American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1867-02-02
A TENNESSEE VENDETTA

From the Loui vile Journal. I4tb.7

Ffbul llt l4ouls WIG journal, l4tl
a correspondent at EliZabeth.ow,
Garter county, Tennessee, gives Us tl
particulars OF a terrible tetId that la
been raging fortwcnty years betwccr
two families Of that county. an,
which was brought to an end by til
bloody deathS Of the surviving male
OF the warning tribes, in the street,
OF tlizabctltown, on the evening o
the 9TH. The history Of the affair, a.
detailed bJ our correspondent, Is a,
follows:
In the fall Of 1916, a family named
JohHstonc removed from the neigh
boring county Of Watauya. North
Carolina, into Garter county. East
Tennessee, and settled down in the
neiGhborho0d of another family
named Rogers. JOlnStonp, WHO an,
pearcd to be an energetic, indushi-
Gus man, Immediately went to work
at cleaning up Il little farm. lie
te'led the trees, grabbed up under
growth, burned Stumps, and splitraiIs
to fence in the ground he reclaimed
from Il wilderness. In this labor he
was assisted by two sons, both mere
lads. While the three were engaged
iii erecting fencing about their patch
of land, Rogers rode up to where
they were at work, one day. and laid
claim to pile Of rails, about dozen
iii number. This claim Johnstonc
disputed, and finally, on Rogers ap-
plying to him the epithets OF liar"
and "thief,' the North Carolinian
pulled him from his horse, and adj
to him Il severe chaStize-
lncnt with lis fists. Rogers went of
vengeance. and in the course
OF an hour returned to the spot armed
with a rifle. the contents OF which he !
into the body OF John ,
stone, producing fatal consequences. .
Rogers, who was a man of some
wealth for those primitive times. ana
was possessed OF considerable infiu
'nce among his rough, unlettered
ielghborS, was acquitted Ofthe charge
p murder by no examining Justice.
This was the beginning of the terri
BE vendetta that has run through
he years that followed. cutting
IoWn the males of two families in
he pride of their strength and man {
COd.
The two J0hnstone lads vowed !
engr ncc upon the murderer of their
aren't, aHd one of them. james. {
.orllcd night and day. with but one {
beet Al Nicw-tO accumulate the z
leans to purchase a ride. At length
{ became the owner of one, and one !
abaath morning. with his gun upon v
IS shoulder, he approached the house
Rogers. The latter was sitting {
'on the porch. and as he saw Young e
'hnStone approaching, probably di- c
nIng his lntentlUn. arose hastily &
ld started toward the rack where
5 gun was suspended. But the =
-engcr of blood was upon his path v
ut ere he could reach his weapon he
IL upon the floor a CORPSE. his heart a
creed by the bullet OF his foe. Ro- a
- left behind aEitc and three chill
en-, one of whom was a hoy. Among :
G rough backwoOdSmen of Carter /,
unity. Young J0lnStonc's crime was
'hed with satisfaction, ii not favor T,
the lndian law of retaliation being "
'ked upon by them as the VERY IA
'aln OF justice. Afterwards John
me married, and as the years pass X
by he became surrounded by an q
.eresnng aud numerous progeny.
The boy, Wm. Rogers. in the in
had alnIOst reached man al
odS estate, when, one morning. L,
thout diyulcing his intention To II
5 mother or sisters, nc left the to