Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-09-14
Letter Of Rev. Mr.. HiekersOR-A Plain,
UnTarnished Statement Of Facts.
The Murders and OHtrages Planned In
Little Rsek-A Rumpus had
70 be Kicked Up.
How the Numbering was Inaugurated-
The Fearful Scene In ShiOlOah
Church.
Able aad Generous Defense Of the Law
Abiding People Of POpe-NORe
Better Anywhere.

1ehkn. Inc hLAlrlnEALn III aAAs lcNkFE dAN
vouched for as correct on unlmpeachaDie
testimony OF the best citizens Of Dover-Re-
publicans a. well A. their political opponents
being among the number:
LITTLE ROCK, ARK, September 10.
FDIroRs GAZETTE have been called upon
by some Of the frst citizens Of Little Rock 70
make further statements relative 70 the rope
county troubles, and do so IN the iesr OF
God. VIII you hear me for the sake or my
On the fourth day OF July, Is72, our citizens,
Of all political platforms reJoiced through
out Pope county at another peaceable celeora-
ton OF our national birthright. I heard IL
frequently remarked that our former trou-
bles were rapidly passing away, and that me
glory Of olden times was again beaming forth
upon Us. Political men were harmonizing-
old feuds hsd been buried, citizens who had
been at long misunderstanding had been re-
conciled, family broiIs had died away, and
general goodwill was the boon OF our Town
and county.
the thrones Of glory amid the indescu bable
galaxy Of divine greatness and grandeur, rals-
ing their anthems Of melody 70 Him who had
given them being and destiny, there appears
10 hsve been one official character among
them dissatisfied with his surroundings, who
sought for remedy in strategy, lost his dladem
and fell beneath the wrath OF Cod 30 u was
in Pope county. While
AN INDUSTRIAL COMMUNITY
Of as good citizens as can be found in any
county IN the State, were happy in the enjoy
ment Of peace aud general Prosperlty, Dql.a-
there was n hungry gang OF o1nclals, VINO
being uneasy and fearful as to the results OF
the coming election, sought strategettcal rem
edies to secure their reelection. The political
field had been surveyed and The fact alsceF-
tained that none OF these ofncers could De re-
elected with the present registration. NO nope
remained. Something had 70 be done 70 cut
the REGISTRATION down. Some sort Of rumpus
had TO be kicked up 70 get martial law and
The election then the devotees OF the officials
were to rush forward and register; others were
TO be driven from the county by terror me
registration was 90 close, and the old officials
were to be reelected. This, must unhfsi-
tatingly say, was
The frst great question 70 be settled in this
programme Was who shall make 1I,119 Ine .ii-s nrst
thinking himself the snRrtest man in the
outfit, proposed to start the ball. And start II
he did. The understanding Wa lnaI " llLl4i4s NJ
riding through the country. SO TO make the
farce complete, fOrty-nine out OF every hfty
kaf V-iIIiar1s and two OF his friends went out
TO his farm, twelve miles above Dover ana
after spending few minutes at the house in
the afternoon of July 9Th, left and went out in
the woods TO look for cattle, and while they
were out in the woods they placed Williams s
belt-buckle up against stump and shot al II
with pistol, then placed II bac K on MS Doqy
and scraped a place on his body under the
buckle, with q splinter, to make bruised
place. s.,,o,,
AhA--N AAAA s1AA1A
a hole in his coatsleeve, and another through
his hatl The two men held back, and " Il
lfaIns, Just st dark, rode up to the house and
told the young man who was living on the
place that he wanted his horse fed-said
things looked suspicious around there 10 him.
While the young man was feeding the morse,
Williams walked around the oorn-pen, and
three pistol shots were nred rom the back OF
the lot; Williams grOaned; the young man
ran around where be was; found him stand
ing half bent and in great pain; had his hat
naagl ell klad fence
front OF the house, got his gun and went into
the house; fell down on q bed tied up his
head in the table-clOth, and told some OF the
family 70 feel around his back and ind where
me ball came out! When they made the eX-
animation the belt-buckle had fortunately |
caught the ball and saved hlml his coax was |
shot his hat was shot, and he was shot all
over; but no mark to be found on his body |
except that splinter scratch! he trled 70 |
throw up little blood, but tried in vainl he
told the Young man 70 watch and see If any
person could be seen around the house soon
Two men made their appearance, walking
around the house from the back OF the lot.
