Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1865-12-15
SHOCKING TRAGEDY IN MISSISSIPPI

The Memphis Appeal narrstes the particu-
lars of a series of terrible murders perpeirat-
ed at Brooksvile. Miss. 1t appears that one
James Thompson, who had been absent eight
or ten years, returned to his fathers house in
brooksyille, about year ago, representing
that he bad been 30 Peru, was citizen of
that country, and had been in the Peruvian
army. At that time the Federal army was
approaching Brooksville, which is on The Mo-
bile and Ohio Railroad, and Young Thompson
persuaded his father to deed bic property to
him, so that be could legally placs it under
the protection of the Peruvian flag. James
has recently been organizing colony for
Brazil He cold stock from the place, and
his last act was to place one hundred b,les
of cotton on a fiat boat on the Tombigbee
river. which flows within few miles Of
Brooks,ille, The father bee ne alarmed,
and left home 10 obtain Legal lice as to
measures for restraining his son The &C.
court continues
son Sunday morning James approached
the house and inquired Of the negroes in the
yard il all were we'll He then entered the
house, and it appears shot his sister Marga-
ret with 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 manging the side
most horribly. The mother was heard 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
eide, on the floor back Of the bed. The muth-
er and this daughter must have died lns autly.
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 begging his brother
not to shoot him. The two girls up stairs
closed and bolted their door; but the terrible
man ascended the stairs and forced it open.
Jemima slipped by him, rushed down. and
was on the threshold of the 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 fred two shots at
her. She abandoned this position, and plsc-
ed herself behind wardrobe Here she re-
ceived two shots, one in the side and one in
the LEFT thigh. This young girl may recover.
James now left the house and proceeded to
the river, where his cotton boat was moored.
He met his father and the sheriff Of the coun-
ty. He aimed deliberately at his father, but
the cap snapped. He fred the second barrel.
but ii was knocked up bya 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 he was bound.
Z The hue and cry was raised, and citizens
from Brooksville followed the rufisn to the
river. who were with difficulty restrained from
burning him. He is in Jail at Macon"