Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-06-29

derlng my neighbor boy. Have you
brought any proof that ana a murderer?
Can you prove that am the particle of a
part7 Thank God, l was not here when
the war was going on, and never pestered
any one in this country. / was in the service
three years and six months, and done as
| good duty as any man. And can say be-
fore God, that if ever I shot or murde red
man, don't know it.
SO far as the statement is that Billy
King had come and told me to kill his
brother, and that went and tcld him
where TO ind his brother, it is not 80, gem
i tlemen. II ! had intended to kill him, /
would never had such conversation. [
never knew Harvey King was dead till
Monday evening. How did / hear it
| My little brother and sister came from
school and told me he was dead They
| tried to prove that never went near the
| corpse. When l went over there, my
mother said to go back home, and come to-
| morrow. / did come next morning, and
stayed there till he was buried.
borrowed a pistol from Billy King to
| go and visit some friends in Tennessee.
| When Sunday came, was late In getting
up, and Billy King came over to see my
father about cattle getting into his Germ.
| de wanted me to go to church with him,
and went, though aimed to 60 to Ten
nessee. My horse was not shod behind,
and gave up going. Did have a pistol
on this day. No, you can't prove it
ltisa money speculation in human blood
that now takes away my life. What is
$1,000? Why $1,000 will buy two mems
lives nowadays. The pistol went home
on Monday morning; had it ever been
shot? My brother started to school and got
to the evaporation. He met Billy King,
who took down the pistol, and when he
started away the niger boy took the pis-
toll. How many hands did that pistol pass
through? | can suffer with the greatest
of grace. 1t is better for me to die inno-
cent than guilty. You may say to-day,
Abe Owens has told lie upon the scatfold
Believe it not. / say before God and man,
| did not know Harvey King was dead. |
admit Pye been sinner and gambler,
and very bad man, but think have for.
giyeness for my sins, and think Pm better
of to-day than some who swore to lie.
| say before God and man, that Griff'
Wright swore to lie. When two good
witnesses besides a mans friends will not
be taken, I'd rather die Capt Finn, say
to Grit Wright that he swore to lie,
bat forgive him. He was the first man
who tried to get me to robbing.
There's Cornwell, who turned States
evidence; he swore my foot was crushed,
while another man says | was the second
in the train. I've written little history,
and don't think it necessary to explain the
railroad robbery any further.
TALKING FOR HIS LIFE.
The balance of Owens speech was made
up of repetitions of the foregoing, and lit
was nearly two o'clock when he closed. 1t |
was evident that he was striving to gain
time, as he went far beyond his twenty
minutes, the Sheriff giving him the priVi-
lege of talking as much as he pleased.
Lieut. Maize, seeing the game Owens was
playing, declared to the Sheriff, that if the
speaking we're not stopped in five minutes,
he would Withdraw the troops. This put
an end to the speaking, and the clergy and
prisoners joined in prayer and singing.
THE FATAL MOMENT
having arrived, King and Owens shook
hands with those around them, ard with
each other, still declaring their innocence.
The white caps were drawn over their
uCdQS, Dui but1 Sttll lz1aliltdlICQ tuCli
ness and encouraged each other. :" Hold
up your head, Billy" said Owens; but this
injunction was unnecessary, for King was
standing straight as an arrow. They only
requested the Sheriff to see that they should
not fall too far.
Deep sobbing was heard among the ladies
as the Sheriff babe good-by to the prison
ers, and notified them that the time had
come for him to perform his last sad du-
ty, and one lady prayed loudly and fer
vently. The band, at the request of the
doomed mon, struck up the Dead March.
Sheriff Began appeared cool and collected,
ttad Die IS was bis DUTY. After adjusting
the ropes, II will count five" said he, snow
be ready. o-three-four-fve
the trap door fell with loud slam, and
VIM. 2. King and Abraham Owens were
rapidly passing to eternity. Esfth
The neck Of Owens was broken, and
only few convulsiye witches followed
his fall. The struggle with King was terri
BILE, and he appeared to be slowly strang-
ling. His whole body was convulsed, and
he seemed trying to spring from his bonds.
In five minutes, however, all was over,
and both the bodies were moiionless. The
traps was sprung at precisely two o'clock,
and as soon as the bodies were pronounced
dead, they were removed for burial,
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
VIM. P. King was the eldest son of Peter
King, who intermarried with Elizabeth
Newman, and was born in Macon county,
Tennessee, on the 9th day of February,
1886. His father was a brother-in-law of
q. Casey, who was Governor of Illinois,
and filled many public offices of trust and
honor, not only in that State, but was also
elected to Congress on several occasions.
Peter King emigrated from Macon county,
Tennessee, and settled in Simpson county,
Kentucky, in the year 1857. He has the
reputation of having been peaceable
and quiet citizen, and was killed by the
accidental discharge of q pistol in the
hands of a gentleman in Franklin, some
three years ago His son, VIM. p. King,
who is the subject of this notice, joined
the Federal army May lst, 1868, and was
Captain of company +, SD regiment Ken
tacky volunteers, which was commanded
by Col. John Order and Lieut.. Col. Sam.
johnson and was musteredont Jan. IL, 1865.
He was five feet seven inches high, sandy
co lored beard, auburn hair, with cold,
sinister grey eyes, and weighed las pounds.
Abraham Ovens was born in October,
1912, in the county of Macon, State of
Tennessee His father, VIM. Owens, moved
to this county and State in the year 1858.
He has the reputation of being an indus
trious and honest farmer. Abraham is his
third son, and he joined the Federal army
as private in company IL, 9th Kentucky
Cavalry, December, 1861, where he served
till the war closed, in 1865. His military
career was not marked by anything
deserving of particular notice, but he
was generally regarded as q brave man
and reliable soldier Hewas decidedly good
looking, has very fair, smooth and soft
skin, gentle blue eyes, auburn colored hair
and moustache; was FIVE feet nine inches
high, and weighs 100 pounds.