The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-04-22
Woman Who Wrote Letters to Nc
Shane, Her Husband and Another
Couple Suspected of Completely
in Luring Man to Death.

must have gone clear through the
skull and into the brain.
After viewing the body, in its hor-
rible condition, it was authoritativelv
decided to bury the body where It
was. The crushed skull was brought
to the city in charge of County Cor
oner David Farley.
Magruder in Action.
In the meantime sheriff Magruder
with his deputies lost no time in 10.
eating the men under suspicion, and
who for some time had been under
surveillance of the sheriffs depart
ment.
These people were G. L. Crosby
and his wife, Minnie Crosby, and Z.
L. Woodruff and his wife, Pearl Wood.
ruff Woodruff is Crosby's brother
in-law. All parties were arrested at
Petal.
Crosby is a saw filler and was iu
the woods at the time of the finding
of the body. Deputy sheriff were at
Petal awaiting Crosby's arrival, and
as he stepped from the dummy train
he was placed under arrest.
Woodruff works at the Watkins
machine shops, where he was known
as a car repairer.
Women Arrested.
After the two men had been taken
in charge the two women were placed
under arrest and the four taken to
the county Jail, where they are held
pending the action of the grand jury.
The fact that McShann, the murder
ed man, was missing, was known to
The News more than a week ago, but
for good and sufficient reasons
publication of the feet was made
r that time. 1t was then learned
: McShann came to Hattiesburg SC
time in February, and, claiming tc
Z a bricklayer, for some time had b,
q trying to get work on the new un
y depot as a bricklayer Finally, -
brickwork was begun, and McShann
appeared on the ground, but he told
o day, as he had a date with girl"
1t The next day, March II, he went to
e work, giving his name as ]. R. Nc
|, Shann. He worked an hour and a
It half, when the foreman, seeing that
he was not an expert enough bricklay-
o er for the work that had to be done,
l. McShann was discharged.
d oates With a Girl"
S. Dates with a girl'' appear to have
Y had much to do with McShann's dis
is appearance. He had "a date with a
g. girl on Easter Sunday morning, il
If reports be true. 1t was known to The
ID News three days after his disappear.
ID ance, when he left all his belongings
lie at hi sboarding house. This fact
1t aroused the suspicion of the
lie with whom he boarded, so thoroughly
Iy that he examined into McShann's cor
lie respondence, so that he might com
ID municate with McShann's people.
In this correspondence the boarding
ne house man discovered that McShan-
Vi was = in correspondence with some
d woman, and as the nature of the cor
It, respondence was of itself suspicious
Mt the affair was placed in the hands
h of Sheriff Magruder, who took up tlt
ng case, and, as results show, prosecuta
en- it to a successful conclusion.
McShann's Last Date.
This correspondence showed tha
nd McShann made his last date 70
ed Easter Sunday morning at "tht
at bridge" and he was told ito be sur
Pic and come alone"
ne Facts go to show that he kept hi
a date" but before doing so the fact
av, go to show that he braced himse
so with two bottles of Jamaica ginge
Whether or not the date" was keI
ad' promptly, it is known that McShan
ps was seen alive between 4 and o'cloc
ic- Easter Sunday afternoon. At ths
his time he was evidently enjoying hin
he self, as he was in Pearl river in
zen small boat with two women.
yer So far as is at present known, tn;
in was about the last time that McShan
a was seen alive, excepting by thos
who so murderously made way wit
de- him.
en- Crosby Opened Letter.
pom The connections of Crosby al
int Woodruff with the crime appears
nd, have begun with the letter whic
ag,
ath Continued on Page Four)