Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-02-27
From DE Cayksriie Jsgersonian, 24A iaa,
A Brutal and shocking Murder
swirl RetributfOn.

From he Cayksriile Jegersosidn, pa inst
A Brutal and shocking Murder
swift Retrfbutton:
Our citizens were shocked, on Saturday |
morning last, by the announcement that Mr.. |
Joseph II. Harris, of the neighboring town of {
New Providence, and proprietor of an extern |
sive tobacco stemmery in that place, had been |
brutality murdered early in the preceding |
night by one of his slaves. The murderer |
was already under arrest and lodged in our
Jail. There were no witnesses of the crime,
and the evidence in the case was entirely cir
cuinstial. The particulars, as we learned them
from gentleman who was on the ground a
few moments after the commission of the decd,
were these: e.------
A brother of the murdered man. who was
at the time engaged at the stemmery, a short
distance from the private office, observed a
bright light in the Office and upon a nearer
approach discovered that it was on fire. He
immediately entered, but the smoke was at
first SO dense that he was driven back. The
opening of the door, however, soon admitted
enough fresh air for him TO enter, and he
found his brother PROSTATE on the floor. Upon
drawing him out il was found that his head
had been horribly split open with an axe, no
less than three blows having been inflicted,
either one of which would inevitably have
produced DEATH One blow drove the axe the
entire length of the blade longitudinally into
the head and another took off the whole back
portion of the skull. When discovered, Mr..
Harris was yet breathing and grooming, but
Immediately expired. Assistance was called,
and the negroes from the stemmery came up
in a body. One of them was apparently
overwhelmed by the Death of his master, and
manifested his sorrow in loud and uncontrol-
able lamentations and by grovelling upon the
floor with the corpse. His extraordinary be-
havior attracted particular attention to him,
from the fact, that the day before he had been
severely punished for numerous thefts and
general disobience and bad conduct, and he
had only been released from constraint that
evening upon his promise TO do better in flu
ture. Inquiries were instituted as to his
whereabouts at the time the murder must
have been committed, and ii was aScertained
that about that time he had left the stemmery
| and his work. and absented himself sufli-
cient length of time to have committed the
deed, and had only returned few moments
before the younger Harris had discovered the
Office to be on fire. In addition to this fact,
he could not, or would not tell where his axe
was. These facts, in connection with his APP
pearance and demeanor, fixed the impression
of his guilt upon the minds of those present,
and he was sent TO this place and locked up In
| Jail. During the night the axe with which
the deed was committed was found under the
| office. This is the history of the tragedy.
| Now comes the story of the retribution.
Early Saturday morning, large deputa-
| ton of the people of New Providence, head
ed by many Of the most respectable and re-
| sponsible citizens, made their appearance at
the Jail here. and demanded the surrender of
! the prisoner to them, avOwing at the time
| their determination to hang him on the scene
| of his crime. AS there had been no legal
| proceedings in the case, and as he bad only
been placed in Jail for safe keeping. the jailor
had no preteXt for resisting the demand and
surrendered him. The crowd, we observed
| them here, did not appear to be laboring I'M
der the slightest degree of excitement, but
actuated by firm and immovable determine
ton to execute justice upon the offender, and
| that forthwith. They were mostly men of
| high standing and ample personal responsible
| ity. To all appeals made to them not to take
| the law into their own hands they returned a
positive and unhesitating negative, and car
ried the prisoner with them.
Arriving at New Providence all attempts
to extort from the negro any admission of
| guilt, utterly failed, and committee of
| twelve leading men of the community pres
ent We're selected to decide upon the testimo-
| n.y. The crowd desired no other Justification
| than the opinion of the committee after weigh
| ing the testimony. After some time spent in
deliberation, the committee reported that they
had no doubt of the prisoners guilt.
| During the deliberations, the negro had
| Oeell stdttlHS Oh IL Hign Win rope
| around his neck. The rope was thrown over
the limb of tree above his head and the end
| fastened to the trunk of the tree near the
| ground. Upon the announcement of the re-
suit of the committees deliberations, gene
raj rush was made upon the bench, and the
negro was left swinging in air. BY some
| means or other he managed TO swing mis- foot
over that portion of the rope running down
| the body of the tree, and twisting himself up
| to it caught 1t with his hands He then said
that if they would put the bench under his
feet he would tell what he knew. The bench
was replaced and he proceeded to make full
confession.
He said that he went into the Office as he
was in the habit of doing TO get his axe. Mr.
Harris was sitting by the fire reading, and did
not notice him. lie approached Harris behind
and struck him two or three blows with the
| axe. He said that he did not put Harris
head in the fire, hut that he fell forward anC
into it, he then placed canister of powder
in the bed aud set fire To the bed clothes, no
ping that the fire and the explosion of tn,
powder would destroy all traces of his crime
Immediately upon concluding his confes
sion he WAS again swung off and lived but
short time.
During the entire proceedings the conduc
of the crowd was altogether calm and order
w. and no excitement was exhibited at an,
time. In another article we have given GU
opinion upon the facts above narrated.