ENTERPRISE August 29,1872

LOCALS IN BRIEF

The murder of Emiline ROGERS created more excitement in this county than any event that has ever transpired here. During the days that MARTIN was on trial, the streets of Ripley were literally filled with excited and interested people. In order to accommodate a large number of new subscribers, we republish this week, the account of that murder, adding such other things that have come to light.

EMILIE ROGERS, HER SUPPOSED MURDERER ARRESTED–

Our readers will remember that we mentioned in our last issue the discovery of the dead body of a woman in the edge of Jennings Pond, near the bluffs in the Mississippi Bottoms. At the time the article was written, the whole affair was wrapped closely in the mantle of mystery, and diverse conjectures as to who the murdered person was, and as to who her murderers were, was indulged in by the excited public. The most prominent among these was the body was that the body was that of Mrs. HILL, wife of E. HILL, who lately resided in the vicinity of where the body was found. It appears that HILL and his wife, who lived unhappily together, and she was anxious to leave him. She had plans to return to her parents, who lived in Louisiana. To this end, she dispatched her__ to________ and takes her to his home. The old man, whose name was ROSS, came and proposed to HILL to remove his wife, ——when Hill objected most decidedly, and we are told, he paraded his double barrel shot gun and threatening fatal harm to the old man, compelled him to decamp without his daughter from her uncomfortable, and it was supposed dangerous situation; for it is reported that Hill often threatened to take the life of his wife, and having enlisted some of Hill’s neighbors in his cause, among them, Messrs .A.C. KIRKESS and Walter CONNER, Mrs. HILL escaped from her husband’s home and was escorted by KIRKSEY (same man, different sp.) and CONNER to Brownsville, from which place KIRKSEY conveyed her to Memphis. Arrived in Memphis, KIRKSEY returned to endeavor to secure Mrs. Hill’s child and take it to her. After his return, HILL sold everything, and taking his child, went with KIRKSEY to join his wife, whom he did, and the whole party proceeded to Louisiana, to the home of the father of Mrs. Hill’s. After some days, KIRKSEY returned, and about the time of the dead body being found, suspicion immediately fastened upon him, of being the murderer, or an accomplish, and he was accordingly and properly arrested. It soon became apparent to authorities that KIRKSEY was innocent, and he was released. He was greatly incensed at being arrested for another’s crime, and at once set himself to work to ferret out the true murderer. As soon as the body was found, a coroner’s inquest was held, and an imperfect examination of the remains were held. They discovered that she had been neatly and tastefully attired (three lines blurred with ink); all fastened down with rubber garters; fine cotton hose, secured by another pair of garters, and her well-shaped foot was encased in a well-fitting pair of cloth shoes, No.2, laced up the front. Besides this, there was found on one of her fingers a ring, with two letters carved on it, supposedly to be “F.G.”, but they were somewhat indistinct. They likewise found a wound in the back of her head, supposedly to have been made by a pistol bullet, and to have caused her death. The skin and flesh on the neck, face and head, had pretty well disappeared from her features, but her hair, which was lying on the ground where she was found, and collected, and is said to be dark auburn. This was all that was revealed by the inquest, and this was quite unsatisfactory and altogether insufficient to furnish any clue by which to unravel the dread mystery. Accordingly, Monday morning, the 19th; Dr. J.A. LACKEY, Dr. J.D. JORDON, Dr. M. CARTWRIGHT and Messrs. Thomas FERGUSON, C.C. SHIPP, William GREAVES, and C.L. STRICKLAND proceeded to the place where the unfortunate woman had been interred after the inquest and exhumed the body, for the purpose of making a more perfect examination of it. The body was greatly decayed, but by means of hooks and other appliances, they succeeded in denuding it of the clothing in which it had been found, and after washing the same, and freeing it from the stains imprinted by the decaying body, they began to look for marks, and soon discovered on an underskirt, plainly printed with a German text type, the name of Emilie ROGERS, but as to who Emilie ROGERS was, or where she came from, they were as much in the dark as before, and as to who murdered her, they had not yet even the faintest conception. Suddenly, however, Mr. C.C. SHIPP, who is a jeweler, remembered that a man named MARTIN, who lived in that neighborhood, had brought to him at his shop in Ripley, two very fine gold rings, which had been filed in too, and which he said he had been compelled to file from his own fingers. This circumstance, they hoped might be of some service. In the meantime, Deputy