Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-11-20
A PArR OF
Negroes Improving ON Radical
Teachings-6OO Viliainy.
Attempted Rape, burglary, High
way Robbery, Grand Larceny
and Obtaining Money under
False Pretenses.

Two well known negroes, who were
most energetic Smith csnvassers in the
late political struggle, named Charles
Smith and Bill Atkinson, were arraiRDed
yesterday morning before Squire Mil
lard under the charges Of attempt Al
rape, burglary, highway robbery, grand
larceny, tTespass, and obtaining money
under false pretenses.
The circumstances under which they
were arrested we're briefly these: On
Tuesday night these two werthies went
out to the house OF q quiet, hard. work
ing negro man named John Murphy,
wko lives pear the Fair grounds. Muir
| ply was away from home, and the cou-
pie, pretending hat they were con
stables, came to search for stolen
goods, obtained admission into the
house, and commenced ranssckiDg the
drawers of the furniture. Murphy's wife
and daughter were in bed when the
house was entered, and the two Villains
seized them and attempted to violate
their persons. Their cries cansed them
to relipquish their purpose; but with
unparalleled effrontery, after tSkiDg
what articles they wished they went to
the neighborE, also negroes most Of them,
and Oh pretense of being some sort of
officers in "the Bureau" mulcted them
out Of from three and a half to five, and
even ten dollars eacb,-tRkiDg from
those who did not have the ready
money, clothing or ether articles to the
value of the ASSESSMENT. AfteFhavlDg
thus indiscriminately raided up the
reigbborhood they left, taking their
plGnder with them.
Yesterday morning Murphy came to
town and went to Squire Willard and
laid the case before him. The Squire
sent him TO Captain Simons, to whom he
told his story, and the Captain gave or
ders for the arrest of Smith and Atkin-
u.
Here comes, however, the most re-
markable, and the coolest part of the
whole proceedings. While Murphy was
away from home giving the information,
these two specimens Of negro ras-
cality returned to his house
sgsin, and armed with q lot of papers,
printed and backed like legal documents,
proceeded to take possession of Muir
phys house and all that was in it, con-
~fiscating it as abandoned property.
They then, regardless Of the tears and
~pleadings of Murpby's wife and dsugh-
ter, proceeded to sell under the hammer,
at public outry to the crowd which ss-
sembled, not only all the furniture in the
house, but after they got through with
that, they sold the house itSeJ-selliDg,
of course, only for ready money. Mean
while Murphyis daughter started to hunt
for him and bring the police.
Not knowing this fact these unhesrd-
of ~villsins, after disposing of the furni-
ture, house, etc, produced a tape iiue
and some scraps of paper, and proceeded
to measure off into fifty feet fronts the
land adj joining Murphy's house, stalking
off each fifty and marking it with q pa
per, stating that as soon as it was proper
Iy surveyed off they would sell 1t.
While they were communicating this last
piece of engineering the police came
down on them and gebbled them-red-
fGgTdnte deIicto, brought
them 20 town and lodged them in the
station; and as VS. have stated, carried
them before Squire MillsTd, where the
above story was told by Murphy and his
family. tins prisoners, who had mean
while secured counsel, waived an exam
and were sent to the Criminal
Court and remsnGed TO jail without bail.
This is, on the whole, the most extra
ordinary esse that We ever heard Of, and
illustrates most foTcibly the ignorance Of
the mass of our negro population and st
the same time their aptitude at learning
all name OF deviitry under such apt
teachers IS their Radical brethren.