The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-24 00:00:00

SOUTHERN STATES.

The following intelligence came from Memphis
on the 25th Feb. :—" A horrible tragedy occurred
on Friday night, three miles north-east of Raleigh
Springs. A party of white men went to the house
of Colonel Thomas Dickens, while he and two men
named Wilson and Humphrey were eating supper,
and knocked at the door, which was opened by
Humphrey. Without saying a word the party shot
Humphrey through the body, and with knives and
pistols in their hands rushed into the room and put
out the lights. They then commenced firing at
Dickens and Wilson. Dickens received one ball in
the body, and with Humphrey managed to crawl
out of the room. Col. Dickens made his way to a
neighbour's house and gave the alarm. On return-
ing with a party of neighbours a coloured woman,
Col. Dickens's servant, was found dead near the
front door. Wilson's body was found in the room
with eight shots through it, and almost cut to pieces.
Humphrey was also found badly wounded. The
assassins plundered the house, taking everything of
value, and rifled the pockets of Wilson and the negro
woman, took two valuable horses from the stables,
and made their escape." The Board of Directors
of the Merchants' Exchange of St. Louis met on
the 25th February for the purpose of considering
the question of establishing a line of propellers
between New Orleans and Liverpool, to connect by
steamers with St. Louis. After a full discussion
the committee appointed to ascertain from St.
Louis importers the probable amount of business
they would give such a line, whether it would he
better to purchase a line of s.eamers or to charter
vessels for the purpose, and to raise the funds to
guarantee the line against loss by lack of freight or
a cutting under process. The case of Georgia was
under discussion by the Reconstruction Committee
at their meeting on Feb. 25. The committee is
considering a bill declaring the Representatives of
that State to be ineligible, on the ground that both
the State and Legislature have failed to comply
with the reconstruction acts. If the bill is reported,
as it probably will be, and passed, the Clerk will
not put the names of the Representatives from
Georgia on the roll-call for the XLlst Congress.
It seems to be settled that the Clerk will not call
the names of the Representatives from the States of
Georgia and Louisiana on the assembling of the
next Congress. Excluding these States, and several
contested seats, where neither party holds a certifi-
cate of election, the House will stand 137 Repub-
licans to 62 Democrats.' The Arkansas Legis-
lature consists in the Senate of 21 Republicans
and 1 Democrat, and in the House of 79 Republicans
and 1 Democrat. Oa joint ballot there are 100 Re-
publicans and 2 Democrats. From Raleigh, N.C.,
Feb. 23, it is reported that the decision of the Supreme
Court adverse to the Chatham Railroad Appropria-
tion has been published. This has the effect to re-
duce the State debt many millions of dollars. The
Western North Carolina Railroad, and the Wll.
mington, Charlotte and Rutherford Roads are un-
tainted. The Court also decides the stay law un-
constitutional. The Memphis Avalanche tells the
following tragic story of an occurrence at Mariana,
a village in Phillips County, 25 miles north-west
of Helena :—" The actors in the bloody tragedy
were all young men of good standing and excellent
character, men of the very heyday of youthful man-
hood. While Mr. Tom Freeman was driving a
wagon and team in the direction of Mariana he
was accosted by Mr. Tom Slaughter of Mississippi,
who, together with his cousin, Mr. Arthur Slaugh-
ter, was riding on horseback in the same direction.
A remark made by the first Mr. Slaughter was
something to the effect that " he was d--d glad
they could afford at least one white driver in Ar-
kansas !" Mr. Freeman it is alleged, being rather
deaf, interpreted this remark as an insult, and
bitterly cursed the young man. Upon the arrival
of the wagon at Mariana, Tom Slaughter ordered
Freeman to dismount, drawing a pistol at the time,
which, it is supposed, was accidentally discharged,
wounding Freeman in the leg. Immediately upon
this Freeman firei and instantly killed Tom
Slaughter, the ball passing through his body in the
region of the heart. Mr. Arthur Slaughter being
present, levelled his pistol and fired upon Freeman,
shooting him through the head, not, however, before
Freeman had simultaneously fired, mortally wound-
ing Arthur Slaughter, whe died instantly. Thus
in a few minutes three brave young fellows were
sent to their long account without warning, and
from a trifling cause." The militiamen who per-
petrated the outrages in Arkansas have been tried
by court-martial and shot. They were made fast
to their coffins and executed by a party of their
coloured comrades, the affair being witnessed by
the entire militia force. Four men were thus dealt
with, two of them quite lads. The Baltimore Gazette
publishes the following telegram from Florida :
• " Bainbridge, Georgia, March 3, 1869. Hon. C.
M. Hamilton, Washington, D. C. ; Major Putnam,
State Senator, and Dr. Finlayson, clerk of the Court,
were assassinated in the streets of Mariana, Jack-
son County; Florida, on the night of the 26th of
February. The latter was killed outright, and the
former mortally wounded. Horrible !—J. Q.
Dickerson."