Year: 1866

CONSPIRACY TO MURDER MAN.-The
Philadelphia Press says.-On Wednesday
night few minutes before twelve O'Clock,
Mr. Elias Hull, barber, doing business at
2OS Chestnut street, was murderously at
tackled by two colored men at his residence
No All Gaskill street. The circumstance.
connected with the case exhibit one of the
most outrageous cases on record. It seems
that on entering his house he met his wife,
Jane Hull. Observing that the light was
not burning in the kitchen, as usual, he
inquired as to the cause She replied that
it was out of order and would not burn
He then went into the yard, his wife follow
ing him down stairs into the cellar kitchen.
On his returning and going up stairs she said
to him, "Elias, go down and get the Hght.''
The stairway leading into the cellar-kitchen
is very narrow and dark one. At the foot
OF 1t there is a doorway leading into
small vault. In this place there were two
colored men concealed, armed with hatchets.
MIR. Hull had just passed the vault door
when he heard slight noise, which startled
him. He jumped one side. At this moment
the colored men came out-one Of them
striking him a violent blow upon the head
with the weapon which he held in his hand,
knocking Mr.. Hull down in the opposite
corner of the room, inflicting quite a serious
cash. While lying upon the floor the other
fellow caught him by the neck and held him
so tightly that he could not speak, finally
he recovered and cried murder" got up,
hoisted window and alarmed the neigh
bors. The would-be assassins then ran up
stairs. The cries of the injured man attract
ed the attention of Sergeant Pearson,
Officers Bayletts, Schneider and Jeffries, Of
the Third-district police. They forced open
the front door and searched the building
One ofthe colored fellows was found hid in
the clubhouse, and the other in the clothes
press in Mrs. Hull's room. Although she
positively denied knowing anything of his
whereabouts and told the officers that there
was no use of looking in that room for him,
as the man was not there. The colored
men were taken into custody. They gave
their names as John Kensley and Charles
Green, and each aged about thirty years
The conduct of Mrs. Hull being rather sua,
pcious, she was also taken into custody
The colored men stated that they were to get
$500 if they succeeded in destroying Mr..
Hull's life, that is, providing they obtained
the key of the fire-proof safe, which he car
ried in his pocket. That they were en-.
ployed to do the job by young man named
William Barker, residing at 7th and South
streets. He had frequently visited the house
| and Mrs. Hull represents him as her cousin;
that Mrs. Hull opened the door and gave one
of them hatchet, and helped to conceal
them in the vault. 1t is evident from the
statements made by these desperate fellows
that Barker and the wife of Hull had con-
spired together to destoy his life and take
what money the safe might contain. Barker
was arrested, and the parties had hearing
before Alderman Butler yesterday morning.
The colored men fully identified Barker as
the man who employed them to murder Mr.


Hull, They were all held to answer at court.
On Wednesday morning at the breakfast
table, Mrs. Hull told her husband that he
would be dead man before many days
rolled around. 1t weighed so heavily upon
his mind that he concluded there might be
something up, and he removed the money
which his safe had contained, some SO, 600,
and deposited it in bank Mrs. Hull and
Barker were not aware of this fact, and no
doubt but what the conspiracy would have
fallen through had 1t been known To them.
I