Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-02-01
a Tennessee Vendetta.
fEUD OF Twenty YEARS sr4s-D,s

IND OF TEEs1T YEARS sr4a-I.s
From the Louisville, Ky. J1l1ll.l
4 correspondent at Tlizshe:h-9wn. Carer
county. Tennessee. gives rs tie p-rtlcl. -
of & terrible feud that has been raging ~
twenty years between Two families Of that
county. and which wsz br0ug q an cll iy
the Bloody deaths Of the sole survivia-
males Of the warning tribes, n the streets
OF Elizs betht0En. 9n tae evening E tie j-h
instant. The history Of the affair. rs de-
tailed by our correspondent. is rs follows
IL the Fail Of 1916 . family named ! lLu-
stone removed from the usighb1-ug county
Of WsRfaugs, North Carolina. INFO Carer
county, East tennessee, and settled Q WI 10
the re;ghborbccd Of another family 1su~1
Roger. JohDssone, who appeared b. sH
energetic, industrious Rad, ImuI. % 't.y
went - work AZ clearing u @ llt.., %.
He ie led tree, grubbvc NJ uuce-
hUrutc siuups. and split Irll- Il ieI
ground be tad reclaimed from To- R.-.I-
ness. In this labor be vas assisted RH
sons-bOth mere lads While ti t.s.c
were engaged n erecting tencIus al % il-.T
patch Of land. Rogers rJ1e up T. VII Q o.
were at work. onc day, aud lai1 cili- I'D -
pile OF rails, about dozen IL nun Her. lbs
clam Johnstoue disputed, 1rd f-!
Rcg'rs applying 10 him the eIi....- ..
" liar and "thiei, the North ca. hmm
pulled him from be horse. and admin 1.e1
20 hin E severe chEstisement with ti- tss.
Rogers went Of v0vIng vCnEcaac.. ami ~
the course Of an hour returned 70 t-. sI.r
armed with rife. the contents Of Which Be
discharged into the body Of J0hns;-ne IT,
ducinE fatal consequences. RoEC.-. wls
was man OF some wealth ior thosy lrluI-
tive times, and possessed Of considerable in
hueDoe among bis rough, Unl-tt-rt1 mig
bors, was acquitted Of tie charge OF n-rl--
bv an examining justice. This was the be-
ginning Of the terrible vendetta that has rua
through tie years that followed, cutting
down the males o. the two families in the
prIde OF their strength and manhood. The
two JOhns.One lsCs vowed Vengeance ny p the
murderer OF their parent 8nd ono . them.
James. worked night and day, with bur lue
object IN yieW-;o accumulate the means o.
purchase . rife. At length he became tac
owner Of one. and one Sabbath morning,
with lis gun upon lis shoulder, be al
preached the house Of Rogers. The latter
was sitting upon his porch, and, as be saw
young Johnstone approaching, probably DIV
inIng his intention, arose hastily and started
toward the rack where his own gun was
suspended But tie avenger Of blood was
upon hi. path. and ere be could reach his
weapon be fell upon the floor c corpse, his
heart pierced BY the bullet Of bis foe Rog-
ers left behind him Young vie and three
childrea-one Of whom was a boy. Among
the rough beckw0odsmen OF Carter County.
fafr-lE-s.~.a - I-rhrH
with satisfaction. il not favor-the Indian
Law of retaliation being looked upon by them
as the very cream Of justice. Afterwar3
tombstone married, and ss the years passed
he became surrounded by an interesting and
numerous progeny. The boy William Rog-
ere, in the meantime. had almost reached
manbo1d's estate, when one morning. with
ont dIvalging bis intention 10 bis mother OF
sisters. he left tie house with bis fathers
rife upon bis shoulder. ss If lie were going
Oat 70 hunt, and IN less than al hour
grief stricken mother and children were
weeping over the corpse Of slain husband
and father. Young Rogers, IN bis turn, had .
become an avenger, and Thomas Johnst0ne /
fell beneath bis hand. In time the memories
Of these three murders died away, and those
who were children then grew up 10 be men
and women William Rogers had taken -
himself wife. and become the head u
growing family. One morning be rode into
Elizabethtewn, and as he di5 No: return that Z
night-a circumstance that had never occur-
red before-Eis wife became very uneasy,
and IL the morning induced her brother 10
start 70 town in search II her missing has
band. About three miles from the house lie
came upon the body Of bis br0ther-iu-!aw,
lying IN the road, stiff and cold il death.
HI. brain had been pierced By rife ball.
Although bis murderer wss never discovered, I
vet TIC community quietly accepted the be- I.
liet that Henry JOhnstOne, son OF Thomas. 4
who wac slain BY Rogers, vas tie perpe- 4
traitor OF the deed. S5-e years after +.
wards in a drunken IL lmcnt, In Eli f.
fabethtown, this young man ackuow- /
lodged be had slain Rogers. and gave Is his .
reason tia; the latter had killed hi father. .
Jobnsione YVES young man, and OILY 3 ieE
months before The murder had teen married .
TO young girl ID the Eei-db9rhOod Again .
The chart Of time was uurollCd, ard az least
ten years had been added 10 the past, when
q yourg lad, son q The murdered Rogers.
engaged in al alteration in the yard OF the
court house at Elizabetht1wn, with john
stone. who YVES then g uIdd.e-aEtd man, and
inflicted such wounds upoL him with knife
that be cied On tie following morning Thus
ii went OF for years. now Johnst1ae falling
by the hands OF Rogers. and then 4 Rogers
falling beneath the svengi1g hand Of John
stone, until the war interrened, and for a
time, si least, the terrible feud appeared TO
have ended. The cessation of bostilities
brought tire survivors OF the warning iami-
lies back 10 Garter County. These Survivors
consisted Of RaIdail Rogers and Robert
JOhns,one, both battle Scared veterans. and
both unmarried men. On the evening Of
the 9Th instant these Two nitn met 10 O gro
Gerry al Elizabethtown. and socn became en-
gseed in an alteration Bysjsuders inter
Tered, and for an hour OF Two 4 collision wa
ayerted. They were separated by irics.d-
sDd taken 81 IN Cpposi e directions. Ihis
occurred about noon. About 3 O'Clock. a
Rogers Was going up street hc saw tombstone
coming down As they neared each other
they drew their revolvers and c1mmenoei
firing upon each other, con
tinuing to advance ss they fred. finally.
And when about four feet distant from John
stone. Rogers sank TO the pavement. and. as
be lsy, the last act Of his lie was to fire the
last charge II hIs pistol into the abdomen Of
) ohnstoBe, whose last bullet, FREQ at the
same instant, penetrated be antagonists
brain, causing instant dssth. JOhrst0ne
-eelei and fell across the body OF his Toe.
md. when bysteDders rushed to where they
ay, be, too, bad passed beyond all reach Of
mortal aid. Almost az the sane Instant Of
lime. their Two blood guilty souls had gone
% JUN the cory ghcsts OF their ancestors.
Thus sIced ieud that has existed for TWEEN !
y wears, IN the course Of which fourteen |
men have died violent deaths. s
AMERICAN CoLoNIzATIoS SocIE7r.-The :
fifth annual meeting Was held in Washing ]