Burke County, Georgia General News The Burke County Tragedy ARREST OF THE MURDERER—HIS CONFESSION. On yesterday morning the Chronicle & Sentinel—the only paper in the city which had it—-published an account of the brutal murder of Mr. Adkins D. Lewis, of Burke county, by a Negro, whom at the time he had in his employment. Our account stated that he was murdered in cold blood in one of his fields and that the murderer had fled from justice This morning we are gratified at being able to announce to our readers that the assassin has been arrested and now occupies a cell in the jail of this city, where he will remain until demanded by the authorities of Burke county, in which the crime was committed. Below we give a full account of the whole transaction: The reasons the Negro gave for killing his employer; the manner in which the murder was accomplished; the subsequent flight of the murderer; and his arrest in this city yesterday morning. The name of the gentleman was, as we have before stated, Adkins D. Lewis, an esteemed and useful citizen of Burke county, who owned and resided on a plantation seven miles south of the town of Waynesboro. The murderer is a Negro named, Ben Godby, who has for some time past been in the employment of Mr. Lewis. Godby's family, consisting of his wife and a little girl, £ere also employed by the same master ; his wife, we believe, a cook, and his child a nurse for Mr. Lewis. On last Monday Godby s little girl, while nursing Mrs. Lewis' child, violated some commands which had been imposed by her mistress, and was corrected by the latter for the act of disobedience.   This, of course, was told by the child to her mother; and on Tuesday morning the latter called Mrs. Lewis to account for the punishment, in a most insolent manner. Mrs. Lewis endeavored to make her stop her impertinent language, but without success; the enraged Negress grew more and more violent, until Mr. Lewis, who happened at this time to enter the room, made her desist, by striking her a light blow over the head with a stick, which he held in his hand. The blow cut the skin of the woman's skull, and brought the blood. That night when Godby returned to his cabin from work, his wife told him of the manner in which she had been treated by Mr. Lewis. During the recital Godby and another Negro man were present; and the latter, we understand, asserts that Godby grew very indignant when told of the blow, and declared his determination of revenging himself by taking the life of his employer.  On Wednesday morning Godby and the other hands went to their work in a field situated n short distance from Mr. Lewis' house. Before leaving his house, however, Godby secreted on his person a large dark knife—thus showing very plainly his murderous intentions. His wife refused to go to Mrs. Lewis to resume her culinary occupation, but remained at home in bed, saying that she was unable to work. A little later in the morning of Wednesday, Mr, Lewis entered the field and asked Godby where his wife was? Godby, we are informed, replied that she was at home sick from the effects of the blow Lewis had struck her, and that he intended to have revenge. Mr. Lewis made some reply to this, when Godby drew his dirk and sprang upon him. Before his employer could recover from the surprise of the attack, he stabbed him five or six times in the stomach and breast, inflicting several mortal wounds. During this time no one attempted to stay the hand of the murderer, and  when his victim fell to the ground, Godby fled, unpursued, from the field, and going to his house, procured his wife and fled the county. On yesterday evening about six o'clock. Major Hugh McLaws, while going from this city to his home in the country, met a Negro man and two women about six miles from the city, on the Savannah road, coming to Augusta. He noticed that one of the women had blood on her clothes, but said nothing to the party and went on home. Yesterday morning he returned to the city, and, when about a mile from here, overtook the party he had seen on the previous evening. His curiosity a little excited. Major McLaws stopped and asked the woman with the blood on her dress where she was going. She replied that she was from Burke county, where he had had a difficulty with her employer, Mr. Lewis, in which she had been severely beaten by the employer, and that she was coming to Augusta in order to take out a warrant for his arrest. Major McLaws then asked why she had not gone to a Burke county Magistrate. The woman answered that there was no justice in her District, and that she was obliged to come to Augusta. Nothing farther passed between them, and Major McLaws left the party and came on to town. Upon reaching the city he read in the Chronicle and Sentinel an account of the murder of Mr. Lewis, and saw at once that the Negro whom he had passed must be the murderer. He at once communicated to the police what he had seen, and put them on the lookout for the party. At about half-past nine o'clock a police detective saw the man and two women standing near the corner of Ellis and Monument streets. Recognizing his game, from the blood on the dress of one of the women, he approached and entered into conversation with the party. Godby was under the impression that there was a Freedmen's Bureau Agent in Augusta, and asked where he was to be found, saying that he had stabbed Lewis, but had not killed him, and wished to have him arrested for beating his wife. The detective told him to go into the office of one of Bullock's Notaries near by and he would see the matter all right. The Negro did as directed, and the detective going to the City Hall, returned with the Captain of Police. The detective says that the Notary told him not to go for the police. When the Captain arrived there the Notary informed him that Godby had given himself up. The following is the declaration to that effect drawn up by Lyons and sworn to by Godby. We give it verbatim et uteratum Georgia Richmond County. Personally appeared Ben. Godby of Burke county who being sworn deposeth and saith on the 10th day of June 1869 he was employed by Adkins D. Lewis, and was working in the field of said Adkins D. Lewis when the said Lewis enquired of Deponent where his wife was. Answered that his wife was in the house and beaten by him so she could not work. Then he replied I will cut your throat from ear to ear and drew a pocket knife end made at me and I drew a knife in self defense and stabbed him with it and then