The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1866-01-03

Horrible Tragedy in hiississfppt.-
a Man Murders his Mother,
Brother, and Three Sisfers+-EEe
then w ounds his Father and As,-
other Sister.
The Memphis Appea! on the 9th in
slant says: # N
James Thompson left hi. home eight
or ten years ago. About year since he
returned to the house of his father, near
Brooksville ON the Mobile and Ohio
Railroad flames exhibited to his father
hatappeafedto to be authentic and official
letters from Peru, showing that he was a
citizen of that country, and had been in
the Peruvian army, When this man ar
rived at home the Federal army was ap-
preaching Brooksville, and young Thomp-
son persuaded his father to deed his prop
erty to him, SO that he could legally
place it under the protection of the Pc
ruvian flag. ! afos9a 81 '.49
James has recently been organizing a
colony for Brazil He sold stock from
the place, aud his last act was to place
one hundred bales Of fcotton on fatboat
on the eTombigbee river, which flows
within few miles Of Brooksville. :
The father became alarmed, and, it ap-
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 re-
flations tof James, with the family, which
consisted of his step other, three half
sisters and half brother, were entirely
cordial There is also full brother
named Joseph, who it is feared was ac-
cessory to James. On Sunday morning
James approached the house and inquired
of the negroes if all were well, He
then entered the house, and, it appears,
shot his sister Margaret with shot gun
as she was in the act of dressing hers elf
She had one stocking on and had another
in her hand The shot took effect in hel
right shoulder and side, nearly tearing
the arm ffomltho body, and mangling the
1side most horribly The mother wa;
hehrd by her daughter Jemima, who was
up stairs, to beg her son most piteously
not to shoot, but second report follow
ed, and the mother was found dead, sho
lin the.right shoulder and side, on th,
| floor back of the bed. The mother ant
this daughter must have died Instantly
The murderer then entered the room o
his brother, Clay, whom he Shot in tn,
forehead, killing him instantly. Clay wa!
also heard by the girls above stairs beg
ging his brother not to shoot him. Th
I two girls up stairs closed and bolte,
J their door; but the terrible man ascende,
4 the stairs and forced 1T open. Jemim
slipped by him, rushed down, and was "ol
the threshold Of the door, when she wa
seized by the. shoulder and flung bacl
into the room and shot in the back 0
the head with a pistol She must die
4 From the direction Of the fatal shot sh
4 must have been on her knees, beg
ging for life. The murderex then wen
4 up stairs and shot the last and young
), est sister, named Emma;g in the shoulde
and breasts iShe got under Q the bed
Y where he fred two shots at her. lSh
, abandoned this position and placed her
IiselfGbehind a wardrobe. Here she re
ceived two shots, one ino the side an
one in the left thigh. This young gil
, may recover. q James now left the hous
! and proceeded to the river, where hi
cotton boat was meored. He met hi
father and the sheriff of the county. Fl
> aimed deliberately at his father but th
cap snapped. He fred the second bal
'relj but it was Knocked up by a BY
stauder, and passed harmlessly over tn
: : father head He then drew pistt
and fred twice, one shot taking effect j
the body of the fath her, who now clutche
the desparado, and after a fierce istruggl
/ he was bound. aaasf s{4sa.ay ss4ai
The hue and cry was raised, and cit
: zens from Brooksvillc followed the rufia
, to the river, who were with difficult
r restrained from burning him. He is
Q fjail at Macon e ls1'ite 5ee aa8
+ 1t is supposed that Joe Thompson wa
an accomplice, from the fact that he tol
his father and the sheriff, on their arrivi
!. at the river, that his brother James wa
drinking and would do mischief, sine
(which time he has not been seen. 2.
James Thompson is described as
small man, with q pleasing but rockies
fface. Hell thirty years of age. ~