Sheriff ALSOBROOK and Mr. KIRKSEY, had not been idle, but had struck the trail of the incarnate fiend. On Thursday, before the body was taken up on Monday by the gentlemen named; Billy PENNINGTON had told ALSOBROOK and KIRKSEY that it might be a fact of some significance, that one W.J. MARTIN, the same above mentioned, had left his wife at her father’s, who lived in the neighborhood of where the body was found. In the month of April, without any visible means whatsoever; that he had been absent in Arkansas, and had returned a short time before, with two or three horses, and mules, a wagon, and a wagon load of boxes, trunks, etc., the contents of which were unknown. Several other circumstances, all pointing in the same direction, began to leak out, and accordingly on Monday, the same day the body was exhumed, but without any knowledge thereof; Deputy Sheriff ALSOBROOK and A.C. KIRKSEY (black space), proceeded to Walnut Grove Church, the neighborhood of which they reached about night, and there found a meeting in progress. They learned there that the body had been exhumed and important discoveries made, and they at once set about organizing, (blurred), a fact the arrest of MARTIN, as it was feared he might hear of the re-examination of the body, and dreading the result, leave the county. MARTIN was staying at his father-in-law’s and early Tuesday (blurred), four young men, equipped apparently for hunting and fishing, three of them having guns and one having a gig, called at the home for MARTIN, and said they wanted him to go with them into the bottom, hunting and fishing. MARTIN appeared and came out front to meet them. They commenced holding their guns down as he approached, and he turned suddenly as if to return to the house (ink blurred). Deputy ALSOBROOK tied him securely and proceeded, with the consent of the family, to search the house. Amongst the articles brought there by MARTIN, were one large goods box, one small one, one wicker basket, and a large handsome Saratoga trunk. The goods boxes were marked for Lonoke, Arkansas, and were evidently purchased there, when put in their present use. The large one was filled mostly with bed clothing and the smaller one with –ware. When the trunk was opened, there were found in the trays, and in the top, was a great many little articles for ladies use, most of them of fancy character, and more of them giving any indication of who the owner might be. Then, lifting out the trays, he commenced to go deeper, when Martin’s wife objected; saying the rest of the clothing in the trunk was hers. Whereupon the Deputy Sheriff closed the trunk, but afterward, feeling dissatisfied with the examination he had given it, returned to it, and went into it nearer the bottom and found many fashionably and fine made dresses, some of them of elegant black silk; Next and from there to the bottom, he found articles of ladies’ wear. Table linens, napkins, towels and counterpanes, every article bearing the same letters stamped on the under amoral of the dead body, “Emilie ROGERS.” Besides the articles, he found in the bottom of the trunk, several letters addressed to “W.J. ROGERS,” and others to “Judge ROGERS” (ink blurred)—; “W.J. ROGERS” Attorney at Law & Real Estate Agent.” He also found a manuscript of a record of the United States District Court for the District of Arkansas, which evidenced the bankruptcy of W.J. ROGERS, upon which appeared quite a lengthily schedule of assets and liabilities, showing he must have been a man of extensive dealings and considerable property. This W.J. ROGERS is supposedly to have been the husband of the unfortunate decedent, previous to her connection to MARTIN. When all these things were discovered, the captors felt that they had indeed nabbed the incarnate Devil who had enacted a tragedy, the atrocity of which is enough to curdle the blood and to make the hair stand on end. We forgot to mention that the gentlemen who disinterred the body, found upon it, in addition to the articles mentioned, a pocket book—the same being in the dress pocket—which contained as far as we are able to learn, an account against Emilie ROGERS, for groceries by a firm at Lonoke, AR, on which was entered a credit for 20 days board; also a medical prescription for “G.W.M.” and two or three other papers of not so much importance. There was likewise found in her traveling case, which was with the trunk and boxes, a nice new pair of cloth gaiters, about No.2 1/2 and a bottle of morphine; and in the trunk, there was found a lump of opium, the size of a medium apple. The prisoner is ironed in a cell, and a guard placed around the jail. A messenger has been dispatched to Lonoke, AR to see what revelations may be had from that quarter. W.J. MARTIN is a tall gaunt man, with angular features, a restless “green eye,” a straight long
