Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-09-02
Jury SAYS NEGRO
KILLED OYSTERMAN
Search Made for Accused Man
After Coroner's Verdict on
Capt. Messick's Death.
PATUxTENT RIVER CRIME

Private detectives arc cooperating
with tho police Of Baltimore and Nor
folk and the authorities Of St Marys
county, Md, in an effort to capture
young man known as Ernest Johnson.
accused by n coroner's jury Of being
the siaye- of Capt. Elmer c. Messick.
an oysterman, whose body was found in
the Patuxent river near Jones wharf
about ten miles from Benedict. Friday
yaorning. William Benjamin Messick.
murdered man. last night related the
story Of the finding of the body and
The incidents which preceded It.
The dead man. who was forty-four
where his brother, Harry Messick. Is In
the hotel oyster and boat business. Sew
eral years ago he moved to the Vicinity
of Old Point. where he married MISS
May Doxier. The couple moved to Bene-
dict, where they remained until two
years ago when they returned to Vir-
ginia and established a home In Phoe-
bus. Their family consisted OF -FOUR
Elmer Messick has followed the river
all his life. He recently made several
trips to the Patuxent river. where ne
obtained loads of lumber and railroad
ties. which he disposed of in Norfolk.
il was nearly two weeks ago when he
left home for the last time and made
trip to the Patuxent- Because of the
dsficulty he experienced getting men to
crow on the fateful trip consisted only
Of the young colored man and himself.
Capt. Messick occupied the cabin aft.
while the colored sailor occupied the
forward cabin. Late Tuesday after
noon was the last time that timbermen
near Jones wharf saw Capt. Messfck
alive. The three-masted schooner.
Matilda L. was anchored there. with
no align Of life aboard. and Thursday
word was sent to Harry Messick at
BENEDICT that his brother was missing
Harry communicated with his brother.
William BENJAMIN Messick. at Mount
Rainier. and the latter hurried to
benedict by automobile. Entering
motor boat with Ernest and Clifford
Horsman. relatives. he speeded to
1T was shortly after reaching the
vicinity of Jones' wharf" he told a
shat I sighted my brothers body in
shallow water about one hundred yards
f~em shore.
''rhe blade of sharp ak. what would
IN the side Of the head that I was told
II was with difficulty that it later was
removed
Named as Alleged Slayer.
When the body had been made fast
to the wharf Messich and his reatives
summoned Sheriff Bowles from Leon
ardtswn. and the investigation was
~
nesses were heard and Ernest johnson
was named as the alleged slayer. Pre-
cedfng the holding of an inquest, how
mans boarded the schooner with the
sheriff and others and made a careful
inspection of the craft
Il feel satisfied" the brother told
Star reporter. "that Elmer was at
hacked as he was leaving the cabin
! Tuesday night. Only one blow was de-
1ivsred. and he never knew what hap
pensd. Death must have come in
Mr. Messick explained that there was
blood on the cabin floor and on deck.
ana the compass was smeared with 1t.
The murderer had used mop in an eff
fort to wash the blood from the cabin
floor. but had left number of spots
there to bear mute testimony that a
crime had been committed. Nothing
was found about the boat TO suggest
the possibility of struggle having
taken place
hopping the floor was not all that
was done by the murderer in an effort
to hide the crime He procured the
shipping papers. among them being the
one containing the accused mans name
and address. and destroyed them in the
little stove on which cooking was done
for those aboard the craft.
Accused Man at sotterly.
The accused colored man appeared
at the wharf at Sotterly, two miles
lower down the river. where he await
ed the arrival Of the steamer Anne
Arundel on Wednesday afternoon He
was seen by Capt. Bob Horsman, first
ofhcer of the steamer. an uncle of the
Messicks-
It was early In the afternoon when
the boat locked at Sotterly. about eight
miles above Solomon Island. and the
alleged slayer boarded 1t. One of his
first inquiries. 1t In stated. was how he
could reach Norfolk. and about the
time the boat reached Baltimore
Thursday morning he repeated the in
30 to board a boat that would take
him to the Virginia city
Shortly after the body of the slain
man was found relatives were commu-
Lillian Benton. sister. s28 Stricken
street. Baltimore. and she lost no time
engaging sleuths to assist in the search
for the murderer. The widow of the
slain man was visiting relatives in the
country and a message to her was de-
Iayed. but yesterday she boarded a train
and came to this city by way of Rich
mond.
Funeral services had been held Fri
day afternoon and the body was in
TERED In the Episcopal cemetery at
Hughesvflle- Mrs. Messick arranged to
spend the night with relatives in this
city and to go to Hughesville and Bene-
dict today She was accompanied here
by relatives and her youngest child. an
infant
Maj. Pullman. superintendent of DO
lice. has received no request for the
local department to assist in the in
yestigation. probably because IL was
deemed reasonably certain that the
William T. Anderson of the eleventh
precinct, who has manv friends at
Benedict, went there late yesterday ant
ernoon to ascertain II he could be of as