Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-03-14
THRILLING.
Particulars Of the Terrible ARRAY
at CatahOula, La, as Related
bY Cuthbert Jones.
How he Escaped---A Story Of Al
most Unparalleled Endurance.
From the New Orleans Picayunel

ated more intense. or we may say
more horrible interest than that whicl
resulted in the death of Gen. st. Johl
Liddell, Col. {. +. Jones and his eld
est son. The story of the deadly feuC
between the Jones and Liddel fami
e lies has frequently been told, and il il
I not our purpose to repeat it here
S Our object is TO publish a full and con
/ else statement Of the last scene in thC
? terrible drama, as heard from the lip;
/ of young Cuthbert Jones, whose mi
= / raculOus escape from what seemed in
: evitable death, has been partially, and
= | in some respects inaccuTately related
Being cogniZant Of the whereabouts
= of Mr.. Jones, and learning that he
would have no objection TO giving 3
f statement Of the affair, we called upon
: him yesterday. We found a young
gentleman of apparently nineteen
wears of age, of medium stature and
| delicate, almost efieminate appear
! ance. He gave evidence of refine
, ment and culture, and was, we
learned, educated at Heidelberg, Ger
. many.
Ia looking upon his slight figure
we could scarcely realize that he was
the youth who had passed through
such dangers and hardships as might
well have unnerVed a powerful man.
| Mr.. Jones is at present at the house
of a friend, who has taken steps to see
that he is protected from the assaults
of his enemies, and who will only re-
sign him to the officers Of the law,
| when he is sure that the officers of the
law can protect him beyond a perad-
! venture
The following is the verbatim re-
( mort Of the conversation between Mr..
Jones and the reporter:
Reporter-WIl you give me, Mr..
Jones, a saccinct account q the affair
at HarrisOnburg?
Mr.. Jones-Certainly, and ! am
glad 10 do so, as / wish the whole
facts known. The party came to the
house about ) O'Clock on Sunday
night. There was a large crowd, /
suppose from twenty-five to thirty of
them. The first / knew Of it, there
was a banghing at the front door, and
l think some guns went of. We were
all in bed at the time. L jumped up
and dressed myself, and We all went
into the next room, my father, my
brother and myself.
The Sheriff, Mr.. Ballard, sOn-iu-laW
Of Mrs. Sergeant, in whose house we
We're, came in, and was much alarm
ed, almost crying. He advised my
father to give himself up, as it would
be no use to resist. We were ruined
men, he said.
The attacking party called, and said
that the ladies must come out, and if
they did not the house would be set
on fire.
After every one else had left the
house except Elijah b. Cotton, who
was concealed beneath the stairway,
said to my father thought we could
do better up stairs by shooting from
the upper windows, but he replied,
Go, they will set the house on fire, and
we viii be safer down here.
The party outside, soon after, COM
menced TO split Up wood as If prepar-
ing to set the house on fire, and when
my father heard them doing this be
rushed out of the front door, and / |
think he had reached the front gate /
when ne was shot down.
BY brother jumped out Of the back |
window into the back yard, and was /
there shot down. = little while after F.
" L
ing for Hater several times.
About this time, Elijah 3. Cotton,
who had been under the steps all this
time, thinking it was the safest place,
was discovered, OF disclosed himself;
he went out and told them that he
was a Cotton, and not a Jones. One /
Of the party knew him, and said,
' Cotton, come cut; ! will protect
yOu.n He went OUt to them, and as
they crowded around him / saw them.
l was looking at them through the
window up stairs, where j had preYi-
ously gone. They said, "COne
around here and tell US who this Is
that is shot" My brother was lying
there. He told them who it vas. and
then they shot my brother again.
Then they sent Mr.. Cotton into the
house. They didn't want TO burn the
house II they could help it; they
thought they could get me without
burning the house. Mr.. Cotton re-
ported TO them that he could find no
one in the house. They told him TO
be sure about il, because, If any of
Us are hurt, you will have to pay for
it." Cotton replied, There is no one
there" Then the crowd rushed in,
except those who were left outside as
a guard.
After searching thoroughly down.
stairs with torches, and not finding
me, they started up the steps, but told
Air. Cotton to 60 up ahead, so that if
shot he would receive the load.
had all this time stood there waiting,
having already resolved what to do if
they came upstairs. / did not stir
until Mr.. COtton's head appeared
above the floor. was under the i'm
preston, for the moment, that he had
me, for he threw his head
around and looked into my face, but l
;uppose he must have been blinded
~ The glare of the torches. 1t this
Gncture moved to the open window
and swung myself out, catching hold
IF a board on the window ledge, 4
which projected at the side, 80 that I
.ould hold by IL. was suspended by I
nv lift band alone, clasping my right ,
and around tue wrist OF nay lett. by .
oes lust touched the projecting bricks
# the chimney. ] thought every mo {
nent / would fall. Those outside !
we're standing around, and / don't {
Understand how / escaped, but 1 knew !
hat was the only way could, and {
Ield on with all my strength.
Several times l thought / should
ave to let go and fall, which no doubt I
you'd have killed me.
Reporter--How long did you hold {
here?
Mr.. Jones-I don't know, probably
light or ten minutes, but it seemed {
much longer time TO ne-almost q
ifetime. 5
They came TO the window with a '
orch and looked out. l clung as close
o the wall as / could. They looked I
Dut and said: Well, he could not have s
umped cut of this window, because {
le would have killed himself-it is too {
ligh. The lower side Of the house I
where was swinging was very high, y
much higher than the front, and over
Ooking a slOping bank. As soon as
hey went down stairs-they all went 8
climbed back into the win
low and stood and listened TO hear if {
lnvone remained in the house. IstOOd {
here about thTee-quarters of an hour. {
The party all finally left in the ferry {
lat and went across the river. l {
leard them hailing the pickets they
lad stationed along the river,
to keep US from escaping,
cling them to look out for me, as l
lad gotten away.
In answer TO some inquiries from {
he pickets, those in the fiat replied:
1T is all right" The citizens then
II poured into the house. The Shef-
ii came to me and was much fright /
ned, and begged me not TO let any {
me see me.
Reporter-Did the Sheriff know i
hat you were up stairs?
Mr.. Jones-No; l sent for him. s
The mail rider from Franklin Par z