fled. Deponent maketh this statement and gives himself over to the civil authority of Richmond county for fear of mob violence in said county. Sworn before me this 17th day of June is 1869 his Ben. X Godby mark Ellis Lyons. N.P. exoff J.P. After the above had been signed a commitment was made out and Godby sent to jail The knife with which he killed Lewis is at the Notary's office. It is made from a long file, beaten out sharp on both edges with an exceedingly keen point, and is a most murderous looking weapon. Godby pretended not to know that Lewis was dead and seemed astonished when told the fact. It will be observed that in the latter part of his declaration he swears that he is afraid of "mob violence" from the people of Richmond county. We think he intended to say Barke county, and that the ignorance of the notary caused the mistake. Date: 1869-06-25; Paper: Macon Weekly Telegraph Two Burke County Men Held for White Slaving Walter Pounds and Clarence Rhodes Held Under To await the action of the grand jury Investigating the white slave charges against them Walter Pounds and Clarence A, Rhodes, both of Burke county, were released yesterday by the United States commissioner, L. M. Erwin, under bonds of  $1,000 and $800 respectively.  For the alleged intimidation of a government witness, Walter Pound was inquired to give an additional bond of $200. It was charged he gave Susie James, principal witness for the government, alcoholic drinks yesterday morning before the continuation of the hearing, and In this way sought to Influence her testimony. The charge against Walter E. Rhodes of intimidating a witness was dismissed as was the charge of violating the white slave traffic act. It was five o'clock yesterday afternoon when the hearing was concluded before Commissioner Erwin. Continued from the night before to await the arrival yesterday morning of Holman James and Mrs. Lula James father and mother or the James girl, who were material witness  to the government the hearing was resumed about ten o'clock, The testimony offered by Mr. and Mrs. James was considered Important by the government especially In view of the fact that the story told first by the James girl of the affair to Special Government Agent R. A. Daughton differed considerably from the one told before the commissioner. Girl Mentally Unbalanced. Mrs. James testified that her daughter had been feeble-minded for many years and was easily frightened end highly susceptible to outside Influences. It was also shown that Ola Frazier and Lula Addison, who lived In the James' house at Bath, S. C had been In the party with Susie James when all were brought from Bath to the homes of the Rhodes' and Pounds' in Burke county. The charges made against Pounds and Clarence Rhodes included only the alleged slave traffic in the James girl. It was offered In evidence that Pounds had kept the James girl at his house and she was compelled to do the cooking for him. It was because of his alleged threats against her that she became afraid to leave him and return to her home. When the three women, all of whom have been married and have children, first went from Bath to Burke county, the trip was designed or represented to be a pleasure trip and it was understood they could return at will. But after getting to Burke county In Pounds' home, several witnesses testified that the James girl could not leave although efforts were made to get her away. Testify to Threats. That Pounds threatened the girl herself and any one who would try to take her back, was testified to during the hearing. Mrs, James testified that Pounds made the statement that he would shoot Susie James brains out If she attempted to leave him. The legal defense offered by. W. D. McNeil, attorney for the defendants, was that transportation from one state to another by automobile did not come within the acts of congress relative to white slave traffic. He argued transportation by automobile was not interstate commerce for it was not a common carrier nor a public utility corporation. Ola Frazier testified she was afraid to leave Susie James by herself with Pounds because of the threats Pounds was alleged to have made against the James woman leaving; Holman James swore that he went to try to get his daughter from Pounds but failed, and Joe Addison, his son-in-law, tried to do the same thing but was unsuccessful. Bagged for Officers Mrs. Lula James testified that when she went to see her daughter and try to get her back  home, she found the younger girl badly scared and begging for officers to come to get her away. Pounds said, the witness testified, he would kill anyone who tried to take the girl away. United States Deputy Marshal Murray, who made the arrests, testified to finding the James girl in Pounds' home, as did Special Agent Daughton, when they both went out in Burke county to investigate the case. The kidnapping feature of the charges originally made against the defendants were abandoned yesterday by the government. The defendants and the James family together with the other prosecutors, returned to their, homes yesterday. (News Article) Date: 1912-11-01; Paper: Macon Telegraph Burke County Man Killed at Crossing. Returning from Augusta in Auto When Struck by Engine WAYNESBORO,   Sept 4.—James H. Rowell, a well known farmer from near Midville, in Burke county, was instantly killed early this afternoon at the Malabar crossing on the Savannah and Atlanta Railroad by an engine shifting cars. He was returning from Augusta in an automobile, Henry Russell, the Negro who was driving the automobile, had both legs crushed and was rushed to the University Hospital at Augusta. The engine was in charge of Conductor W. H. Howard, with J. W. Guill engineer. The engine was between a freight car and a flat car. The freight car being in front and coming out of a deep cut at this point as the automobile reached the track. The box car struck It and the automobile was pushed for some 90 yards before the car was derailed. Mr. Howell was about 56 years old and is survived by several children. His brother, R. T. Rowell, is a Burke county commissioner. (News Article) Date: 1918-09-05; Paper: Macon Telegraph The population of Waynesboro  has doubled during the past four years. If it continues at that rate the town will be entitled to the next centennial. Date: 1876-04-04; Paper: Macon Weekly Telegraph Dixon's grist mill, in Burke county, was burned a few nights ago. Date: 1876-04-04; Paper: Macon Weekly Telegraph ©Genealogy Trails