National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-09-02
A SolIthprn Tragedy.

Isaac l.. Bolton, of the firm of Bolton,
Dickens d Co., of that city, negro boy !
whom he had bought i'll Kentucky. For /
some speculative or other reason, Bolton l
presently resold his purchase to one
Thomas b. Crenshaw, OF Shelby County,
who. III his turn, was about to sell again, !
when, TO the amaZement of all parties, /
the hitherto silent slave avowed THAI he
was entitled to his liberty The boys
master III Kentucky, it seemed, had made
1t a condition of his sale to Mcmillan,
that he should be made free if carried
out Of that State and the boz at the
instigation of some friend, brought suit
for his freedom upon the strength of that
proved fact and was proclaimed IA free
man by law. OF course, then, Bolton
was obliged to refund the sum which had
been paid to him 10y Crenshaw, and look
ed for his own repayment to Mcmillan.
The latter, however, was not inclined to
make such repayment, and, while quar-
relling thereupon with his enraged .
patron i'll May OF the same year, was shot .
and killed in his own slave mart by Boil /
ton The slayer, being arrested, was i'm .
plIsoned Tor year, and then tried Tor
ms life at Covingtom, in Upton County
The verdict was acqmttal, because, ac-
/ cording to the Memphis Aroionche, every
member OF the jury had been bribed.
Lawyers and witnesses fees and brides
amounted to more than one thousand
dollars, which money Isaac l.. Bolton APP
prOpriated the property of his firm to
pay. Said firm, which, by Its articles of
partnership expired two days after the
acquital OF Isaac, was composed of the
latter, two other Bottoms, named respec-
lively Wade II. and Washington. and
, Colonel Thomas Dickens
The Colonel and Washington Bolton
bitterly opposed the use OF the firms
money for the benefit Of Il single mem
, Der thereof, and demanded "A return OF
their shares while Wade Bolton sus-
tanned his brother in "A refusal to make
the required restitution. Thus began
what has been known for the last twelve
years III the south as " The Bolton-DIck-
: ems Feud From thenceforth 1t was
understood that reHdeto had been de
, cIared that Isaac l.. and Wade ii. Boil
I ton, ON one side, and Thomas Dickens
and Washington Bolton, on the other,
+ were sworn enemies. to the death, and
: We're ready at any moment with knife,
revenge they and their relatives, friends,
: well-wishers. and led-captains. on either
- side
To- Before the first murder could be COM
4 mittcd, however, the rebellion began, and
g its greater importance temporarily sus-
l. pended the feud. Dickens asSuagcd his
r 'anguinary impulses III IA regiment al
g Mississipplans and, while he was fight
= died upon his bed III Tennessee, III 1862,
and IN 1864 Isaac l.. Bolton, the origiua-
10 tor OF all the trouble, expired comlorta-
n bly, in his own home There being two
ol the party still left. however the bar.
q, barlous teud must Stlll drink blood. In
u. 1865 Colonel Dickens, returning from
m the wur reappcarcd IN Memphis, auo
'pcremptorilY demanded of Wade Bolton
ri a tinal settlement OF the old partnership
, dispute Defiance to the death was tn,
~ answer and now these two men, witt
their kindrcds and followers, resume,
~ the death-humt. Starting with "A chance
If ry suit, for nearly quarter of a mliiioI
-. of dollars, they embittercd themselvc,
n and each other to a pitch of enmlty L
# be satisfied with nothing less than mar
der.
In January 1869, unknown person
fired at Dickens IN his VII house, uca
Rclcigh. but missed their mark In tn
a. spring of the same year two othc
az bravoos, named Iuman and Morgan
invaded the same house while the fauil
o. We're at supper, and, 10y sharp firing
mr.. succeeded III seriously woundiug tin
nj Colonel and friend OF his named Hum
an phreys, and killed two servants. Tn
Two assassins fled across the State lin
il Tor a refuge TO a cave in Northern Ala
II hama but there they were dIScOycre
- by party of Alabamlans friendly to tn
tn Dickens interest. and slaughtered on tn
-, spot like wild beasts. Convinced. q
course, that Wade Bolton was rcspon-
nm ihle for these little cXcitcmcnts in hi
II, household, Colonel Dickens no sooue
recovered from his wound then he pre-
mo pared particular pistol for his oil
y, COurt square, Memphis, on the 9TH {
June 1869, he drew the pistol and salut
ia ed him with shot. from which he die
ot in "A few weeks. The act cost the slaye
.bt a public trial, in which, he was. acqui
~. ted. After this, rs will be perceived,
lac was the Coloncl's turn to Ice killed an,
~. on "A day, not quite two weeks ago. Il
,r fulfilled his obligation like a MAJ
MI Having passed night at the house of
de friend IN shelby County, he was ridin
~. homcward in the morning on horsebacl
ed when some early sportsman took sh,
IN. At him from the bushes 10y the road sid,
les lie toll from his saddle, and then r.
he ccivcd a second charge of buckshot.
which has Old partnership quarrel ",
llv thoroughly settled at last. Thus all ii
is. principals in the fcud are dead