Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-07-21
DEMANDED
Is there an Organized Band Of Assas-
sins in DeSOtO County, miss.7
High handed Outrage at Bush ArbOF
Church. Abduction of a
Respectable Citizen.
A Case for Gen. Ames' Immediate
Attention.

THE facts set forth in the following
narrative were related to us by two
respectable citizens of DeSotO county,
whose veracity is vouched for by a
citizen Of this city. Comment on
their statement is unnecessary; we
will only say that if they are true,
Gen. Ames should lose no time in ar
resting every man whose name is con-
nected with the affair, and melting
out to them the most cOnC1 N punish
ment:
In the autumn of 1868, a young man
came to Olive Branch, DeSOto county,
Miss, from Arkansas. His Dame was
McGinnis, his initials being G. w. or
Jno. L., our informant cannot remem-
Der which. He was poor, but well
educated, polite, affable, and as his
subsequent behavior proved steady,
Woodworking and honeSt-a true man
in every respect.
Being anxious to secure some kind
of employment, he hired himself inn
mediateIy after his arrival in the
neighbOrhOod toa DR.. Buchanan, as a
farm hand, in which capacity he re-
manned with the Doctor for several
months, and by his labOriOus habits,
honesty and %pOliteneSs won the es-
TEEN and respect of his employer and
| every one with whom he camel in con-
tact.
The weather becoming warm, some
time late in the spring, he gave up
| his situation at DIR! Buchanan's, and
I accepted an offer from DR.. F. T. Payne,
also a resident of the neighbOrhoOd of
Olive Branch, to attend to and run a
saw and grist mill for him. He then
became an inmate of Payne's house,
and intimate with his family, espe-
cially with his son, Lafayette Payne.
His conduct in this place was strictly
in accordance with the good character
that he had previously earned for
| himself at DIR. Buchanan's, and DIR.
Payne said of him repeatedly that he
was as good a hand as eve he had
about him.
During his residence at Payne's
house, the young man, Lafayette
Payne, with whom, as we have just
mentioned, he became very intimate,
told him as a secret several scandalOus
stories about certain young ladies in
the neighbOrhOOd, one of whom Mr..
! McGinnis was visiting. This shocked
him, and he was much troubled in
! mind with the "secret so much so
indeed that his situation with Payne,
| which caused him to be brought in
contact with young Payne, became
hateful to him and he gave 1t up, go
ing back to work on the farm of DR..
Buchanan. But even after making
this change, the affair weighed 50
heavily upon him that he determined
to divulge it to the brother of the
! young lady, whose name we suppress
for obvious reasons. He gave the
brother the name of his informant,
and told him to use his (McGinnis')
name as authority for the 7tatement.
This was in the first week in June,
| on Friday or Saturday, On-the ensu-
ing Sunday morning McGjEnis at
| tended Sunday school at Bush ArbOF
church, and while there was called out
by DR.. Payne. On coming out he
found himself surrounded by Payne,
his sons and five or six other men be-
longing to a clique or band known to
be ut his command. They immedi-
atelY seized McGinnis, and dis9rmed
him, DR.. Payne Temarking as he was
! seized, You are my prisoner" Nc
Ginnis demanded by whose authority
and for what crime he was arrested,
and was answered by the Doctor that
the arrest was made under the direc-
ton and according torthe orders Of the
Sheriff. As to the = large, the Doctor
refused to ansWa, but said he (the
prisoner) would find out when he got
him to fernando McGinnis, confident
of his own integrity and innocence of
any criminal Otfense, was astonished
at the procedure, but submitted qui-
city to the arrest, asking only to be
allowed to 90 to DR.. Buchanan's, get
his dinner and make the necessary ar
| engagements for his sudden absence.
This was refused him by Payne, who
said he could get his dinner at his
house,
McGipRis, TINS arrested and dis
armed, accompanied bis captOrs to
Psyne's house, where the party all
stopped From Olive Branch Her
nandO is twelve or fifteen miles, and
a portion Of the ROAD IS through a
swamp, yet these parties, instead Of
setting off Immediately as they should
have done, had they been engaged in
a lawful transaction, on one preteXt
and another, delayed their departure
with 1he;T prisoner until late in the
evening.
After being absent a couple Of bjgrrs
they returned without him, and On
being questioned as to what had be-
come Of hini, answered that he had
got away from thena il the swamp
and made his escape. This s9uilded
like a very unlikely story to the neigh
bOrs at the time, but McGinnis' char
acter was so high, and the deed sus-
pected so terrible, that they could not
believe that it was not true.
Six weeks have since elapsed, but
as vet not one word has been heard Of
the missing man, and every circum-
stance points in the most positive
manner to the commission of a hOrrid
crime, and lays it at the door of DIR.
Paynea and his confedeEates. On being
closely questioned as to his authority
for making the arrest in the first
place, (which he claimed to have re-
eeiyed trom the Sheriff. it was found
that he had no authority, nor can he
allege any cause or reason for the act
except that McGinnis was an enemy
of his. His sons have been heard to
remark that they could quit carrying
their pistols now and go to work, as
McGinnis would never come back to
trouble them.
There was a Justice of the Peace
present at the time of McGinnis' ar
rest, one Squire Hewitt, but he raised
no voice, as was his duty, to inquire
what crime had been committed or
law violated. Payne has the reputa-
ton of being a desperate man, and the
head of a clan or band of regulators;
and several instances have occurred
in his neighborhood where parties,
generally VIGOROUSLY bad characters,
however, have been found dead and
their death traced direct to this agen-
ey. The people of Olive Branch, and
its vicinity, are terribly shocked at
this affair, but are so completely cOwed
by Payne and his associates that they
have not dared TO act in the mattel,
They now, through the columns Ofthe
APPEAL, demand a full investigation
of the affair. If the sheriff of
the county dares not perform
his duty they cali upon Gen.
Ames to appoint q Commission to in
vestigate it. If he will give them
protection, they promise to unearth
the existence of a regularly organized
hand of rQOT3istcrs who have pOm-