Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-12
bloody Tragedy in Mississippi---A Son
Murders n faniIy---The Mother, Son,
md Three Sisters Dcad---The Father
and n Sister Wounded

ana sister wounded.
From the Memphis Appeal, Dee. 81
James Thompson left his home eight or
ten years ago. About year since he re-
turned to the house of his father, near
Brooksville, on the Mobile and Ohio, rail
road. James exhibited to his father what
appeared to be authentic and official letters
from Peru, showing that he was citizen of
that country, and had been in the Peruvian
army. When this man arrived at home the
Federal army was approaching Brooksville,
and young Thompson persuaded his father
to deed his property to him, so that he could
legally place it under the protection of the
Peruvian flag.
James has recently been organizing a col
onv for Brazil He sold stock from that
place and his last act was to place one hun
dred bales of cotton on fiat boat on the
Tombigbee river which flows within few
miles of Brooksville
The father became alarmed and, it APP
pears, left home on Tuesday of last week, for
Gainesville, to obtain legal advice as to the
proper steps to take in restraining his son.
1t appears, however, that this move was
made quietly, and that the relations of
James with the family, which consisted of
his step-mother, three half-sisters and
half-brother, were entirely cordial There
is also full brother, named Joseph, who it
is feared is accessory to James On Sunday
morning James approached the house and
inquired of the negroes in the ward if all
were well. He then entered the house, and
il appears shot his sister Margaret with a
shotgun, rs she was in the act of dressing
herself She had one stocking on and had
another in her hand. The shot took effect
in her right shoulder and side, nearly tear
ing the arm from the body, and mangling
the side most horribly. The mother was
heard by her daughter Jemima, who was up
stairs TO beg her son most piteouSlv not
10 shoot; but a second report followed, and
the mother was found dead, shot in the right
shoulder and side, on the floor back of the
bod
The mother and daughter must have died
instantly. The murderer then entered the
room of his brother, CLAY, whom he shot in
the forehead, killing him instantly. CLAY
was also heard by the girls above stairs beg
ging his brother not TO shoot him. The two
girls up stairs closed and bolted their door;
but the terrible man assembled the stairs and
forced II open. Jcmima slipped by him,
rushed down, and was on the threshold of
the door, when she was seized by the shout
der and flung back into the room, and shot
in the back of the head with pistol She
must die. From the direction of the fatal
shot she must have been on her knees, beg
ging for her life. The murderer then again
went up stairs and shot the last and young
est sister, named Emma, in the shoulder and
breast. She got under the bed, where he
fired two shots IT her. She abandoned this
position and placed herself behind ward
robe. Here she received two shots. one in
the side and one in the left thigh. This
young girl NAV recover
James now left the house and proceeded
10 the river. where his cotton boat was
moored. He met his father and the sher-
III Of the county. He aimed deliberately at
his father, but the cap snapped. He fired
the second barrel, but il was knocked up BY
a by-stander, and passed harmlessly over
the fathers head. He then drew his pistol
and fired twice, one shot taking effect in the
body of the father, who now clenched the
dcperado, and after fierce struggle he
was bound.
The hue and cry was raised, and citizens
from BrookSville followed the ruflian to the
river, who were with difficulty restrained
from burning him. He i in Jail at Ma
con.
Ii is supposed that Joe Thompson was an
accomplice, from the fact that he told his
father and the sheriff on their arrival at
the river, that his brother James was drink
ing and would do mischief since which
time he has not been seen.
James Thompson Is described rs n small
man, with pleasing but reckless face He
is thirty years OF age.