity of Travilah was yet highly wrought
up over the crime of young Harriss, the
dead and decaying body of Henson Poole.
another young man of the neighborhOod
was found in closet in his cabin about
two miles from Travilah and within short
distance of Pennifield s Lock, on the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Canal. The dead man had
a terrible cash and three bullet wounds in
his skull. A bloody Ratchet and 22-cali-
Der rifle were found in the cabin. A jug
containing about gallon of whiskey was
also found in the room.
The last time that Poole had been seen
alive in the neighborhood was on the 21st
of July. and the condition of the body in
Dictated that he had been dead for at least
three weeks. 1t is said that he had con-
siderable sum of money in his possession
short time prior to his disappearance.
This has disappeared. together with his
watch and two gold rings he was known
to have. Henson Poole was twenty-five
years of age and was son of John Poole,
who lives in the vicinity of MiddlebroOk.
About two years ago young Poole shot and
killed man named Peacock, from Fairfax
county, Va. He was tried in the circuit
court here and given only short sentence
in jail on account of mitigating circum-
stances offered in support of his plea of
self-defense. About year ago he went
off to Washington with Lillian L. Harriss,
the 15-year-old daughter of Mrs. Gwynne
Harriss. who was assaulted by her nephew.
Ollie Harris. Poole was arrested, charged
with the betrayal of the girl, but was re-
leased because of insufficient evidence
against him. He was married but lived
apart from his wife. who resides in Wash
ingtOn city.
HARRIss TAKEN TO BALTIMORE
Upon the advice of cool heads in the
Travilah neighborhood. Sheriff Mullican, on
Sunday afternoon. took Ollie Harriss to the
Baltimore city Jail for safe-keeping. When
first accused of the murder of Poole he is
said to have burst into tears. while deny
ing all knowledge of the crime.
Mrs. Gwynne Harriss, though fearfully
wounded. is reported to be slowly but sure
ly improving, and her physician. Dr. C. II.
Nourse, of Jamestown, has hopes of her
recovery.
The remains of Henson Poole were in
tered at Beallsville on Monday last.
HARRIss CoNFEssEs His CRIMES.
On Tuesday last, at Baltimore, under the
questioning of Capt. Humphrey. of the
Baltimore detective force, Ollie Harriss con-
fessed the killing of Henson Poole.
Let me see your fingers" said Captain
Humphrey. When he showed them Har-
riss was told that his finger prints taken
in the Bertillon Bureau were similar to
those found on the door of the cupboard
where the mutilated body of Poole was
found.
What r. exclaimed Harris. Thus shaken.
he told the story of the crime.
81 killed Poole" he said. 81 did it be-
cause he was going to shoot me. grab
bed the rifle from his hands and fired
bullet into his head. | then took Ratchet
and smashed his head and hacked him. |
then fired two more shots into his body to
be sure he was dead.
ITO hide my crime threw his body in
the cupboard and closed the door on it,
feared that somebody would discover it
and that would be caught However, as
he lived alone, | did not worry much about
his body being found"
did you rob him p asked Captain Pun
phrey
Yes. went through his clothes and
took $50 from his pockets and from places
in the room. also filled quart and two
pint bottles with whisky from jug. Then
took his keys. locked the door and left
the place"
Where did you gO?" he was asked.
81 walked up the road until came to
Charles Corners home and called him out
and gave him drink. telling him | had
plenty of money with which to buy more
whisky"
Where did you meet Poole on the night
of July 81 % asked the detective.
There was band at Linthicum's store
at Travilah and the crowd stayed around
until 10 O'Clock. when both Poole and
went home. went to sleep on the couch
in my house. woke up at S o'clock in the
morning, and as wanted to 90 to the
Masonic fair at Rockville. went out to
Poole's cabin to buy some whisky to take
to town.
Poole was asleep and woke him up.
We had several drinks together and asked
him to let me take two quarts of whisky
to the fair in jug. He started to fill the
jugs and put in some water, to which OBJ
jected. We quarreled and came to blows.
He came after me with his 22-caliber rifle
and in the struggle that followed grabbed
the rifle from his hands.
THE struggle lasted for several minutes
before | shot him. | did not take any
chances of having him tell who wounded
him, and that is why used the Ratchet
and fred the other two shots.