Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-22
THE THRICE TOLD TALES
OF THE KU-KLUX.
Secretary Ezetcher's Narrative Re-
vised and Corrected-Some Rich
Developments.


Secretary FIeacher's Narrative re.
vised and Corrected-Some RicI
Developments.
From the McMinnyiIle New Era, April q. .
| As matter of justice, and at the SAINT
time of curiosity, we reproduce so much
of the testimony of Secretary Fletcher
before the Reconstruction Committee, as
relates to our immediate vicinity. We dc
so more that our people may see the des-
perate straits to which Radicalism il
driven to bolster up their cause before the
Federal Congress than to refute his state
ments. Mr.. Fletcher testifies:
'In the fall of this year son of Gen,
John B. Rodgers, who had been Federal
| soldier, was shot and badly wounded in
his own house in Van Buren, county,"
Though it may be painful TO us, we feel
| it duty to give the truth Ia regard to the
above case, as it is understood by those
familiar with the shooting of young Rod
gers. 1t is understood that young Rod
gers was not shot in his own house, but in
that occupied by two women of disrepu-
table character; and that the shooting was
not done because Rodgers had been in the
Federal army, but because he was infring-
ing upon the imagined rights of some
other individual The shooting is sup
posed to have been done by Mr.. Hill,
also Union man, and the whole affray is
looked upon as a llawdy-hoEse affair To
put it in the most modest light, The shoot
ing of Rodgers isattIibuted to whisky and
women.
Mr.. Fletcher still further tcstifies that
'9The Hon. James Sparkman, a Radical
member of the Legislature, was shot and
killed within year. Understood to be
on political grounds"
The truth of the killing of Sparkman
is very different from that given by Sec
rotary Fletcher. Sparkman was killed at
still-house in Van Buren, county, in a
gambling bron- Sparkman and some
body else are understood to have been
gambling, when a difficulty in reference
to the game arose, when they became en-
gagged in personal collision, during which
a pistol fell from the pocket of one of
the combatants. Upon seeing the weaI-
on, Mr.. Sparkman's enemy called to a
boy standing by, and said: "Take the
piotOl ohu ouOOI Opdl huld1l AC UOy, u
mere STRIPPING, did as he was ordered,
the shot producing death in a few min
utes. The boy and the man engaged in
the fight with Sparkman were arrested,
indicted, and are now held for trial. Pol
itics had nothing whatever to do with the
shooting, and it can only be attributed to
whisky and cards. Again Mr.. Secretary
Fletcher says:
'Last November Mr.. Carter was shot
in his own house at night, some twenty
times, in White county. The firing was
heard by Gen. Rodgers"
This is perhaps the richest part of Mr..
Fletcher's testimony, as he evidently at
tempis to make the impression that this
was an outrage upon a Union man. The
killing of Bud Carter, to very great de-
gree, grew out of the shooting of young
Rodgers. Mr.. Carter was killed near
stillhouse in White county, during the
night, by young man named Steakley,
we believe. They had threatened each
others lives, and being determined men,
were constantly on the lookout, and
Stcakley hearing Carter was in the neighbor-
hood, secreted himself near the grocery, sup
posing Carter would visit it some time
during the night, which he did, and was
shot, net twenty times, but two or three
fatal shots. Carter was rebel through
out the war, and was characterized as a
rebel bushwhacker by Union men. Poll
tics had nothing whatever to DO with the
killing of Carter, but as before stated the
feeling which led to his death, particular
ly, grew out of circumstances arising
from the shooting of young Rodgers.
Such was the feeling against Carter that
jury failed TO find true bill against his
killers, Carter being declared an outlaw by
a Radical Judge.
The three cases mentioned by the veri-
table Secretary as having occurred in this
locality cover a space of over two years,
and are the only ones which have trans
pircd in this section from any cause, dur
ing that time. Mr.. Fletcher makes the
statements quoted above on his oath, and
so fragrant are they that he can be con-
victed of perjury before Warren county
Radical iury,