The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1871-08-19
A CHAPTER OF BLOOD.
Shocking Murder Of a Boy i'm Han
cock County. Mississippi.

rFrom the N. O. Times, August 18TH
We have just received advices of
a terrible murder near Gainesville,
Miss, the particulars of which are
as follows:
On Saturday of last week, while
at school, near Gainesville, two boys,
aged Ia and 16 years, sons of Charles
Reyre and Thomas Bradford, en-
gagged in a friendly boxing match, in
which young Reyre was worsted,
whereuponh his elder brother, aged 16
years, proposed to take his place as
contestant. The second battle had
not progressed very far before both
bows became excited and fought in
downright earnest, the result being
the defeat of Reyre.
Maddened by his beating, he
went Immediately home, and inform
ing his father of the event was ac-
companied by him to the school,
which entering, old Reyre instantly
attacked the boy Bradford by sever
ely beating and kicking him. The
teacher of the school being an aged
man and able to do nothing to pre-
vent the onslaught, Bradford's older
brother "a cripple), aged eighteen,
approached Reyre, saying, "You
hadn't ought to beat and kick my
brother in that savage manner; if
he have done anything wrong, get a
switch and chastise him." No sooner
had he said this than Reyre pulled
out a knife and drawing it across
the boys abdomen, inflicted a fearful
cash from which the bowels protrud-
ed. AS soon as he was cut, the Grip
pied boy started for a neighbours
house,. about fifty yards distant,
closely pursued by Reyre, who lung
ed at him with his knife as lie ran.
The younger of the Bradfords imme-
diately pulled ont a knife to attack
Reyre, when Reyre's son caught him
and the boys soon engaged in a
struggle, in which, being worsted,
young Reyre yelled Justify, where
upon his father desisting from pur-
suit of the boy he had cut, turned
back upon Ills sons assailant, and
crasping q heavy knotted stick, beat
Bradfordsover the head so Hnmerci-
fully that he soon fell s~enseless to
the ground, large pieces of his scalp
having been cut away by the knOtted
weapon. After leaving the boy for
dead, he again started in chase OF
the cripple, and finding him stand
ing inside the neighbours yard, hold.
ing his bowels in his hand, said to
him, "I have fixed You !; you may
tell, your father, and if he isn't sat:
isfeI I'll fix him in the same way"
The murderer then escaped, and is
supposed to be still lurking in the
swamps in the neighborhood. The
hoy who was cut fingered until Sun
day. when he died. His brother is
in d critical condition, and it is
Thought will not recover. The Gov.
vernon of the State has been notified
of this terrible crime and will offer a
reward for the perpetrator.
The murderer, Charles Reyre, was
in the businessof getting out
timber for the mills in that vicinity.
and has borne the reputation OF
being an ugly sort of o person. But
a short time ago he committed 6
violent assault upon a lad under
similar circumstances to the above
which fortunately, did not result ia
tally. He il described as a MAJ
about five feet ten inches in height
of slender build and swarthy com
plexion, black bushy hair, no beard
and remarkably white teeth, one O
them only being gone. So cold
blooded and unprovoked a murder
has seldom occurred Ill the history
OF our country.