The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-07-28
Terms, by Mail, in Advance
,AILY REGISTER,
Swift RetribufiOn-A Georgia Negro
Murders q White Planter and Acct.
dentalIy Shoots Himself While Re.


J S"ht netEIDutIOu-A UeOEkld NtkE0
Murders White Planter and Acct
dentalIy Shoots Himself While Re
| Gaping.
From the Albany (Ga.) News.l
On Tuesday last, at early morn, a
most horrible tragedy and murder oc
CURED on Mr.. B. II. Hills Mud Creek
plantation, in this county, in which Mr.
Rush, the manager. and Paul Butler, a
freedman working on the place, were
the parties, and both killed. The test
mony before the jury Of inquest dis
closed the following particulars:
"On Monday Mr.. Rush saw some
plow.lads abusing the mules, and
ordered them to desist They laughed
defiance and continued to maltreat the
mules. Mr.. Rush threatened to chas
tise them if they did not desist, and one
of them quit the pillow and went home.
The father and mother of this one
very properly brought him back to Mr.
Rush, and held him while Mr.. Rush
administered light punishment. The
father not being satisfied with the whip,
ping administered by Mr.. Rush, conclu,
ded it was his duty to exercise father $
privilege; and while laying on the lash,
Paul Butler, a surley black fellow,
walked up and remarked that
before he would hold child
of his for a white man to whip him, he
would suffer his hearts blood to flow
To this Mr. Rush replied, This is no
business of yours; 60 on with your
work Paul replied impudently, say.
ing among other things, that he would
suffer no - to whip one OF his chill
dren.' At this point Mr.. Rush got hold
of a plow-handle and made at Paul.
Paul retreated aud seized a heavy
swingle-tree and was about to make a
deadly assault, when Mr. Rush seeing
his imminent danger, drew his pistol
and fired. This shot was doubtlessfired
simply to stop the assailant and with
no intention OF hitting him. At any
rate, they were very close together and
the shot did not take effect Mr.. Rush
then rode home and rode rapidly away
from the place, and all was apparently
quiet till the fatal hour next morning.
On Tuesday morning, when the negroes
were on their way to the field, some OF
them came up with Paul Butler, who
had his gun on his shoulder. He in
formed them that it was his inteution TO
kill Mr.. Rush on his way out into the
field. His friends argued the matter with
him, and begged him to put his gun
away and 90 to work. He refused to
be governed by their advice, and, per
sisting in his murderous purpose, swore
he would kill Mr.. Rush at first sight.
All hands then went to work except
Paul, his brother Ben, his relative Ben
Wade, and his friend Moses Holt-the
latter three not being accounted for at
that time. Paul stationed himself a
short distance from the laborers. Mr..
Rush rode up, and Paul advanced
toward him, and addressed him with :
Cd d-n you, you shot at me yester-
day for nothing and now I'm ready to
shoot with you, whereupon Mr.. Rush
replied, Don't come any nearer me;
stand back Mr.. Rush then attempted
to draw his pistol, and while in the act,
Paul leveled his gun and fred, placing
forty-eight deadly missiles in the breast,
abdomen, neck and head of his victim
killing him instantly. Paul then ran
to his mule, tied in the woods hard by,
mounted it, with gun In hand, and made
of toward the Hobbs Place-another
one OF Mr.. Hills plantations-followed
by the three missing negroes, Ben But,
Ter, Ben Wade and Moses Holt, and
perhaps others.
At a gate opening into the Hobbs
plantation they found the dead body Of
Paul lying on one side Of the gate and
his gun on the other. The top OF his
head was blown off and hie face burned
with powder, showing Enthusiastically
that he had come to his death by the
accidental discharge of the remaining
barrel while going through the gate on
his mule. That afternoon an inquest
was held over the dead bodies, and yer,
diets rendered in accordance with the
facts. The testimony satisfied the jury
that Ben Butler, Ben Wade and Moses
Holt were accessories, and Deputy
Sheriff Brown being preseat with a
posse, proceeded at once to arrest all
three Of them, and they are now in jail
awaiting examination. Mr.. Rush was
a quiet, peaceable, sterling man, and
one of the best managers in the county.
He leaves a wife and three children to
mourn his sad and untimely taking off.
Mrs. Rush, we understand, was con-
fined the same morning, after her hus'
band lett the house, and was not In
formed OF his death till late in the after
noon. Three persons who were com
missioned to break the terrible news
to her failed Of courage and could moi
| do it,"