New-York daily tribune., 1845-02-27

an interesting and authentic narrative ot the cir
cumstanccs Of the murder Of young Combs. 1t is
in the form Of letter from The pen OF his afflicted
father tc friend in Louisville.
PoISr CoU7Es La, Feb. !, l545.
Ny DEAR SIs-The day passed through your
city on my way to this place, 10 investigate the
circumstances Of my son Franks murder, one Of
your morning papers contained an article. as un
deTstood copied from New Orleans paper, pur-
porting 10 give an account Of the bloody deed, ex-
cuIpatory 10 some extent, OF the assassin, OBlen-
mis-, and attaching blame 10 my son for provoking
the attack winch terminated in his death.
iorebore to notice the article TIL had fully az
ceIralned the leading facts. Having done so,
consider i! sacred duty TO my sons memory to
present them as now do. You may remember
that, some years ago, wfen mere boy, he was
prisoner in Mexico, having been Captured wlh
Kendall and others, who accompanied The Texan
Santa Fe expeditions and that the Kentucky Le2ls
ature adopted, unanimously, the most energetic
measures 10 procure his Triel5e Ills manly bsar
ing through the many trying scenes OF that dlsds-
roUs affair endeared h!rn 10 ali who knew him, and
he especially Sratliied when informed OF lhe
prompt action OF his native State (henucky) IN
his behalf His firm and gallant conduct al the
time OF his death proved him worthy of his birth
place, and Of the deep interest then taken III his
fate.
About two years since purchased place for him
Just below the mouth of Red River, IN this parish,
IL
mcnced work. A few months subsequently, his
nearest neighbor a very woIthy man, died, ana an
Itishman, named GroIge O'Biennls, who emgrated
from Canada, and settled IN Natchez, Some years
age purchased the plantation last wlnter, and put
some hands ii, but not Instantly. The day before
my son came 10 Kentucky last July, nc had bought
small strip oflandly lying between him and O'Blen-
MIS- at public eale Both of them desired this
land and each had endeavorcd TO buy it from the
claimant, who refused 10 sell 1t to O'B!enns, be-
cause he had first promised 1t TO my son.
After my son started home last November, | re-
ceived letter from his agent, Dr.. Jacks, addressed
10 him, advising him of the bad conduct Of O'ilen-
mis- during his ABSENCE In destroying his stock, and
especially ofhis cruelty towards bis rldlnghcrse, in
forcing him, with the aid of ono Of his negroes
the river bank backward into q bog, from which he
could not cxtricate himself, and, when found and
PRED out, he died Shocked as was BY such inha
manly to damb brute, became seriously alaTm-
edior the safety OF my son, and wrote 10 hm 10 be
on Eis guard-to have nothing, pcrson0Hy, 10 do
with OBlcnns, but TO seek legal redress for any li-
uries he had sustained, if, on consultation with his
friends, il was deemed advisable. This course he
adopted although soon after his place he
was informed, by a man IN the employ OF y III len
MS, that the latter Individual had offered TO pay HIM
II he would Kill his son. ana that 'Bennls himself
was repeatedly absent till late hour IN The night
with double-5arfcl gun, loaded with bnckshot.-
Nv son apprised me of these alarming circunsan-
ces and that some of his Gelghbo's advised hlm to
leave his place. but SAID that he had rather die than
be thus df'ren oG;" in the meantime, however he
was preparing, under my ins'rIcions, 10 wind W.
his business as soon as possible and come oti, tenn
porary a; any rate, until something could be done
10 render his residence safe, and but for his murder
he wcud have left carly in January
Things remained in this situation until the 3Olh
of December; my son never having net o. Biennis
but once on which occasion he told him OF his IN,
tention 10 seek icgal redress Tor the injuries he had
done him, and expressly dlscialmcd oil intention OF
any personal injury to him. From ihis clrcsn-
stance and that two months had nearly elapsed
since his return and O'Blenns had not executed
his threats my son began 10 think he was merely
boaslng, and at any rate, that he would not ven
turc TO attempt any opaa act q Oioltace upon NM
On that day my Was visiting trend III the
neighborhood, when Ol}enals rode up to The front
fence, few steps from The hcuse, ami, seeing my
son in the poriico, dismounted and came IN With
out being invited so TO do by the proprietor. soon
dinner announced, and nay SON
seeing that OBcnnis had seated himself al the la
bic, declined eating; bret aiiercation eSsned,
when the host inteIiered and ordered or desired
O'Bleunis to leave his house, telling him he would
not allow him thus to Jesuit his guest. My son re-
rnained al! night and unt one or t~o O'Clock the
next day In The mean time, O'Bennls had cent
one of his slaves late. at night 10 nelsboorlns
grocery for gallon Of whlsiry, with written OF,
der very strangely worded, showing 'lal ne haa
some desperate deed III contemplation. lhe next
and during the forenoon, OBiennis was
seen by several persons waking in the public road
or sitting on log by lis side, armed with doupie-
barrel gun. Aloug this road my san would be COM
NJ He'd 10 travel in returning home Although aware
Of The difficulty between them, they did not sup
pose hs was contemplating RI attack, ana, tneTe-
fore, did not take the trouble 10 notify my son oi
ms danger that, at about one or TWO o clocH,
when lie started home, accompanied by young
gentleman, named Johnson, so lar from antcnatng
or euyecting attack, he put his pistol "a small SIX
barrel revolver) in his saddle-bags, n'todaed, and
took neither powder nor ball with him.
When they arrived at O'Blcnniss plantation, they
saw him in the field near the road, and by the time
they had come opposite the house, lie was III INC
ward. Without speaking 10 him, or hearing mm II
he spoke TO them, they passed on at slow pace;
When they had gone few hundred yards and
were in sight of Frank Combs's house, they heard
a horse approaching them In the rear at rapid
gait, and, looking back, saw y hiennls WIN a
double barrel gun On his shoulder, riding at full
speed johnson Immediately said to my SOM
''O'BIenns is coming after you, 10 shoot you,
and he replied: 81 expect he is OBiennis rode
rast as fast as he could, but said nothing and when
he had sot some twenty or thirty yards, jumped
fence, but failed, and immediately leveled his gun
at my son and approached, hun; ne and johnson
both Jumped TO the ground, and Johnson sald:-
{" Mr.. O'Blenns. don't shoot him" My son ex-
claimed, raising his right hand. without attempting
10 draw any weapon: 6 Stop, O'Blennst stop !M ~
O'Blennis inads 70 reply, but sull approached III
within few PAGES, my son looking him right IN
The face, and wholly unprotected; both barrels
were then discharged, so nearly at The same nme
that johnson thought but one was ilrec, altnousn
several persons at my sons house distinctly heard
two reports. The parties were so close together
thai the whole load Uhs first one in my oP'nionl
entered his forehead. without touching his hat, In
n circle NOT exceeding two inches in diameter,
crushing The skull and lodging in The brain, The
second load must have passed over his head as nc
fell. as there are marks on The ience whcfe seVsfai
Johnson. filled with horror at the scene mounted
hi. horse and started 10 look for help; Just as he
did SO h. heard o'Blenns call him. and on L looking o. ing
back saw him standing nearer over the BODY oi my
son, and heard him say something about l,s beng
armed. 1t was more than an hour before Judge
Black and MIR Hopkins reached The place, accom-
panied by Mr Johnson. In tie meantime neigh
bor was accidentally passing and saw man lying
on hls face by the road side with bis horse grazing
near o ri him. lie supposes it nlsst have been ten or
ffteen minutes alter the deed was done, lie M
tt,ot,,