The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-03-17

most frnnesss that n was necessary Tor
him and every other member, except the
fhree Joneses, 10 at once leave the prem
ises. Upon his making some demur, the
order vas repeated more peremptorily
and in his closing remarks the leader
stated the house would be burned in the
course of few minutes. There seemed
no other alternative, and all the inmates,
excepting the three victims, quietly left
The house Is two-story building, with
stairs leading from the rear to the second
floor. Col. Jones and his sons were on
the ground floor, and after the departure
of the other inmates, the doors were Sc
curely fastened.
When the contest commenced, the
three were in a front room. The father,
standing near a bedstead, rested his
wounded left arm on it, and in his right
hand held revolver pointed at the por-
tai. The second son stood Immediately
in rear, with two revolvers pointed In the
same direction. The third son, (the one
who is now in the city), was still further
back armed with one revolver. In the
brief parley the younger brother had
urged the unhappy little garrison to take
station up stairs, but the other two IN
sisted that if fire was used the course
would only lead TO certain destruction,
and that as death was apparently newt
able all had best meet it boldly. The
youth however did not seem disposed to
give UP all hope, and before the assault
had fairly commenced, he retreated thro'
a rear room, in the direction of the stair
case. About the time he had placed his
foot upon the first step, there came ter
rife banging at the door with an axe.
Hurrying up, he was startled with a
crash the door had fallen, and the hor-
ror which followed rivaled terrors of hell
itself. A dozen shots in quick succession,
fiendish yell, the groan of dying man,
and the tramp of heavy footsteps. Men,
like wild beasts, maddened at the sight
of blood, rushed in all directions. The
older son, desperately wounded, tottered
out to the garden IN the rear, only to
have the remnant of life shot out of him
by wretch, revolver in hand, who stood
over him as he lay gasping on the
ground.
The work of carnage was of short dura-
ton, ten minutes completed the butchery
below, and then a rush was made for the
upper story for the one more victim, a
beardless boy, who remained for the hun
gry bullets. To leap to the ground and
certain death, or present his breast to the
now ascending assassins, was the thought
of an instant. While the assassins were
vet on the stairs, he concluded to do mel
! Their, and sprang through front window,
where, grasping ledge formed under
the sill, he swung himself out and hung
suspended blood below, blood-thirsty en-
emies above. How long he remained
there is better told by his hands covered
with blisters, and so bruised and strained
( that even now they are nearly useless.
The room was speedily filed with men.
Torches were thrust out almost over
his head, but thanks to their binding
glare, the victim hung unseen. They
evidently believed he had escaped. Par
| ties were even sent to the river, but after
stay of perhaps fifteen minutes, the
scene of horror was deserted.
The danger for the moment over, the
youth swung himself back into the room,
and for time lay completely overcome
| by exhaustion. Then come the sad Office
of viewing the bloody corpses of the only
two he claimed akin within thousands OF
miles. Col. Jones lay where he had
stood, pierced by four bullets. He had
evidently died instantly, receiving every
wound from the front. The son lay III
the garden, also quite dead.
Remaining perhaps an hour on the ira
gic ground, the boy creeping softly to the
river, procured pirOgue, and slowly
foated down stream to lower landing.
Sinking on board the steamer Mayhower,
he found himself in the midst of his en-
emies, fifteen of them, armed with shot
guns.
While standing in bewilderment, one
man, worthy of the name, we wish We
dared give ii, touched him, and the two
walked toward the engine room. He was
quickly directed to the hold, couple o.
bales of cotton were carelessly rolled Over
the hatch, and the escape was accom-
plished The party left the boat il
squads of three and four on the way
down the river. 1t is not certain that al
left 1t is not certain that some are no
/ here now that two of them did not, OF
Saturday night, drive to his refuge in {
carriage. He is surrounded, however
by a circle fercer than Greek fire.
Should they penetrate it, it will be at The
risk of life.
! HTvu n"Dn UJTIEREENTrUcy