The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-12-26
CONFESSION Of
IN ACCONPLICE
In the Murder of DIR. III. C. Spencer of
Gainesville Puts 4. 4. Hampton
In a Bad Position

! The Gainesville sun of the 25th says:
ITO Charles Pinkoson, chief of the
| Gainesville police force, is due the
credit of fathoming the mystery which
! has for nearly ten months shielded the
parties guilty of the foul murder of
| DR.. II. c. Spencer. DR.. Spencer, it will
| be remembered. was called from his
| home on North Evans street on the
night Of Monday, February 26th. the
messenger requesting the physician to
| go to Gainey's still, three miles dis
tant on the Seaboard Air Line. toward
| Fairbanks. That was the last seen of
| him until the following Thursday
morning, when Sheriff Ramsey and a
| posse, after search lasting two days
| and nights, came upon his body, lying
| face upward, on the banks of a brook
nearly two miles from the still. where
the doctors automobile was found
| standing the day after his disappear
ance.7
| The Sun goes on to tell how Marshal
| Pinkoson, working on one little clue
/ and another, finally rounded up Thomas
Smith, negro, in whose. possession
was DR.. Spencer's Watch and some
other small articles that once belonged
| to the physician. Smith confessed that
| he decoyed DR. Spencer into the power
| of his murderer, who, according to
Smith, was one A. \. Hampton, a
young white man, a woods rider for j.
| r.. Gainey. Hampton is seriously i'll at
his home in Gainesville and his physi-
| clan says he cannot recover He doesn't
act like he was guilty and some peo-
| pie believe Smith is laying the crime
on him to shield the real criminal.
m confession Smith said
"On Monday night, the first of the
year, was coming from Fingers still
Mr.. Hampton. who worked at 95 still,
overlook me near the edge of town. He
| said: Hello, old man, where are you
| going? 1 said, am going home I
| said: 'Why?' He said: 4 want you to
| 60 and stopped, and looked like
he was not going to say any more. He
| hummed and hawed on it twice; then
| he said: L want you to go to DR..
Spencers house and tell him that I
say to come, and come al once-that
my wife was sick He then pulled out
! a quarter and gave me.
81 left him standing in the road.
went TO Dr. Speencers house and told
him that Mr.. Hampton's wife at
Gainey's still was very sick, and to
come right at once. He said: All
right, I will be out in a few minutes.
helped him get the car out. We got
in and went to the still. We stopped in
front of the big gate to the still and
got out Mr.. Hampton came from the
direction of the boss mans house. He
spoke to DR.. Spencer, and we started
off east.
eve went down the big road We
came to lots of water; they would go
around the water. 1 would generally
go through the water. I went with
them to get to ride back with the doc
tor. The doctor said if he had known
there was so much water he would
have brought his car. He spoke about
the water and the distance several
times-complaining about his foot
hurting. Mr.. Hampton had a gun on
his shoulder and a little dog with him.
We got to a branch. l broke a stick
and gave it to the doctor to help him
over the foot-1og. The doctor crossed
first, me next, Mr.. Hampton last. The
doctor had trouble in crossing. just
as the last man stepped from the log
the gun fired. l threw up both hands
and started to holler Mr.. Hampton
said, You had better not say any
thing
"The doctor fell on his face, half on
one side. I then took the doctors
watch, his pocket knife and a little
book. Mr.. Hampton first looked all
around and then stopped over DR.
Spencer. 1 then ran and came home
got home about three or half-past.
put the book over the kitchen door in
my house. 1 gave the watch to my
cousin, Henry Gray. He pawned it tc
Mr., Moses Ede1stein for IS. We divided
it between U.S."