nose, a face somewhat long and sharp, a small ear, which is close to his head, becomes sharp at the top and the top of the ear points in toward the head. He is dressed in a brown suit, with no vest, wears a brown hat, a good pair of boots and has an extra-ordinarily high instep. On Tuesday morning, before breakfast, while Willie MAYS, an employee of this office, was casually looking over a torn piece of an August number of the Western Methodist, he came across the following announcement in the marriage column—“Married on the 4th day of July 1872, by Rev. G.N. ROSE, at the residence of the bride; Mr. G.W. MAJORS, of Munroe Co., AR and Mrs. Emilie ROGERS of Lonoke, AR. Upon examining Martin’s pocketbook, there was found in it a promissory note made by one FERGUSON to G.W. MAJORS and wife, Emilie MAJORS, for $300, being part consideration for a certain town property in Lonoke, AR made July 1872 and made payable 1873. Thus stands this fresh horror, inscribed in characters of blood upon the pages of crime. The five thousand brains, which a few days ago, were at work with unceasing (blurred) to discover the red hand which had slaughtered unsuspecting intolerance of a person of a defenseless woman, have now settled with a fearful cent ration upon the prisoner, whose case is now undergoing investigation before the authorities of this county. Is the prisoner guilty of the dreadful crime laid to his charge? It is believed that he has under the assumed name of MAJORS, won the affections of the unfortunate woman, enticed her into a distant State, and then, without notice or preparation, shot her from behind, and foully murdered her. Murdered her while in the midst of the rosy and beatific visions of her bridal; murdered too, by one to whom she had surrendered everything, her property, her person, her all; and was following him whithersoever he might lead, to share his fortune, what that should be, following him from her home, into strange lands; following (blurred) in the sweets of an attachment (blurred) a solace from every privation to which she was subjected; following him in the fond belief that widowhood was redeemed and that she had a strong and true arm on which she could lean in the hour of trial, difficulty (blurred) following him until in a moment and at last, she found her bliss, a dreamland her lover, her assassin; following him in her dreadful death at his hands—and a grave in a slough in the Mississippi bottom. We are appalled from the further contemptible of the horrible enormity and deplore (blurred) spirit, which prompted its demented act. Terrible as Hell!

PROVEN GUILTY BEYOND A DOUBT MAN TAKEN FROM JAIL BY A BODY OF ANGRY MEN AND
SUMMARILY SHOT

From the above (meaning all the pages I have copied before the proven guilty headline) from our last week’s issue, (blurred) for the first time, the trial of MARTIN, alias MAJORS, the murderer of Mrs. Emilie ROGERS (blurred) in progress before the authorities of (blurred). The trial commenced on Wednesday and the investigation was continued until the late evening without intermission. There was employed, W.R. LYNN, Esq., to represent the State in the proceeding and the prisoner engaged the services of Jo_ MARLEY & W.D. WILKERSON, Esqs.to defend him. It will be seen therefore that both sides were ably represented by counsel, and from the well known character of the gentlemen named, for legal acumen and intellectual from it may well be supposed that each side (blurred) all rights and advantages known to the law. The investigation, which was one of the most careful and patient that ever came under our observation in a proceeding (blurred) merely, revealed the discovery of the dead body, of its appearances and all the (blurred) and
indications of identity found upon it. It showed that the waistband of the underskirt had stamped upon it in German text type, the name Emilie ROGERS. It showed that MARTIN had brought to the home of his father-in-law, in a two
horse wagon, a large trunk and some boxes containing household goods and ladies clothing, and that upon all the things, was marked with the same type, the same name, Emilie ROGERS. It was shown that he, on the 3rd day of August 1872, returned to the Mississippi River at Hatchie landing in Lauderdale County, with the same wagon and property of a woman with him corresponding to (blurred) with the description of the deceased (blurred) as given by her brother. That he supposedly had stopped at the home of a man named BAKER, as he had left the Ripley-Fulton road, and was traveling the Fulton-Chestnut Cliff road, (half a paragraph blurred) the other; they left, he telling MATHIS that he would take the woman, whom he called his wife, to his brother’s and return as soon as possible and get everything; that he passed Jackson’s the same day, a few miles from Mathis’s, on the same road, still in the company with the woman, and made an engagement with JACKSON for the latter to mend his wagon, which he said had broken down a short distance back, and which he said he would return for in a day or two and bring up; that he was seen with the woman for the last time about a mile from the place where her body