Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-08-24
A SINGULAR STORY.
Attempted Assassination. and the Cause.

On the I'd of May last, terrible
ARRAY occurred in house of ill-fame
in Louisville, KY, kept by Annie
Rabourne, in which a young man
named Daniel Powers was shot and
killed by John II. Morton, son of a
prominent banker. Both men were
enamored of a frail inmate OF the es-
tablishment, hence the quarrel. AT
ter the shooting, young Morton was
arrested, and held in $4,000 bail for
trial. He claimed that the shooting
was done in selfdefense, and the tes-
timony of Annie RabOurne sustained
that plea, and she is one of the most
important witnesses for the defense.
On Friday morning last, Alfred
Powers called at the house Of Miss
Rabourne, was admitted, and imme-
diately proceeded to the landlady's
room. She was standing near the
bureau, and a negro girl was tying
ribbon around her neck. Powers
said, ''Miss Annie, ] went to see
yOu." She said, "Well, here am"
He said, "I would rather see you
alone" She turned toward him,
When he drew his pistol and fired.
Miss Rabourne exclaimed, "My God!
what have / done?" and fell into the
arms of the negro girl and then to the
floor. Powers walked out of the room
and on the stairway met one Of the
girls. He pointed pistol at her and
said. siIf you say word / will kill
vouIu He then walked out of the
house and went TO the corner Of
Green and Preston, where he surren-
dered himself to officer John OorcO-
ran saving that he had shot Annie
Rabourne because she held his brother
while he was killed, and gave the
officer the pistol, saying, THAT is
what did it with" He was COM
mitted for trial. EN
On Sunday the murderer was inter-
viewed by a reporter of the Louisville
O6trieT-Jotaudl, when the following
conversatiOn occurred:
RepOrter-Al, how is it you put this
of so lOng2- ...--..
PrisOner-Well, IlI tell you. Short
ly after Dams death / was quietly ly-
ing in bed one night, trying to go to
sleep, and all at once he came TO my
bedside and said: "Al, want you TO
90 and xiii that woman for me; it is
impossible for me to do it." ! told
him that would do it, and, after talk
ing while, he left me and went to
sleep. Next day / thought the mat
ter over and concluded that IL was all
a dream, and that / would not act
upon tilG bugH6BAOH Ol d uItduu.
Three or four nights after that, and
every time / went TO bed, thought
about what he told me. / never saw
Slim again until about six nights after
the first visit, when he came again
and asked me why had not done as
he asked me. l replied that could
not reali8e that he had been to see me,
and thought it was all dream. He
then told noe that if / loved him as
q brother, he wanted me to 60 and
Xii that woman, and he in-
sfSted that / should do it. i then
toll, him again that would do it. He
then went away again. The next
day went and tried to get pistol
from a ,sriend, but did not succeed. l
was glad that ! did not get one, as !
,did s.ot waut to kill her. i went
IhSue that night and tried 70 sleep,
Fbnt ~ Tsss impossible, and in an hour
~ so sfter i retired he came TO my
bedside and said, "Al, II You DON'T .,,
90 and Kill the woman VIII XIII
Youpp i told him that ! could get no
pistol. and that had tried but hlledi
he told me to go and soak my coat
and take the money TO buy pistol,
and 90 Immediately and kill the
woman. | told him that would 90
so, and this Is why 1 did so. TOOK
my cOet and got three dollars and
seventy. ye cents for IL, and bought
The pistol, as my dead brother told
me, and tried TO Kill her. Since my
arrest Dan has not been TO see me.