The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-08-29

Capt. Geo. Il. 81 udus inc OmCcA cSHt "
Investigate the circumstances connect
ed with the recent atrocious murders
by the Ku Klux Khan, at the town of
franklin, eighteen miles from Nash
vile, on the Nashville and Decatur
Railroad.
Capt. Judd. the officer conducting
ahis Investigation, is a gentleman of
the highest reputation for truth and
Ycracity; an officer of unblemished
character, who lost an arm in his
country's service; ADD a man who has
been noted for the moderation and
conservatism OF his sentiments.
BURE UR,F &L
CUB ASST. CuMMISSIO ER'S OFFICE,
NAsHv LIE, Tenu., Aug ~, 1868.
Brevet NJ 5or Gen. ". r. Carlin, Asstssaat
C0mDlis toReT Of T.nnessee:
GENERAL: I have the honor 10
make the following report of my IN
vestigation OF the. murder OF A.
Bierneld (white) and Lawrence Bow
man, (e0lored) on the night OF the
Id h inst, in the town of FTanKlin,
Williamson County, State of Tennes-
see.
About twelve O'Clock said night a
party Of men (pa1t OF teen IN dis
glise) came to the store o. A. Bier
field, he being in the store with two
colored men, Lawrence Bowman and
Henry Morton. They had just com
meuced to eat a watermelon, when
some one raped at the back door.
Bierfeld asked who was there. They
answered. 4" friends" and told him to
open the door. He told them if they
were friends to 90 to the front door.
They ans Wered, open this door or
We will break it down" BIer6eld
said. you had better not, or you
might get ball through you"
Upon thin the door was broken
down and FIVE men (masked) rushed
in. B er6eid ran to the front door
and threw it open, but found a crowd
Of men ready to receive him. lie
cried out surrender" but immedi-
ately darted past them. and ran into a
stable close by, pursued by his .assail-
ants, who caught him and dragged
him out During this time TWO of the
aSsailants had taken the two negroes
who were with Bierf Id in charge,
threaten ng to kill them If they made
any disturbance, and drove them out
into the street. Henry Morton made
hi escape through house near by.
No hing Is known of the condition
OF Bowman from this time until after
the atfray was over, except what he
told before he died. He told DIR.
Cliffe DIR. Cliffe is a leadir and
highly respectable citizen of Frank
lin-ED. GAZETTEl that he stood in
the street, and some one came up and
shot him, and that it was purposely
done. He died during the next day
after he was shot. No effort was made
by the civil authorities to take his
dying statement, until he was so far
gone that he was unable to speak.
After Bierfield was taken from the
stable he was dragged about the
street, screaming and begging that his
lite be spared, if not for his own sake,
for his mothers. The heartless muir
derers would not listen to him; and
after they had tortured him 10 their
satisfaction, killed him by shooting
four balls through him, any one of
which would have killed him. The
pistols were held so close as to burn
: his clothes aud skin. His body was
lett lying in the street, at the corner
Of Indigo and Main Streets.
During the time all this had been
goiIg on, the citizens had en- or
derrd TO close their doors and win
daws, and stay in the house. This
order was enforced by the indiscrIm-
mate firing OF pistols through the
streets. My opinion is that the muir
derers were young men belonging to
the town Of Franklin, and were con-
scquently anxious to keep the streets
clear that they might not be recog-
nized.
We found that the letter purport-
ing to be written by Israel Brown, OF
Nashville, to john Nolin, of Frank
lin, Indicating Bier6eld in the kill
ing Of Ezell, was a forgery; that il
never went through the Post Office
but was manufactured at Franklin
FIR the nurnOse Of justiiying the kill
ing of Bierfeid.
John Nolin says that CHARLES Mar
shall, agent at Franklin depot,
brought him letter; that he gave il
10 Mr.. Kennedy to read for him; that
Kennedy did not read it, but put il in
his pocket, saying he would read il
when he had leisure, and tell hin
what was in it. He further says thai
be never knew any colored man by
the name OF Israel Brown, and does
not know any of that name.
/ saw Mr.. Kennedy, who says tina
NOln handed him letter to read
that be opened it and read one or two
lines; never read the whole letter
never saw the signature; does no
know what was In, the letter, Dor b
whom il was signed. / asked him j
he could give me the letter. He sal,
mol and that he had lost it. | toll
him II was curious he should lose il
and still it came out in the NaShvill
Bunner the next day. He said b
could not help it; that he lost valu
able private papers the same time
that he was sure he would not hav
lost them if he could have helped il
In our investigation we talked witt
oil the best citizens of Franklin VIII
claimed to know anything about tn
matter.
John Nolin and Henry MortO
were the only two negroes we aske
any questions of. We made an ar
pointment. to meet the citizens {
franklin on the 10Th, at 10 o'eloc
AM, at the court. house, and aske
them to furnish all the informatio
IN their power relative to the murder
At the appointed time a large rool
IN the courthouse was filled wit
such citizens as the sheriff of I'll
county saw fit to collect. Most
them were formerly rebels, to my ce
tain knowledge, and I think mo-
than one who we're concerned in I'll
killing of Bierheld and Bowman we
there.
Colonel Gelray then asked the fc
lowing questions:
Does any man know of BierfeId
advising the negroes to organize al
fight the whites, Ku Klux Khan
any hing of that description?'