was discovered. The investigation further revealed that the last that was seen of MARTIN was early Monday morning before breakfast, when he appeared at the home of one CRIHFIELD, with his boots and pants muddy, as if he had been traveling in the Mississippi bottom. That he had told CRIHFIELD that he wanted breakfast and a pint or quart of whiskey; that he had to meet his wife that morning, from whom he had been absent some time, and he needed something to stimulate him. That the Wednesday following, he appeared at Mathis’s and got the wagon, trunk, boxes, etc.; that the said articles, as before stated, were found at the home of his father-in-law; not far from the Mississippi Bluffs. The only account he gave of the manner in which he disposed of the woman, was that he had turned over to a man named JOHNS, but who JOHNS was, or why he turned her over to him, he did not reveal. The excitement over the event reached its maximum at noon Saturday, when by the mail hack, W.H. WARDLAW, Esq., who was the messenger dispatched to Arkansas, arrived in Ripley, bringing with him Mr. John P.DYE, of Brinkley, Arkansas, a brother of the murdered woman. Mr. DYE accepted the hostility of Dr. J.W. WARDLAW, Esq., taking up quarters at his house, where he was interviewed by several leading citizens of the town; their object being partly to learn from him the trans-Mississippi section on this tragedy, and partly to help restrain him by counsel and (blurred) from inflicting public and immediate vengeance upon the (blurred),it was understood he was armed to the teeth, and that he came breathing threatening, and slaughter against the fiendish murder of his sister. They told him the Court had been informed that he meant to take the life of his sister’s destroyer on sight, and that it, from a sense of duty to a prisoner custodie, they would not continue the trial and expose the prisoner to the jury of his (blurred) but would have him locked and guarded in jail unless he, DYE, would surrender his arms to his host, Dr. WARDLAW, and pledge his honor as a gentleman, that he would not attempt any illegitimate violence to the prisoner. After some (blurred), DYE acceded to the proposals and went to the Court house unarmed, for the purpose of delivering his testimony, in the case, As soon as he made appearances on the square, men rushed from all directions and collected around him, an eager and excited crowd, all anxious to see the only brother of the woman, around whose mangled corpse there linger long as thick a mystery. His progress to the Courthouse resembled somewhat a triumphed party, as the numerous cortège moved along the sidewalks across the Courthouse yard, up the Courthouse stairs, into the spacious Courtroom, and settled around him, like bees around their queen, within the bar of justice. The room was crowded to its fullest capacity, and all eyes were bent in the grand faces upon that sullen and (blurred) hero of the occasion, who sat in the center of the bar, calmly twirling his heavy auburn moustache, while fierce determination was expressed in every gesture, movement and feature. Suddenly, however, the spell was broken by Mr. Lynn’s arising and stating to the crowd, that it had been (blurred) that Mr. DYE had determined to kill the prisoner on sight, but to contradict that impression, he had given his arms and pledged his honor to do no such thing; and he now, as counsel for the State desired, from the immense audience assembled, an expression of a similar and noble and magnanimous resolve; that all who were willing to give a similar pledge, would please hold up their right hands. Instantly every right hand in the audience seemed to shoot up, and the same would have fitly repressed an immense band of entertainers, swearind ferity to an incoming in the feudal days of merry cheery, but at times, bloody old England. This satisfied the Court and the prisoner was ordered out. In a few moments, he appeared under guard and sat down within a step or two of Mr. DYE. The latter, turning suddenly in his chair and facing the prisoner, and seemed to nod recognition, which was returned by the prisoner, with a better defined nod of counter recognition, and the poor accomplishment of a sickly smile, which no doubt, under better and more favorable circumstances, would have expanded into a bland and cordial reception, showing the prisoner had learned manners, and only needed a concession to display them. Dye’s eyes, glowing with fury, remained fixed upon the prisoner’s face, when he said;” You are the man who married my sister.” The prisoner replied– “I am.” DYE then shoved his chair still closer, and leaning towards him, until their brows almost met, he demanded between his clenched teeth, “I have then sir, but one question to ask you, and it is the last I ever expect to ask you; You brought my sister into this county and murdered her, did you not?” The prisoner replied, “I did not.” DYE then turned away from him, and being sworn, his examination commenced. He stated that he did not know of the marriage until the parties came to Brinkley, the place of his residence, on their way, they stated, to Lauderdale County. About the last of July, they camped the evening about a mile from Brinkley, and MAJORS, as he called himself, came into town to find him. He was out of town, and did not return until the night, when he was informed by his host of MAJORS’ call and notified of the place of encampment. Next morning, he waited on them at their camp. They were traveling in a two-horse wagon, having hitched thereto a horse and a mule; that he had seen the same at Jordan’s Livery Stable since his arrival in this place. His sister was dressed in a calico wrapper, confined at
