Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1860-05-23
From the N. o. Sunday Delta, May 20.

From the n. o. Sunday Delta. May 20.
Terrible Tragedy on board the steam
If. L.. Hodge-TwO Cabin Passen.
gers Killed and another Severely
NOunded-rhe Murderer about TO
be i.ynchcd, but saved by the Cap
tain. and placed in Irons he Ar
rival OF the Steamer with the Dead
bodies, and the Murderer taken
charge of by Officers Reid and Will
Iiams, of the First District Police
Statement of the Passengers, and
their Names.
We are indebted To the clerk of the Rid
River packet B. l.. Hodge. which steamer
arrived at this port last night at IL O'clock,
for the particulars of terrible tragedy
which occurred on board of that boat during
her down "trip from Shreveport
1t appears that little bumpbacked man
came on board of the steamer at Shreveport
and took deck passage for New Orleans. de-.
posting with the clerk fifty dollars OF his
money, and refining about Sixty dollars.
The second day ont from Shreveport he came
up into The cabin aud told the clerk that some
men wanted To XIII hin on ok, and be
would Fix" TO he transferred to- the cabin.
The clerk then placed him in stateroom No.
g. and thought, though The man appeared
somewhat excited. all would then be we'll
with him That night he said to the clerk
that h. WAS certain he was guiug TO lie killed.
and wanted to give him memorandum 10
publish about bis death in the n " Orleans
papers. The clerk hen suspected that p~n-
bahly he was little insane. and persuaded
him TO go bed, which he did The other por-
ton of the clerks statement of the affair
being entirely the same us The statement CIV
en- by the p .ssengcrs. We give the sam which
was drawn up on board of the steamer i'm
mpUIafPlY after the Occurrence.
STEMENT OF THE PASSENGERS-MURDER on
BOARD THE STEAMER B. L. HODGE, ON
RED RIVER.
The undersigned. passengers on board the
steamer b. l. Hodge, on her present "trip
from Shreveport To y w Orleans. deem that
statement of facts OF en- atrocious mnrdr
which occurred on board of Der on Il, River,
about NV y-five miles below Grand Ecore.
on the Is h OF May, about 2 u'clUck, 4. NJ,
due TO the public aud her officers.
~ man calling himself b. L. Sheath. came
nu board at Shreveport, aud registered him
self az deck passenger for New Orleans
On the next evening after leaving Shrcve-
port. he came TO Capt Il. Ii. Martin (who
was in command of the boat, } aud expressed
a desire to be allowed to change his passage
from deck to the cabin, which was acceded
to, and II state room was assigned him by
the clerk. Having II small amount of money
clerk. Between and o'clock on tue fol-
loving morning. while almost all the passen
gers wer. asleep, (scvcral gentlemen were
still sitting up conversimg,) Slcath suddenly
stepped up brhind Que of the gentlemen
(nam,d +. g. Jefnigrn) and caught him
around the neck, drew bowiekn fe from
behind him. and attempted 10 cut his lhroat
He va, prevent d from III. king fatal wound
b, Jeruigen catching the bla.ie of the knife
in one hand, aud Sl,Hth'S arm with the
other He, however, received a very severe
wound across the throat.
The passengers who were asleep, were
reused 10y Tia. noise and ,Xcitr Uncut in the
cabin aud The boat running iulo the bauk.
Just at that time genil, man named Charles
NJ. Fort, coming out of his siaier"Um iuto the
cabin, Was fatally stabbed 10y Scatn, and cx
pred ia u few momeuis lie resided IN
Sprn glield, Ii. berIsun county. Tennessee.
Another passenger. named X. J. Lyle. Ui
Nashville, Tennessee, being rouscd 10y the
noise, opened his staIeroun door To look ont.
aud was Immediately stabbed by Sheath. Lsie
only said. Il am stabbed" and expired with
out "a X oan, the bJwi,-knile having peneIra-
ted through tue hcurt.
.'At Ihi- jaucture the Captain. who bad
been sleep Ia his IoOu,, vas called, and com
ing ut oace into tic Cabin, he succeeded in
getting tue knife from Stealth. and then Sc
cured him. The murd, rcr had upun his per
sou al Tie time of his arrest several other
knives aud u revolver.
The murderer Is "a deformed crratur..
small In stature, broken back, and about 2S
years of age. III, said hc MAS native oi
Weston Lewis county Virginia, aud that iie
had beea / aching schUO. at - place ca.l u
KnuxyiIle, ia Cirrak, county, texas. Tue
reasons given b. him fIr committing the d
were that ia, V wee the p.rti,s who were
seeking his liie-ai hnugiI they bad net rr
met Jefire. tie acknowledges the d.--d, but
does not &c IN Ia care particularly about &c.
I'VE i,,l obll gated TO publicly sXPress our
admiration 1T tbe nuble manner IA which
Captain Marlin acted la preventing violence
Lring done lea the murderer, ALTER he
Was sccur by the crowd, who were too
much excited Tor rvHrciiUi, aud property
handing him over L. pnbtic JdsIice anu It's.
hands ut tic law. We also vxpr' - our thauk>
"a Captain Martin aud the other otncsrs of
the boat Tor their prompt aud iermlaed
action IN securing Sisagn. aud preventing
more siulenee b lag dose 10 u.
Sighed. ). W. bc.ssley. I,xasi j. w H.
Williams. Ia; u. N. l.. Smith, Texas, Peyto
E. Graves, Ala; Vim. Hatcher, La: *. w.
Waite. Mo-; E. q. OEer, Ca Thomas j
Glenn. T.Aas; VIM Jrruigen, Texas, b. +.
Jackson. La; N. U. Lauvgf. L G;J. n Naa-
malta. Tex a.; L. ID. Wall, Va; J. II. J-cSson,
John ri oh. La.
..Oa board sissia,sr l.. b. Hodge. May 10, go
Upon the arrival If The l.. Is. Hodge At tbe
StaoA Lauding. where sbc bad ID pat Oai her
load of cattle, The clerk OF The boa aud
several geaiivmen came down 10 the city
aud appilsd 10 the First District Police ON
eer 10 20 down aud take charge al the Prise
arr. Officers Frank Reid aud Thomas Wit
iiams, = rgeant ~ tie DlstEset, immediately
wcaI down 10 the Levee aud asaiied the ar
rival uf abe steamer. Nhsa she arrived Tie
accused xas taken ia ebaEgs aad conveyed "a
Ia. First District iock-ap. Cofonss Beach
ms aottfI-sl and will Road al inquest upoa
-. A.. Il. li..-l.....ninar EnP III nrezrr ~