New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-03-22
A WIFEs ACCOUNT OF HER HUSBANDS
MURDER.
TuR REIGN OF TERROR IN TEXAS.

Mary Crawford, wife OF tie William II. Crawford
who was hung in Texas lat Summer, hSs published in
The Wa,cca Mimi Cn.en the following story OF tie
tragedy Hundreds of innocent men have been muir
dered by the nggewhipng devils Of the South, upon
n. baseess grounds here ret forth but no account Of
their fate ha, been given except the withdrawing
falsehood. prepared by the murderers to give some
color Of excuse for their hclish work.
HRS. CRAwFORD's ACCOUNT.
At the reguest Of my friends and III justice 70 the
memory Of my husband, tie following facts are pub
lished;
NV husband, VIM. II. Crawford, was the Of the
late Capt. Wm. Crawford, well-known ship-master
OF Bath Me-, from which city came West IN 1884,
aud lived in this State part OF the time At faribadlt,
and part Of the time III NSseea County, durpg the
years 1856 81 and 81. Tie bad ee9sOns OF those
Years for farmers and the depression Ia business with
The s, orabe reports bead OF Texa caused us TO
en rate that State III the Fall OF le5y III company
with tie f,nhis or j. 4. fofk OF "a,e'a COuhty,
Dr. Williams Of Rice County, and several young men,
After three months of such travelling ard hardtilps
rs Pioneers only exIeIe, we reached Texas, hnd
STORED at the small town OF Fort Worth, lanant Co,
nh exert Williams, who stopped about 10 miles tins
side. Here We intended 10 ain till SPRING aud
then 90 further west, where II Wa expected The Leg
sture of the State would dohate Large tracts OF lands
10 The tetlers ana where my btbahd wished TO make
farm aud commence stock raising But in the Spring
the Indians were very troublesome Gu The frontier,
aud we concluded 10 remain here until Fall. Mean
while my husband attended 10 hi, own business and
worked hard, seldom having day leisure, except
Sundays. la the Winter lie worked with bis tean
ard in the Spring lie was employed III Motifs saw-nil
until The water became too low 10 run II, when he
took a JOB Of building d stable foy lawyer panled
Fowler. As coon he bad finished II, lie hauled
load of drugs aud medicines to Dallas la0ou ~ miles
from Fort WORTH, for DIR. Peake, and returned home
am Thus pafcular,u detailing tbese facts to show
that, instead of spending his days lcahDg ganblDg
and esrouhng, many did there, or being engaged IN
any pursuit. that would give loasUn Tor pubic senti
against him. my husband all the time at some
Legitimate business; proyidin. mehus TO suslln ms
family and carry oat his plans or their future welfare
No man devoted 10 his family ald ODE
OF his dearest hopes 10 be able 10 help his children
70 a liberal education.
Before going 70 Dallas he received letter FROM
Williams relative TO going to find locations 20 move 10
in the Fall, thinking by that tpe the Indians would
be driven of troops having gone out for that purpose;
ard be daily expecting Williams To 60 with ham
Among those who went against the Indians were three
of the young men who went there with us. About
this time he received letter from one OF then-Guil
ium-requesting him if he moved away before their
10, urn To leave some marks the we2t, 30
they could lind u.s. and another letter from friend in
Independence Missouri who had just arrived fom the
Last In this letter sentence ~ this elect:
have the pistols safe in my trunk. These pistols
were four Colts revOlvers that my husband had seut
for in the Spring, TO his brother-naw, the Hon.
Is. NJ Prescott Of East Boston, Mass, by doing
he could get them at factory prices and they very
high ia Texas The three young men who joined the
tr0ope each TO nave OF them, but there wac
no chance 10 send them go soon ms was expected.
These letters appeared to have been opened.
On the evening Of the 10th of judy, after were in
bed come one Knocked at the door, IL proved 10 be IA
negro sLive-belOnging TO Turner, who was merchant
OF The place owned about 40 slaves. HIS erraud
was to cell come bacon hat he said belonged him.
self. My husband told him he would buy IoEe unless
he brought a written permission 10 sell It, from his
master At that he went Off and soon went 10 sleep.
In the morning my husband told NE that the slave
came back af.er in hour or two, with one piece OF
bacon saying that he hadn't 80 much 70 sell he at
first thought, and he did not think II worth while to
would give rs that piece for the trouble ho had made
rs, NY husband toId him he would not take f0r