the waist by a belt, her collar was fastened with a gold breastpin, with a rolling set on each side of which set, there was a small miniature of W.J. ROGERS, the former husband of the deceased. She also had on a gold watch and chain, and was wearing a greenish looking sunbonnet. The watch and chain was produced, and he recognized them as having belonged to his sister, he being familiar with them, from having seen his sister often wears them. The gold watch and chain, found on the person of the prisoner, when he was arrested, were produced, and he recognized the same as having been the property of W.J. ROGERS, in his lifetime. It was a fine watch, of English pattern, elegantly changed and engraved, and had attached to it, a gold chain to match. There was fastened to the original, the gold mark of a Royal Arch Mason, rubbed out, and the initials “W.M.” roughly carved in place. (Blurred) further that Mrs. ROGERS had been married twice, the first time to Dr. GOODWIN, and the second time to Judge W.T. ROGERS before the final marriage had been solemnized between her and the prisoner. Judge ROGERS was of Brownsville, Arkansas. That Mrs. ROGERS owned several homes and lots in Lonoke, Ark., all of which she informed him at the camp, on the morning referred to, she had sold preparatory to removing to Tennessee. That at the death of W.T. ROGERS, she had received from the Carolina Life Insurance Company, the sum of $2,500, being the amount of a policy in the company. That she had made considerable money since the death of ROGERS, keeping boarding houses and from the rental of her property. That she also owned a considerable quantity of wild lands in Arkansas. Before his examination was concluded, the Court adjourned, but enough had already been elected to fasten conviction of insuffiaceably upon the mind of everyone, that the prisoner was guilty of the murder of Mrs. Emilie ROGERS, under circumstances of atrocity that had scarcely parallel in the annals of Crime. Most persons were of the opinion that Saturday night, the 24th of August would terminate the earthly career of W. MARTIN, alias G.W. MAJORS. Their conjectures were fearfully verified, for early Sunday morning, it was noised abroad that a band of about twenty-five armed men rode up to the jail, a little before one o’clock, overpowered the guard, and six of the men dismounting, went into the jail and compelled the jailor to surrender the keys. They then proceeded to Martin’s cell and informed him that his time had come, to which he replied that he was ready, and without more words, they conducted him to the front of the jail, and ordered him to mount behind one of their number. Upon his observing that he was unable to mount, two men seized him; threw him up behind and the whole party galloped off in the direction of Murphy’s Mill. Shortly after, a number of shots were heard in the direction taken by the party, and with their echoes, departed the immortal spirit of William MARTIN, the prince of assassins. Monday morning dawned, and after a short search, the body was discovered about one hundred yards from Murphy’s Mill, tied to a small white walnut tree and perforated by twenty-seven bullets. The ropes that bound him to the tree were still about him, and he was hanging by them, his hands tied behind him and the maniacs fastened on him by his jailor, still clinging about his legs. A jury of inquest was summoned; a surgeon examined the wounds and reported that any of the twenty shots he received would have proved fatal. A rough box was nailed together, the naked body placed therein, his clothes laid on top of him, and he was buried on the spot where he fell, to be the bugbear for many a belated pedestrian traveling in that vicinity. Messrs. THOMPSON & HEARRING were the justices who conducted the investigation, and their conduct in the matter was characterized by the greatest fairness and impartiality and receives the warmest commendation from the whole community. They did all in their power to
shield the prisoner from mob violence, and have the case disposed of, according to the forms of the law, but messengers of vengeance would not delay, and an outraged and infuriated community visited the summary punishment upon the head of this, one of the ___nest criminals the world ever saw.