The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-30
From the Vicksburg Herald, May 20. j
HORRIBLE MURDER.
A Whole Family Butchered and
Three OF the Victims Burned
with the House. -v a-

with the House. T-~ TaL
A correspondent sends US an account,
clipped from the Rutherfordton IN. c.
Vindicator, of most devilish and fen
dish murder, committed in Rutherford
County on the last Wednesday of April,
accompanied by letter, which we give
below. We condcnse as follows from
the account of the murder: 5 .--.
About eleven miles north of Ruther-
fordton lives Silas Weston (colored) },
with his wife, IA white woman and four
children. ---...
Soon after dark Wednesday evening,
three men appeared at Weston's house,
fired shot through the door at Wes-
toms wife, then broke open the door,
rushed in and commenced all indiscrim-
mate firing on the whole family. -.
One of the ruflians shot down three
children, another shot Weston thrice,
and third cut his throat. They then
pulled the woman from her retreat un-
der the bed, stabbed her in the breast
and stomach and cut her throat Think
ing them all dead, the Iuffians then set
fire to the house and left. 4, =,
The woman, still sensible, after the
murderers left, dragged herself from the
house, carrying with her one of the
children, which was still living. The
woman went to a neighbours and repor-
ted the facts.
What may seem remarkable, in the
terrible excitement of the moment, and
suffering from her terrible wounds, she
knew the murderers and stated distinct.
ly the part that each performed, men
tioning the names; also the positions
of the bodies of her murdered husband
and children, which were found to be as
she stated.
The accused-Govan and Columbus
Adair, and Martin Bainard-were pur-
sued, arrested and placed in Jail, where
they await trial. -4s -4.s
AS soon as the murder was heard Of
the Radical press. with their usual dis
regard for truth, commenced the howl
of another damnable Ku-klux outrage.
But unfortunately for the manufacture
ers of political capital, the parties were
all Radicals of the straightest sect,
"and the honest, justice loving Radical
papers let the matter drop.
The following is the letter Of our cor.
respondent, accompanying the account
of murder: 7.s sta go
EDITOR HERALD: The perpetrators
and the victims of the above outrage
are well known to me; and by letters
from my relatives, who leside near the
scene of the crime, / learn some facts
connected with the case not mentioned
in the above report. A week before
they committed the murder these des-
peradoes told Weston and others that
the Ku-klux would kill him unless he
left the State. And had it not been for
the woman's extraordinary tenacity OF
life the Conservatives of the neighbor.
hood would have been charged with,
and probably punished for the diabolic-
al deed. Within ten days proceeding
this crime, the Radicals of the county,
these murderers included, sent o mes
senger to Washington with petition
for troops to arrest and punish Ku.kldS.
The Adairs were only l6 10 II years OF
age in 1861, but by the time the war
closed they were notorious as horse
thieves and bush whackers. all in the
name and "for the sake of the Union" F"
The skill and devotion they displayed
in the above professions secured their
early admission into the first Loyal
League organized in the county; and
that they have been faithful and efficient
members of that organization for the
past six years, neither friend nor foe
will deny, while it is proclaimed by the
ruins of burned barns and churches by
the broken bones of their own grand
father, and the butchery of whole
family. Why have they not been pun
ished for these crimes? Every civil Of
ficer of the county is member, of the
League" and are sworn to shield their
brethren from punishment for any crime
they commit, however infamous.
Weston was an ante bellum free ne
gro. He and his wife were poor, inof-
fensive creatures as incapable of harm
ing any one as were their children. G.
Skipwith's Landing, Miss, May 10th,
1871