The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1869-02-12
THE LATE TRAGEDY IN DY-
ER COUNTY.
Full Particulars.

ruIl farUICUIHTSs
An item was published last week that
three men had been taken from the jail
at Dyersburg, West Tennessee, by q
party of masked men and shot to death.
The following are the particulars of the
tragedy as VIC find them in Meals State
Gazette Of the 9th instant, published OF
the place:
Dyersburg has just been the scene Of
the most startling and thrilling tragedy
that has sent a shudder of horror to any
Tennessee town since the close of the
war. In our last issue, we stated that
three membranes Evans, Giles Moody
and Bud Evans--were being tried In
this place, charged with horse stealing,
and that 1t was supposed they belonged
to well organized band Of outlaws
that have for some time been terror to
this section Of country. Up to Friday
night their trial had not been Conclud-
ed and they were remanded to- Jail UNI
til the next morning, being in Che custo-
dy of Sheriff Shaw and guard Of seven
men. At about one o'clock the next
morning Saturday the jail was quietly
surrounded by body Of $50 armed
men, disguised, and commanded by
three officers. One half the mysterious
visitors were dismountctF--the remain
der on horse-back---a1l uniformed in
black trimmed with white, each man
having wide white band around his
hat Their appearance at the jSSs was
sudden, and the Sheriff saw at gancc
that to resist was madness. He and his
guards surrendered, were relieved Of
their arms. and, together with the jailory
placed under guard in front of the mid
night cavalcade. The Jail keys were Sc
cured and the prisoners taken out ono
at time, each having his arms tied be-
hind with long white rope, which was
allowed to drag the ground. After the
prisoners were placed near the Sheriff
and his guards, the men who had taken
upon themselves the fearful RESPONSE
bility Of booming three human beings
to sudden and violent death, took up
their march, not an unnecessary word
being spoken by either party. AT the
wooden bridge which spans the FOrked
Deer at this place, they halted. A few
minutes was given the prisoners for
prayer. Here. Bud Evans, Giles Moody
and James Evans thought their last
thought and looked for the last time
upon this beautiful world as it reposed
in the soft brilliance of full-mooncd
and star-jewelled night. The prayer
was brief. A detail Of eight men was
allotted to each prisoner as execution
ers. Moody was taken to the little IA
vine near the new saw mill of Stevens
Bros. James Evans was stationed at
the mouth of the bridge, while Bud
Evans was placed at the foet Of tho
street i'm front of Pierce's old ware
house. The fatal signal was given,
when the details fired their dreadful
volley and Moody and James Evans
fell dead in their Trucks, pierced with
dozen balls. Bud Evans was only
wounded, and he ran hmdred yards,
uttering such ye:ls as ean only come
from the doomed and despairing. lilo
was pursued and shot, dying in front of
Mr.. Alfred Stevens's residence. Tho
Sheriff and his guard were now Tslsas-
ed, and in ten minutes the mSostrS
hOrsemen, who had executed their Rer-
rible work with stiffness, GOODNESS Dnia
u military precision that are truly smr--
prising, had entirely disappeared in diff
ferent directions, and not q single one
of them had been recognized. After
they had left, the Sheriff together with
such citizens as had been aroused by tbs
firing, went for Squire Frank Sampson,
when an inquest was held over the Boz
dies Of the slaughtered men and YER
diet rendered in accordance with tho
above facts. The dead bodies were then
taken to the court house, where a largo
crowd Of excited and wondering men
feasted their eyes upon the CHASTITY spec
taele until II O'clock, A. NJ, when, by or
der OF the county authorities, tho
corpses were conveyed to their homes
about ten miles from Dycrsburg.-.
And thus ended the most frightfnl trag-
edy that stains the history of Dyer
county-the perpetrators of which arc
supposed to DO non-residents OF this
county.