Norfolk Landmark, March 21, 1878

A COLD-BLOODED MURDER. Shooting A Man Because He Could Not Pay a Debt -- A Long Career of Crime.

reprinted from Baltimore Bulletin.Moral -- Murder

Chincoteague Island, Va. was last Saturday the scene of what appears from the statements of witnesses to have been a cold-blooded murder. It appears from all the facts that can be hurriedly collected, that J. J. English, proprietor of the Ocean House, the principal hotel at Chincoteague Island, shot Stephen Pollitt through the body, wounding him so seriously that he has since died.

Pollitt, it seems, owed English a small amount of money for board, and when pressed by English for a settlement would habitually put him off with promises of future payment. The Saturday before the shooting English was sick and confined to his room. He, however, sent for Pollitt and again asked him for the money.

Pollitt declared that he did not have the money with him, but he would soon pay him. English was determined not to be put off again and

AT THE POINT OF A PISTOL

made Pollitt draw a note, due the following Saturday, and sign it. English then told him that if he did not pay the note when due he would kill him.

Last Saturday afternoon English saw Pollitt coming toward his hotel, and called out to him asking if he had the money. Pollitt replied that he had not. English then went into the house, took his gun from the corner, examined it to see if was

WELL LOADED,

and returned to the porch. Pollitt had in the meantime approached very near the hotel, and was engaged in conversation with a man named Bloxom.

English, without saying anything to Pollitt, told Bloxom to get out of the way, as he intended to kill Pollitt. He then raised the gun to his shoulder, took deliberate aim and fired. The gun was well aimed and the full contents of buck shot struck Pollitt in the stomach. He threw his hands wildly in the air, staggered round and round, and fell in the arms of Bloxom.

MORTALLY WOUNDED

English then went to the constable and surrendered himself. The constable started with him for the Drummondtown jail, but when near Horntown English met a man by the name of Holland, and leaving the constable behind, they pretended that they were going to procure bail. The deluded constable took it all in good faith, and waited at Horntown for his prisoner, but English had determined to take another route.

He went to the house of Ulysses Schoolfied, near Worcester county, and, it is alleged, made his escape by the help of that person. The last seen of English was in Salisbury, Wicomoco county, last Sunday night, when he took conveyance en route for the North.

Stephen Pollitt was a plasterer by trade, about forty years old, and unmarried.

English was raised in Sussex county, Delaware, but left there and went to Pennsylvania.

A DESPERATE CAREER.

English is known to be a desperate character, and is well known in this city. Shortly after the war, English, accompanied by his brother, left Pennsylvania and proceeded to Horntown, Accomac county, Va., where they established the only hotel in the town. The brothers were very successful in their business until about the year 1867, when in the Summer English had a quarrel with his brother, and during the fight that ensued, it is said, killed him.

The cause of the fight was the same as that which resulted in the death of Pollitt. His brother, so English claimed, owed him money which he refused to pay. They had a dispute, which resulted in a fight, the fight resulting in the death of his brother.

English claimed at his trial that the killing was done in self-defense. It appears that the two brothers were working in a field at the time of the quarrel, and that English's brother, armed with an axe, attacked him. English then picked up a hoe, struck his brother on the head with great force and killed him instantly.

After the murder of his brother, English, resumed the hotel business, but owing to the tragedy he became very unpopular, and finally left the place. In 1868 he went to Chincoteague Island and opened the Ocean House, where he was very successful. He purchased large bills of goods from merchants in Philadelphia, and in many cases, it is said, failed to meet his obligations. Finally he became well known to the merchants and could not purchase except for cash.