Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-02-21
TIVE Mere Men WOunded-One
MOrtsIIy.
Terrible Mystery-COrOneF's In
quest, Etc, Etc.

One Of the most horrible and awful
tragedies that il has ever been our lot TO
record, was enacted q few miles from
his CITY on Friday night, about DARK,
At the Old Dickens place, some three
miles northeast of Raleigh Springs, ana
about twelve miles from the city, two
persoDs-a man and q man-belpg
murdered outright, and two more being
seriously wounded, by a gang OF un-
known assassiGs, under the most mystic
rious circumstances.
Col Tom Dickens, and two men who
have been living with him, named
Green Wilson and Robert HUMPHREYS,
sat down to supper about O'Clock,
being waited upon by q cOlOred woman
canned Nancy, formerly q slave Of Col.
Dickens. While at supper, a tap was
heard at the door, and Humphries asked
who was there. "Lewi5,n was the re-
ply. Humphriee, thinking that 1t Was 8
iarm-band by that name, got up to
open the door. As he did so, he was
confronted by q stranger, 3 white man,
who without saying n word shot him
through the body with a revolver.
Humphries, after receiving the shot,
staggered into a corner and fell. Stimuli
tane0usly with the shot, Col. Dickens and
Wilson rose from the table, and the as
ssssiu with two other men, sl white
with knives and pistols in their bands,
rushed into the TCom, putting Q the
light. and firing at Dickens and Wilson.
They fired fifteen or sixteen shots 70 al,
and Dickens receiving L OF them,
crawled out Of the room while they were
still firing. Hunphriss also managed to
get cut, and one OF them made his way
to a neighbours, where the alarm YVES
given.
In the course of an hour the neiGhbOrs
returned and "a horrible sight wa pre-
sented TO their gaze. In the yard, some
twenty or thirty PAGES from the door
vas found the dead body OF Nancy, the
cOlored woman. In the house Wilson
was found dead, rfdClsd with eight shots,
aud cut nearly TO pieces, bls5uing from
40 less than five ghastly wounds rom q
bowie knife-thirtsea wounds Ia all.
Humphries was found desperately
wounded ~ q single ball through The
breast Col. Dickens wounds are slight,
though he made a narrow escape.
The assassins after communicating their
m~urderous work, went TO searching Tor
plumber, and rihed the sockets Of both
Wilson and Nancy. The pocket book Of
the latter was found near her, on the
ground. Her trunk was broken open
and rifisd, and Col. Dickens reports that
a valuable gold watch and one hundred
dollars in money, which she nsd IN
charge for him, Were AIKEN by them.
Wilson il also known to have had on his
uersou when shot $500 in currency, which
thew got. Two horses were taken from
the stable, and, it is suppGsed, ridden OIL
but about five miles from the nous they
were turned loose, and were brought
bsck by q boy yesterday morning
The neighbOIs secured the country i'm
m~ediately, tut were unable 10 OVeTtake
the murderers, or 70 gain any inIJrms-
ton IN regard 10 them. AS soon as II
gss light word was sent to the city, and
Drs. Lynch and Taylor started out To
the aid Of the wounded, and Coroner
Ssmslson and Sheriff Curry. to inv6sti-
gate the affair. These officers %returnea
last evening late, and reported the affair
In accordance with the above facts.
At the inquest nothing that would 10
any q serve az q clue 70 the uetec-
ion of the murderers was sdduced. Co.
Dickens and Humphries, both, say that
they would not eve know the men
again were they to see them.
Colonel Dickens being an old and
well known citizen, the report went
through the city yesterday morning Ike
wiid-fre, and sOon the most exaggerated
| rumors were in circulation, not only as
! to the sffair itself but as to the causes
| which led thereto. These TumOrsi being
mere spsculstiODs, we will not repeat
| An unfortunate difficulty, which occur
/ red in tie CbRncery CuDrt room come
weeks ago., and an intricate lawsuit
which has been pending g long Tins
| and has created Z great deal OF bitter
ness and bad blood between Col. Dick
ems, his son, Dr.. Sam. Dickens ant
q Captain Patterson, snd others, ssou
the affairs Of Wade, Bolton s. Patterson
has been connected with the affair an
freely mentioned ss the cause. This, "
understand, Colonel Dickens says, mos
emphEticsliy, is not the case.