, 1870-08-03
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.

men, hoATAJ e1Wp8s
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
xuo,k,er Bloody Chupsez in the Re-
xuarksab1o Holton-Dickeos fcud-
colonel Tom Dickuus shot Dc1d
ON she Public HiKhway-No Clue
10 the r1urderer.
From Re Aezupkis Aralanehe. Jxly 81.
Colonel Thomas Dickens, wsll-known to the
citizens of Shelby County, aud whose name u
fsmiliAr TO the readers OF the -1rdlouche, wAa
way1aid, on yesterday morning. BY some bend,
md his life destroyed in daylight on publio
road. Tho vhole city was shocked md as
founded by the news. The mAnnec IN which
the terrible c1irns Nzs do1sn added to ths hos-
rpr that seized tbs public mind, and especially
because tie victtm vas Colonel Thomas Dfof-
ans, whose feud with Wsdo Fl. Bolton. And
whose Acquitcal for the killing OF Wade H.
Bolton II still freAh in the memory Of on1
reAdets-
With lis neighhor, John & Bolsoa, Who lives
On Big Greek, about six milea northaast Of
Raleigh, in this county. Yesterday morning
he mounted his horse and sta1ted fcE hnme,
distance Of fout miles, and xhfe riding leta-
urely along, ali aloney about ] l. M, and not
auspecting sny evil or hazra, be waa suddenly
fred on By m assassin concealed In the under
growth near tho public road The fend dis.
charged the contents Of \ 3oxhle- -har1el!ed
shotgun into the body Of the old man, in
stant1y kiiling him and 1aanelins ri nla beSy
doue: both barrels were ared-one After
another, with an interval of \ few
seconds. At The first. fire the old man was
shot OF his horne. and &fter he fal! 10
gun was loaded with buckshot, and, es' the as
sAsHin was within ten PAGES OF Colonc Dick
| ems, the eHecE Of the balls VIE tcr1iblev mAn-
| gliug and tearing the body to pieces. The
holse turned back md waa canght at Bohon's
shooting had been beard plainlJ in the 6i1ec-
/ ton from which the horse came, and the
biotches OF blood Oh the eaddls and rump Of
the horse At once spoke Of murder: Datths
terrible catalogue Of crimes linked with the
ed 10 the minds OF tho psuplc 1t Boltons
store, and It vas with difficulty that any one OF
more could be found brave enough 10 go to
the scene Of murder
| Who did the deed ? Is the question asked by
everyone, and snswered by no one. The
Thomas Dickens 10 involuntAzisy alluded 10
as furnishing Al a1planxtion.- But how ia 1t
possible that this can be 90, when Wade Boil
ton II dead? Who represents Wade Bolton?
,uclian, named MCMILLAN. This occurred It
the slAve mart OF Bolton, Dickens l. Co. in
Clinton street, near Howard Row, Memphis.
The onerke Of Mcmillan waa tha sailing to
Bolton negro boy brought from Kentucky,
~ slave for iife.. The boy w7s sold by Doa-
ton to Thomas 3. Crensha~, Of thus county,
who learned that the hoy WAS, by the terms OF
his Kentucky master, to be made free il car
riel out Of the Stats. The boy sued for bis
freedom and gained it. Mcmillan waa violent
gnar7el ended in Bottoms takipg the Life Of
Mcmillan.
The tria1 Of L l. Bolton wa one Of the
celebrated criminal cases Of Tennessee. His
imprisonment listed one yes1, and his trial
took place in Cosiugton. Upton County. uo
was acquitted By jury, everyone Of whom
was btiLed.
The e1penses incurred by this triAl we're
enormous. Lawyers fees, witncsa fees. aud
jnror bribes absorbed at least F1oo, 600. al OF
i'm NO ot POI 1otos sGs5s Dsfsns ss
The firm was composed Of Isaac L. Bolton,
Thomas Uickeus, Wade II. Bolton, and Wash
inRton Bolton.
The firm expired day or two .ftcs the
any part Of the loss or expense Of defending
1saac, and demanded that the money Of the
firm used for that purpose should berofuuded
Wade sided With his brother. refused to settle,
and thus tegan the deadly war.
The bitterness OF the feuu Was silent during
| tho war, AZ Dickens WAS in Missouri and Wash
in:;tou Bolton IN Kentucky. In 1869 Washing
ton Bolton died at bis residence, near Shelby
Dep&, in this county, and in 1864 Isaac l..
