Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-03-14

titled an act to enforce the rights of Cit
zens, passed May 81, 1870, of which offens'
the said J. p Berong hiss been accused OF
oath. Signed W. q. GOODWIN,
| U. S. Circuit Court Commissioner Mid
die District of Tennessee.
| TESTIMONY FOR THE GOVERNMENT
John Bentley, Deputy United States
Marshal, was the first witness called by
the Government, and was examined by
District Attorney Tuthin.
The witness stated that he arrested Mr..
Berong about q miles from Murfreesboro.
He talked with Berong at the time, and
Berong at first told him that he was not
out of his house the night 1nman was
killed after that, he said he went out on
the porch and tried to persuade these men
not to do any violence on the place, thai
he didn't want anything Of that sort done;
and finally he said he went out as far as
the fence, which is about midway between
Kimbro's house and Berong's house, the
two dwellings being from $50 to 200 yards
apart. Berong told me that when he tried
| to prevent these men they turned on him
and said, ''God d-n you, if you don't go
in, we will give it TO you, or something
| of that sort. Berong said he did not
Il
stated that he didn't think they
wanted the old man Kimbro, who ne said
was as good a man IS any man in the
country; ne said they wanted the women
more particularly and also young Kimbro.
Gross Examined By Mr.. ". q. Br7en-
| This was not the first time the parties had
been there. He said he objected to these
mea doing any thing of the kind
Redirect Erd1inGtiOR-Berong said he
didn't make a practice of going out at
night.
Wiley Kinbro, the negro who shot In
man, was next placed on the stand, and
testified as follows:
lam about Sc or 81 years old; have lived
in Rutherford county all my life, about two
miles from Murfreesboro, on Mr.. Jennings
place; Berong rents the place from Jen-
nings, and I rent from Berong. Berong
has been on the place two years. The
| party came to my house about II o'clock;
me and my nephew William was sitting in
the house; we was all singing of hymn.
We had very sharp dog, and he broke
| out, and William went to the door. He
opened the door and said, ''There's par
| eel of women" They had on their long
gowns, and high up hats on them; they
/ looked like women. said, Them is
these night riders; they are after
something, now. I walked to the fire.
place and sat down. There were six men,
and they divided off two deep-two went
| one way, two went the other, and two Of
| them vanished round the house. The
moon was shining bright, and 1 had good
| light in my house. They came up groan-
| ing. 90. 90, SooO. in that way. They fired
| across the door, and said ''Come out,
come out. ''Pshaw," said, 81 don't mind
them little guns popping. Then they
| took up a fence rail and bust open the
door. The women and children were
screaming, and the cap fell off my gun;
William found the cap-box and handed me
a cap, and they shot five times into the
house, before we presented arms said,
civilian, stand steady; never shoot till
YOU kill man They shot me through
the breeches, but they didn't hurt me,
and the fire and smoke rolled through the
house, and then another party
ran down and bursted the win
dow open. They could not get
fair pop at William; be guarded the door
and me the window. When they knocked
down the window, told William, MAKE
ready to die" and the time the man enter
ed the house shot him. shot and the
rest run-some went towards Murfreesboro,
some went towards the kitchen patch, and
one fell behind the hen house, and we
stood and locked at them running, and We
laughed. After shot the man | stayed in
the house about ten minutes. When the
men commenced shooting they commenced
following at US. Mr.. Berong came out
and followed and said he, Don't burn
down the house." and these men, some of
them, went and talked to him. saw Mr..
Bsrorg, but he hadn't on any mask or any
disguise. He come out there and COM
handed them men; said he, 'Wiley come
out, they are not going to hurt you; VIII
liam is the one they are after" Mr..
Berong was not doing anything These
men went up there and Mr.. Berong came
ont to protect the house and
told them, For Gods sake,
don't burn the house. Berong and Will
liam Kimbro had had a difficulty. William
had been living in Mississippi; there was
some property that him and his mother
had worked for, and William told me, 81
want YOU to got that. They had had
difficulty about a calf Ispoke to Mr.. Be-
rone about the calf, and be goes to the
house aud get after William, and that was
the stain, as far as know. When l saw
them, Mr.. Dunn and Berong were after
William with a gun and pistol. William
never drawed his arms, only he went over
to Mr.. Spences. l went to them and
asked what had occurred, and they said
that William had drawn a knife on Mr.. Be-
rong William and Berong had difficulty
about a heifer, and Mr.. Berong wouldn't
pay for it; and they had quarrel. They
came on the Wednesday before the Satur-
day that Inman was killed; three men came
mn: that was about nine or ten o'clock;
they came up and said, ''who lives here"
and they called for Kimbro. The two men
raid they would go up and see MIR. Berong,
the id son Of -. Only two men
went away; that was Wednesday. BeroDg
went to the sale at Murfreesboro; he
turned his horse loose and walked to
own.
Gross Examined By Mr.. BrTen.-On
Wednesday night three men and two
horses came; one was riding behind the
other on one horse. l don't know whether
Berong was there or not, but these three
men talked to him; cannot tell whether
Befong was one of them or not; these
men were not disguised that night; they
had on citizens clothes; all went to his
house and talked; two men went and talk
ed to him and one talked to me. They
said: Saint Berong id mean man." I
tod them didn't know; and then they said
1--WE will go and see the id son Of
-" After they saw Berong they didn't
come to my house that light. BeroDg
was standing ST tlte petings. on tho inside,
talking They were outside. Ga Satur-
day night SIX men came to ny house, and
on Saturday night they went up to Be
rong's house and talked to hina after they
had done quit shooting their pistols. On
Saturday night Mr.. Berong hollered to