Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-08-20

| JeT. AS Tue DdCk uOOf gave way 10 Tue
repeated assaults of the squad on thai
side Of the house, Bierfeld rushed out o.
the front door, but was Immediately
seized by party who were waiting fol
| him In the street. His hands were then
| tied and he was carried up Indigo street
about one hundred yards, but by des'
perate effort he managed to break loose
! from his csptors, and concealed himself
/ ia the hay loft of Bostick's livery stable.
| AT the instant he released himself he
| tore the masks from the faces of two
men who had hold of him. This, some
! think, sealed his fate. In the meantime
| the citizens had become aware of what
| was going on, as Bierfield could be heard
| for a distance of several blocks. Many
demonstrated that such proceeding was
extremely culpable at SO critical a period,
and ,clamored for the law to take its
| course. A pistol shot was fired in the
air by one of the squad, evidently as a
| signal, for some five mounted men imme-
diately came down the street at canter,
and warned the citizens to leave on pain
of being fired into. This of course caused
q general stampede. Bierfield was then
dragged away from the stable, notwith-
standing his almost superhuman struggle
to free himself and at the mouth of
between Haines' and Briggs grocery
stores, be was shot and killed. Before
his death ne denied having had anything
to do with the assassination of EZell.
His captors replied thst their proof was
positive. He then confessed to having
instigated the murder, but swOre that he
was not present when the deed was COM
mitted. He offered the unknown aven-
gers all the money he had about him
1925 in greenbacks and S25 in gold If
they would release him, and promised to
leave the State within "a hours. They
answered that they did not wish to harm
The negroes, that he alone was to blame,
and would have to pay the penalty.
Bierfield then said that he would make
s full confession and reveal the names of
all the guilty parties, but his doom was
already sealed, and he fell pierced by five
calls, two through the head, two through
the chest, and one through the leg. The
avengers of blood left him lying in the
middle of Main street, and rode out of
town by the Nashville pike. None of
them showed their faces or spoke in a
way that they could be recognized by any
of the citizens. Just before the fatal
shots were fired, Biertield exclaimed that
he was as good Seymour and Blair
able to Comprehend that neither politics
nor nationality had anything to do with
the terrible expiation which was to be
required at his hands. The body was
taken charge of by the citizens and an
inquest held by Coroner Moss a short
time after the tragedy. A verdict was
returned yesterday that he had come to
his death by pistol shots fired by un-
known persons. His remains were
brought to the city on Sunday and in
tered in the Hebrew cemetery.
But little is known of Biertield's ante
cedents. He settled in Franklin about q
year ego, was born in Russia, but had re-
sided some years in Toronto, Canada.
He was also at one time in business in
this city, both on his own account and
in the store of North & Ferris. When !
he first went to Franklin, he was en-
ployed by J. G. Bliss as a clerk, but sub |
sequsntly established store of his own.
His trade was exclusively with negroes,
and he persistently avoided the society |
Of white men. He told Mr.. Bliss, a Rad |
ical, last June, that he was determined |
to make " fortune out OF these trou.
bies; that war OF races was sure 70 |
come on, and he intended to make it pay |
him handsomely. The real cause of his |
deadly animosity against young EZelI !
has never been sscertsined. 1t was, per- |
haps, part of a settled plan to foment |
hostile feelings between the two races.
While Biertield was running toward |
Bostick's stable, after having broken |
loose from his csptors, several shots were |
fred at him. Unfortunately one of the |
balls went through the body of q negro |
named Lawrence Bowman, from the ef- |
~ NH I,a sn1 IL L.
sabbath morning.
Bierfeld's house when it was first as
iaulted, but were told by their unwel.
come visitors to keep quiet, as there was
nothing against them. Neither of them
we're mOlested. Bowman wSs subse-
Iuently in the street watching the strug-
gle between BieFfield and his csptors.
AS Bierfield ran toward the stable, Bow
man, who was between him and the un-
known sssailants, received one of the
balls intended for the former. This was
stated before the coroner's jury by Bow
mans companion. The verdict of the
ury was that his death was accidental.
The tragic death Of Bierfield is not re-
sarded at Franklin by men Of either
party in the light of political event
Deceased, who was Jew, never lost an
of bitterly denouncing
Grant for his infamous order against the
ews, and repeatedly announced his
Intention Of voting for Seymour and
Blair, a. a-...s a......
A very short time after the Ezell assas-
Iinstion Bierfeld wrote q letter TO the |
Press and Times, charging that Ezell's
sister was 8 common strumpet, and that
he "rspen never would have. been
heard of if she had not been Hcaught.n
He WAS often heard to denounee Mr..
Mercer for not publishing these infamous
SANDERS against an innocent and highly
young lady.