Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-12-22

Shocking Tragedy in Mississippi

4 The Memphis appeal, narrates thu
particulars of a series of terrible murder
,perpetrated at Brooksville, Miss. 1t ap
pears that one James Thompson, VIII,
had been absent eight or ten years, re
turned to his fathers house in Brooks
vile, about year ago. representing tina
he had been to Peru, was citizen o
that country, and had been in the Peru
Wan army. At that time the Fedora
army was approaching Brooksville, which
is on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, ant
young Thompson persuaded his father tc
deed bis property to him, SO that be
could legally place it under the protec'
ton of the Peruvian flag. James has
recently been organizing a colony fol
Brazil. He sold stock from the place,
and his last act was to place one hundred
bales of cotton on fiat boat on the Tom
bigbee river, which flows within few
miles of Brooksville. The father be-
came alarmed, and left home to obtain
legal advice as to measures for restraining
his son. The account continues
'On Sunday morning, James approach
ed the house and inquired of the negroes
in the yard if all we're well. He then
entered the house, ard it appears shot
bis sister Margaret with a shotgun as
she was in the act of dressing herself
The shot took effect in her right shoulder
and side, nearly tearing the arm from the
body and mapgling the side most horri-
bly,. The mother was ,eard by her
daughter Jemima, who was up stairs, to
beg her son most piteously not to 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 bed. The mother and this daughter
must have died instantly. The murder
or then entered the room of his brother
Clay, whom be shot in the forehead,
killing him instantly. Clay was also
heard by the girls above stairs begging
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 it open. Jemima slipped
by him, rushed down, and was on the
threshold ofthe door when she was seized
by the shoulder and flung back into the
room and shot in the back of the head
with pistol. She must die.
The murderer then again went up
stairs and shot the last and youngest
sister, named Emma, in the shoulder and
breast. She got under the bed, where
he fired two shots at her. She abandoned
this position, and placed herself behind a
wardrobe. Here she received two shots,
one in the side and one in the left thigh.
This young girl may recover.
James now left the house and proceed
ed to the river, where his cotton boat
was moored. He met his father and the
sheriff Of the county. he aimed delib-
erately at bis father, but the cap snapped.
He fred the second barrel, but it was
knocked up by 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 clinched the desperate,
and after a fierce struggle be was bound.
The hue-and-cry was raised, and citi-
zens from Brooksville followed the ruf-
fan to the river, who were with difficulty
restrained from burning him. He is in
Jail at Macon"