Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-06-17
TERRIBLE MURDER.
A Young Memphian Killed i'm
Cold Blood.
From an Eye-Wit-
ness.

Memphis and Little Rock Railroad, In
which George D. Bethel, Esq, was the
victim, murdered by youth named
Clarence Collier, under the following cir
cumstances, as detailed by an eye-wit-
ness:
Some days ago Collier had a diff
Guilty with a neighbOr named Seay,
at Ten Mile Bayou, which resulted
in g trough and tumble" fight. Yes
terday morning Collier passed the house
of q man named Morgan, who lives near
Ten Mile Bayou, with q gun on his
/ shoulder. He sang out to Morgan, as be
rode by, that he was carrying that for
! Seay." At Ten Mile Bayou there was q
fishing party, consisting of W. B. Green
law, Jr, Col. Duncan MeRes, w. L.
I Dean, Esq, and George d. Bethel, Esq
Bethel and Collier own adjoining places
lust below the Bayou and, for sometime
| past, there has been bad blood between
them, about an old transaction regard
ing some hay, About three o'clock IN
/ the afternoon, Bethel was sitting on
! horseback, when Collier rode up
and Bethel handed him q paper,
which Collier read, and then dis
mounted, remarkIng that he did
not intend to settle any such claim"
or something of the sort. Bethel also
dismounted, and some words passed be-
tween them, in which were !" liar" and
4" scoundreI.n Collier, holding his gun to
his hip, walked toward Bethel, who also
advanced to meet him, holding his hands
/ in his pockets. Collier said to Bethel,
a. You dare not draw your pistol you are
too big coward to shoot anybody" and
keeping his gun 10 his hip fired at him.
/ The whole load of buckshOt entered the
left breast just above the heart, and
RetheI reeled and fell-not instantly
! killed howeger-and supporting himself
on his elbow, said, "Roys, you all saw
| did not draw pistol"
Collier seeing that Bethel was not
killed, stepped up close to him and fired
the SECOND load into his head, blowing
out his brains and killing him instantly.
He then cooliy turned around and loaded
his gun sgain, and rensrklng that
"that was the way l settle such bills"
mounted his horse and rode of laugh
ing, He had on his person, besides the
gun, a navy six shooter and q bowie
knife.
As the train came into Hopeield yes
terday evening about five o'clock, the
murderer was seen to ride across field
on the road leading to his house with
his gun over his shoulder, and up to vri-
ting he had not been arrested.
A Coroner's inquest was held over the
body at Hopefield Immediately after the
arrival Of the train, and the above facts
we're substantially stated by Msssrs.
GreenIaw and Dean, who witnessed the
whole affair. The body OF the deceased,
ia charge of Col. Duncan McRse, was
then brought scross to the city to his
friends and relatives.
We learn, since the above was written,
that police force left last night for the
scene, and have no doubt ere this arrested
the author Of this cowardly murder.
we insert the following commu1ica-
tion from one OF our prominent citizens:
EDITORS Memphis Appeal;
Inotice in your report Of the proceed
ings of the meeting at the Chamber OF
Commerce yesterday, called ostensibly
for the purpose of melting some interest
upon the subject OF establishing line or
lines of packet steamers upon the plan
suggested by Capt. DeHaven, that l
am made to appear in the ridiculous pc
sition Of having intTuded upon the intel
lieence of that meeting by introducing
matters altogether irrelevant to the sub
iect of consideration, and hence in the
estimation of your reporter considered
I IN worthy of his attention; with but lit
tie ambition OF being knOWn % wise
acre, should not complain that your
reporter should have remained Obl1vious
to anything / may have said upon that
occasion but ] do most respectfully de-
mur To the charge Of lacking in etiquette.
LAYING no c,'~im to the establishments
of al orator, what was 81 ny me may
have been presented in very rous" +,
garb. Never theless, facts were presen- |
ted By me, upon the subject in consider |
stioR, which seemed to me OF vital i'm
~*snee.
po. tars.the fssss? The subject was
Wins. ''shmeRt Of iiEe OF packets
the estabAr Gus aad control slo3ld be at
whose term wEieh was ,S! being urged
upon their finsnelA- = DeHaven who
After liste ming to Cap. ---af citizens
In the pronos I'd line, l took Occa> 81
draw the attent ION Of the Chamber to Ia,
painful fact that Memphis had spent her
millions in building up railroad lines
hat we had packets TO every point ana
vet. every railroad an 1 every packet line
at this poi Ut Win Dut one
single exception, were WORKED against
the interests of Memphis. took occa-
sion to cite them to the law regulating
railroad freights, etc. called upon
them to bestir themselves, 70 the enc
hat these railroad lines shol va oe maze
10 subserve the interests for which they
we're constructed; and TO inve Stlgate the
mode of conducting the lines OF packet
steamers now in operation closely,
IS also the objects of the line
If steamers then under consideration,
and that il found truly having the inter-
ssts of Memphis at heart, to give GOD
jpeed, and come forwal q with alaerlty
20 Its aid. L took oecasio to offsr incon-
.rOvertible evidence that Memphis Of
cred to the planting comm unity within
ler radius the best market N the world,
and which should induce To EN- to turn
heir commodities hitherwa I'd. In re-
gard to all OF which your repo rter takes
occasion to use the following language
"Capt. DeHaven sat down, ind Mr..
Of the small attendance present, and i
made some further remarks, sta tisticaI
and otherwise, which belonged to the
class Of which we spoke, altogether ir-
we have not reported"
Now, Messrs. Editors, il the in'Vesti-
cation of these questions, upon the eve Of
being called upon for further aid in tuild-
ng OF liGes of transportation possibly as
IN additional club to belabor our already
Frustrated city are " Irrelevant" then
[ confess to wearing the ears, otherwise
place them where they belong.
The question resolves itself simply to
Railroads and Packet Lines
at q city are advantageous
Dr. detrimental to its interests.
The experience Of the commercial CEN
ters of the world-London, Liverpool,
Glasgow, Hamburg, Bremen, MarseiIles,
Bordeau, New York, Boston, Philadel-
phia, Chicago, Cincinnati, st. Louis and
New Orleans-will perhaps answer the
question.
We hope our Memphis merchants will,
at least, profit by the experience of other
cities, and not let the fact that abuses