Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-09-16
Radicalism in its Full Dsvelopment-The
Most Fiendish Atrocity Since the World
Began.

Began.
One Of the most revolving outrages and
murders occurred near SWANS mill, N.
I c., on Tuesday last, which it was ever
our lot to record, or which ever took place
in any civilized land A few miles from
the mill, on the Columbus road, lived
Mrs. Marks, young and beautiful widow
lady, about thirty years of age, hired
woman and two children, a little boy of
FIVE, and little girl of eight, living with
her. At about nine o clock on the even
ing of the 2lst ult., loud rap at the door
of the house startled the inmates, who
had just retired for the night. The hired
woman, who slept in an upper room,
raised q window to ascertain the cause,
and was accosted by negro who said he
had letter for Mrs. Marks, which be had
brought from the village, and that it was
very important, and must be answered
that night. Recognizing him as man
from the village whom she knew, she went
down stairs and opened the door.
As soon as the door was fairly unfas-
tened, gang OF nine armed negroes, who
had been concealed in the dark behind
clump of bushes, made rush into the
house. The woman fed through a rear
door, and escaped into piece of thick
woods back Of the house. Mrs. Marks,
hearing the noise, started to come from
her room, but was met by two of the ne
groes, who seized her and attempted to
drag her toward bed standing in cor
ner of the room. Being woman of
great strength she struggled fearfully, but
the rest of the gang coming to the aid of
the two, she was finally overpowered.
They then threw her on the bed, tying her
arms and feet to the bedposts with cords,
and proceeded to violate her person in
turn, until nine of them had satiated their
hellish passions. While this was going
on an attempt was made to violate the
person of the little girl, who was held by
two of the fiends, in plain sight of the
mother, while third one accomplished |
the damnable deed, knife having to be |
used for the purpose The screams of |
the child were fearful, which so enraged |
the demons that they tore her tongue |
from her mouth, and finally beat her |
brains out against the stone jam of the
fireplace and threw the body into the
backyard Not content with this, they
seized the boy, and after tying him with
cords proceeded to commit nameless
outrage upon his body. The woman who
escaped from the house fled toward
Slower station, but the night being dark,
lost her way, and did not arrive at Mr..
the nearest neighbor of Mrs.
Marks, until about two o'clock in the
She Immediately gave the alarm, and
Mr.. Appleby called up his men, and after
arming them, sent off to Robert Slows
and the other neighbors AS soon as pos
sible they all took their horses and pro-
ceeded to Marks, where they found the
house on FIRE, and discovered the terrible
scene we have described, but the perpe-
traitors ofthe deed had fled. When found,
Mrs. Marks was wholly insensible, and it
was with great difficulty that she was re.
stored to consciousness. George, the lit
lie boy, was found dead on the floor, bound
With cords, as they had left him, and the
lead body of Annie, the little girl, had
been dragged from the yard into the back
'toop, undoubtedly for the purpose of hav-
ng all traces of their guilt obliterated by
he fire which they had set. 1t is sup
posed that the miscresnts we're alarmed
~ the approach of the horses of Mr.. Ap.
,leby and his men, and fed into the A6a-
dining woods, from which they scattered
o their homes before morRiua. The
shole country is aroused, aud it will be Z
lifkcalt for all Of the perpetrators of such
! diabolicsl deed 10 escape. The negro ,
Yho pretended to have the letter was
recognized by Mrs. Orally, the work wo-
nan, as Bill baisou, the recent negro and I
lsdical candidate for the Legislature
rom that district,
He was not TO be found the next day, i
nd his wife said he was going to Mil ?
erry, TO negro meeting. He is proba- s
Iy secreted either in the woods or in the
uts of some of the rest of the gang, bot
will be hard for him TO escape, as the Il
Ihole country ia asossed. No negroes
ere found absent from home for Eve 4,
niles around, except Batson, and unless a
e is caught il will be very difficult to
srrct out the murderers, on account Of
be secret organizations known to exist
mong them. Life aud property are at
be mercy Of the blacks in nearly the
hole Soath. They refuse IN work, and
eing fed BY the Freednen's Bureau, are
llowed to live in idleness 70 perpstrate
ieir fendish outrageR Mr. Stokes, who
rs a plantation on the Cumberland
os1. informs us that be finds il almost
apostolic to hire help at any price-all n
ie negroes refusing to work and being :.
lpported bv the Rnreau. Inst before