Bfson died 1t h1a home On Big Creek. IL
l6C5 Dickens returned from Missouri to Ten
] neesec, aud Immediately took atepB to lave
the business of Bolton, Dickens 4 Co. set
tied Wade H. Bolton tad charge OF the
books, .nd. As Dickens contended, Of the prop.
erty OF the tr1u. But tho expenses Of tie
Mcmillan trial was the great t1ouble, and no
settlement could la made, and the war began
. between Thomts Dickens and Wade II. Bolton.
:, In January, 1869. atteupta wero made to
assasslnste Dickens, 1t lis residence, OF biz
farm, three mics northeast Of lialeigh. The
aesassins failed But in the spring Of this
same wear, two murderers, Inman and Morgan
, entered the kitchen Of Dickens, while he
and his friends were It supper, and began
the work Of s1sughter. They wounded Dick
the arm; wounded rourg 1lan named Hum
,phIeys in tho ATM, and killed 3 naxn nanleI
!. Wilson, and negro named Nancy. who hsI
been a trustea family servant Of Dickens' fol
fifteen years. Dickens naturally turned to hi.
1 arch enemy, WAde u. Bolton, III the author o.
! this bloody work.
: Whether true or false he acted in it's belief
Inman and Morgan were outlaws Of Nortl
Alabama, whittier they returned after the As
: sassinat.on. They were puEsaed, and gols
night Of the attempt on his life, was fouEt
4 on the person OF Inm1n. 1ntnAn and Morgan
E were hunted down Immediately by the citizens
5 I Of North Alabsma, aud destroyed like wilt
l
: | Of the most iuaccersible caves Of Sorthez,
Alabama, and in this cave they were sLn
+ | down
&c. Patterson and Bob Thompson wer
s supposed to be connected in crimlnslity witl
thexc outlaws and rautdeEess. They were 10
iieied IN this county, tried, aud acquitted
Wade II. Bolton Was. by Dickens. believe
| to be the man at the bottom Of ali tho a!
teurts on his life. but he could not fAsten an
!, guilt on hiu1 by facts. In the meantime.
involving . settlement OF tho firm OF Bolton
Dickens 1 Co., involving more than quartz
l. of million Of 1olla1a.
J. The feeling Of hatred grew 20 strong that
YVES certain that either Wade H. Bolton Woul
y, kill Dickens or pickens destroy Bolton. IT.
. ems encountered Bolton in Court Square, IN
: ses5 %sas M Z. Bel'o8 a5s@ d!sa IL teaas e
p weeks thereafter. and lett behind
0' BY hia own hands, and pnbliahed in 4
ia Arolanche at the tine Of its being probated
O. tho County Court The will ia remembered
the public. The estate he left to be adtuil
ps ittcred is valued At s250.000. He hAd /
st children to whom 10 leave his property, and
was divided among hnstneu and charities.
The trial 81 Thomas Dickens for killing Be
ton excited Intense interest. It continue
twents-s,x days and resulted in his acqntt,
Il Tue feud, II WAS supposed, was now at I
eEu. 4ut ulA{ surviving QeIuUtE pA AAe LII
was Dickens AND thcre Was no one strol
10 enough to, continue the work Of booL
il the origna1 aetors passed away, nj
Dickens, over GO years old, alore !
a. NAMED. But the peace Was not to Ia
a. and though Wade II. Bolton sleeps in d
i grave, this bloody work Of killing still 60
~ On. Dickens now has fallen on the hiEhws
w. n4ngled and butcAered. Will the thirst
/, blood demand otl er victimh? Colonel Die
~. ems leaves surviving him only one child, T
~ Sam Dickens; Isaac L. Bolton. several daus
~ ters md one son, N. Seth bolton; Wade d
ns ton, no onepnng. and Washington Bolto
~ l several daughters and Que ecn-
- Iaaac Bolton and Wade H. Bolton we
a. btothera Washington Bolton was \
related BY blood to either, b9t By N,
~ / 1iage with Issac, who married Waauin
- toms sister. Thomas Dickens hsd t
nj sen,, and both married dAughters Of Is.
~ Bolton. They were Ill Of pure EngG
H. parentage. There men we're engaged as pa
~ ness in lnvinS 1nd sailing negroes aud colt
= l from 1s4T to 1857. Their business Waa in
II last five EeaEs extensive. The principal
ri mother house WAS in Memphis, but there vi
ch branch houses in yickshutg, Mississippi
~ Richmond, Kentucky, and 1dchmond4 Virgin
,sn The extent Of their operations reached Il
ii Lions at dollars, md By written contract
nj division Of prodts or final settlement Of
r. firm WIS TO Be made until final diseolntii
AZ. wEich occurred day OF two after McAl1
"a - 1vJ vaf1