Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-16
EXCITING TIMES NEAIs SPARTA.
United states officials Resisted.
Two DistfIiers Attack a United
states Marshal and his Assist
ant.
One Man Probably Killed and the
Other Badly IngUTed.

From prominent citizen of Nashville,
who reached this city yesterday from Spar
ia, IN White county, we have obtained the
following particulars of serious attack
made by two distillers upon United States
officials, aud our informant obtained the
particulars from the physi clan who dressed
the wounds of the officials
The difficulty took place last Thursday
morning about OF 8 O'Clock, some six or
seven miles this side of Sparta. Mr..
Armstrong, a Deputy United States Mar
shall, accompanied by Mr.. Burke, for
merry Deputy Sheriff of White county,
went last Thursday morning to The prop
erty of the Simmerlys, who have a distil-
lery about six miles this side of Sparta, to
arrest the Simmerlys on the charge of
illicit distilling, and possibly some other
charges. Both of the parties who went to
make the arrest lived in that section Of
country, but Mr.. Armstrong was deputy
of Gen. Harrison, the United States Mar
shall at Nashville. 1t appears that the
Simmerlys mistrusted that an arrest was
about to be made, and though they were
not armed, when the officers appeared, the
Simmerlys, who are said to be both strong
men, took the pistols from the officers
hands and beat them over the head, leaving
them for dead The Simmerlys then
escaped. We are informed that Arms
strOng's skull is fractured in two places,
and that he was SO severely injured that
DIR. Davis, of Sligo, whose ser
vices were called in, expressed
the opinion that it was doubtful if he
would live. Mr. Burke received severe
blow ever the eye, and was quite badly
beaten, but it is said TINT DR.. Davis ex-
| pressed the opinion that he would proba-
| by recover. Our informant says that
Mr.. Hoskins, another deputy United States
Marshal pursued the Simmerlys with
posse of men, but no arrests had been
made when the gentleman who gave us
| these particulars, left.
1t will be remembered that some time
since Mr.. Gaines, an officer in Nashville,
was injured by distillers, and it is said by
theze same parties, and that Mr.. Ann
| strong had orders not only 10 arrest the
| Simmerlys for Illicit distilling, but also
for the attack made upon Mr.. Gaines; but
| of this we cannot be certain, though we
believe it to be true.
LATER.-Since writing the above, we
have been permitted to read letter adj
| dressed to gentleman in this city by all
intimate friend, whose account substan-
| TALLY corrobo7ates the statement made
above. 1t, however, gives the names in
full (Which our first informant did not
know and adds some particulars.
The name of the distilers is Simmerell
| mot SimmeIly); and the names of the
| others, who were both Deputy United
| States Marsbals. are John 7. Armstrong
| and Lieut. John Burke The Simmere lis
| lived at Greenbrier Berd, III White county.
This letter details many of the facts
| given above, and then says that the Sim
III rells were at work in field when the
attempt was made to arrest them, and
| states further that each Simmerell took his
| man, (Which, by the way, our first inform
| ant gave, but we omitted to mention it.
| took away his pistol, and then beat him on
| the head with his own weapon. The letter
states that Armstrong; skull was fractured
in three places, ard BuTke's head 10 two,
| and that both Burke and Armstrong were
not expected h live; otherwise, the letter
| is similar to our f-st Information. One
| point which may ari7e ii reading the
| above account is how this information was
| obtained, if the Simmerells ran away and
/ both the officers were nearly killed. The
letter above referred to says that after the
commission of the deed, the Simmerells
consulted some lawyers il regard to the
matter, and told them what they had done,
and that those lawyers advised them TO do
| nothing.
Gentlemen il this city who are acquain-
ted with both Armstrong and Burke say
| hey cannot conceive how their pistols
could have been taken from them, as one
| resident of Nashville tells Us that Arm
strong vas a brave man, while another
| says that Lieut.. Burke was noted for his
GOODNESS and discretion when in danger;
still, as we have obtained, from two en-
| tirely different sources, accounts SO nearly
| alike, at this distance from White county,
there must certainly be considerable truth
II the Etatemept.