Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-09-07


= UspAuALTLLrp DIABoLlsn. = Negro
Fiends Incarnate al their Heltish
Work-A Midnight Attempt 10 &ur
der and Burn a Whole Family "a
the Countrywide Legitimate fruits
of Radical Teachings-The residence
Of +. A. Alexander, Esq, half a mile
beyond Cane Creek, quarter of a
mile east Of the fernando road, and
four miles directly south Of the city, was
the scene, on Saturday night, Of an out
rage which for deliberate and well defined
diabolism stands almost without parallel
in the annals Of crime in Shelby county.
A single dwelling, remote, at least a
quarter Of mile from any other human
habitation, off the public road and aces.
sible only by private lane seldom fire.
quented by any save those Of the imme-
date settlement, and surrounded and
obscured BY dense growths Of forest trees,
the spot would seem to have been selected
by the authors Of the infamy with special
reference to its loneliness and the preclu-
sion ofthe possibility oftheir being detect
ed or interrupted in their fendish work.
The time, too, as well as the place, seemed
to have been chosen for the advantages
it afforded. The night being one on
which the moon, obscured by gathering
clouds, refused to shine" cloaked alike
the evil doors and their deeds in dark.
ness.
But to the recital of the bloody story,
as gathered by the writer on the spot and
from the lips of the victims yesterday
Mr.. Alexander, quiet peaceable and
much esteemed citizen, with his family,
consisting of his wife and four children,
the Oldest nine and the youngest two
years of age, had retired for the night
at their customary hour. Mr.. A., his
wife and their youngest children were
sleeping in ope apartment-the children
occupying a trundle bed near that OF
their parents, while the fourth and Oldest
child, a boy Of some nine years, was
sleeping by himself in an adjoining
room. While the family were thus in
deep slumber, shortly before midnight,
Mr.. Alexander was suddenly aroused
by the barking of his dogs, which,
as he listened seemed to be-
come gradually more violent, as il
the object of their alarm was approach
ing in a menacing attitude. Not many
minutes after this be heard in the yard
some one call him distinctly by name,
and ask him to come out. Recognizing
the voice as that of negro, and mistrust-
ing nothing more serious than the sick
ness of one of his servants or neighbor,
he promptly left his bed and went to the
door to inquire what was wanted. On
opening the door and presenting himself
to the party by whom he supposed he had
been called, he discovered him to be stall
wart negro man, who, standing off some
FIVE or six yards from the house, renewed
his request that he should come out
"What do you want?" asked Mr.. Alex
ander. "Come out here and will tell
you responded the black figure in the
yard; "come out and see me" Unable
to account for so unreasonable request
the thought very naturally flashed at
once across Mr.. AS mind that the ne
gro's mission could neither be peaceful
or honorable, and accordingly, without
farther parley with him, he withdrew from
the door and closed it after him. What.
ever his worst suspicious may have been
up to this time, they were more than
confirmed an instant afterward by a
conversation in an unintelligible but
quite audible tone of voice, which seemed
to be taking place just around the corner
of the house, few PAGES only from where
the negro in the yard had shown himself
moment before. This conversation
seemed to have been consultation, since
at its close the negro who had already
assumed the part of spokesman reap
peared before the door, accompanied by
some five or six others, and, in much
more peremptory tone than before, re
newed his request that Mr. A. should
come out and see him. Mr.. A., making
no reply whatever to this, what had thus
far been made as request was suddenly
put in the form of threat Come
out, or we'll turn your stock out and
throw your plows in the well Come
out, you white s-n Of b--b, or we'll
burn you up |" These and other threats
were made in rapid succession. The
danger in which be was placed, with his
wife and little ones, burst with all its
terrors upon Mr.. AS mind, and making
no reply to the fends who we're thirstiug
for his blood, and bowling at him like so
many wolves outside, he called his little
son from the adjoining room into that
with the rest of his family, and prepared