WILLIAMS
had already taken his gun in the house for
fear the young man would get IL and shoot bis
two accomplices, and before the gun could be
found the men were gone. Now the cry was
made that two Sherifis and one clerk haa oeen
killed since the war In Pope county another
clerk had been shot, and now an attempt had
been made 70 Kill Deputy Shertu. suspicion
was at once fixed on company OF young men
from hover. whom williams thought were
still out on q hunting expedition. The young
men had come IN from their hunt the same
day and were at Dover when the above farce
frSnspired Williams heard Of this and was
foiisd He then charged the Hale family
with tbe deed. Accordingly DOdson, h1ckox,
stuart q Co, assembled poSsS OF over twenty
men and Srrested n. j. Hale, an old gentle
man 81 ixty-flve or seventy years OF age, q hlgn-
toned Christian gentleman, and Royal Arch
Mason OF good standing, and his son, William
n Hale a hiEh-minded, peaceaole young
man. a mem Der OF the Baptist Church, and
Master Mason in good standing.
THE POSSE
NEXT came to Dover and arrested General
FRANKLIN and Joseph Tucker and J. l. West.
Tbe writer pledged his Masonic and ministe-
rial honor 70 them that General Franklin was
in Dover, in his presence, about the very hour
Williams should have been shot az ana iI on on
this pledge Franklin was released The Others
were all taken on In the direction OF RUSSELL
vile the same day July S, lS72). A. sunset
they reached shiloah Church, SIX miles oei0S
Dover, where they were ordered 70 stop FOR the
night And here the most dlabollcal scheme
sTI,ears 70 have been plotted that ever en-
gagged hand Of olooa-0ne rom y llSn suISIy
~ the lost world would blush and hide their
faces behind the wrath Of their destiny, rather
than look upon Hi!n Lhs aSd ne9r " stgsTt a. a.
they planned the cold-blooded, ulaoolcai
murder OF these innocent and unarlned pris-
Oners- And
TO MAKE THE DEED MORE FEARFUL
this Mot was made at tho sanctuary OF sod
Sbiloah Church and while these onnelals were
TIot or,s Of tho most wicked OF their number
vas in the pulpit in the church preaching ana
shouting over the prisoners. ,.
aftsr fhe official council was closed, eight or
tan of the posse rode on under pretense OF get
ting forage, and We most solemnly beneNe
these same forage hunters vent down me Rus
sslixiIIe road 10 q place designatc- Oy Hickox,
Dodson and stuart In their council, and there
sscreted themselves at dark place IN the
road with orders 20 nro Ehelr guns ~ ihso me
Air iust ~ the posse and prisoners got oppo-
sita-to them. The signal for the bushYhack
ers to IRE was dark as Egypt!' which was
given by one Of the posse. Dodson responded
Egypt has no eyes!
THEsE SIGNALS GIVEN,
thu erins from the ten men in the woods was
begun the blaze OF their guns going up INTO
the airl and at the same moment DOdsOn ana
Hickox refined their horses around Win I ShelI
the woods, and fired on the prisoners, a. also
did the posse IN rear OF the prisoners, ,untll tne3
supposed all were dead -aJo. tucker was kllied1
IN few days. LID. west anu n . ha4e
escaped.
rWnliams's death-bed confession as an
nounced by telegraph Wednesday, and CON
nrned Thursday. as published in the APPEAL
Of the thirteenth and fourteenth instant, con-
firm the statements as above made, and that
they were planned and arranged al Little
Rock a. the programme for The campaign In
Pope oOunty.-EDs- APPBAL-l
Nj Hale was riding spirited horse, which
sprung forward and carried MS rider out Of ali
danger. Lib. West was thrown from his horse,
and craWled OF into the woods a few feet IN
the dark. W. 7. Hale lay there Ike he was
dead, mOrtally wounded. Amer the shooting
al ceased, the posse all laughed and talked,
riding up and down the road. Some OF them
remarked, Boys, that was very well
plsyed." Here they sung little song about
aTHE UNION FOREVER"
ate and dashed OF down the road toward
Russsilville; but before they LEFT, Dodson
found that 10. Tucker was groaning, and not
5esd and walked up 10 him and said with
borrfd oath1. Nov I have got you where
have wanted you for a long time,' and shot
MIN over the left ear with heavy shotgun,
blowing his brains out over his 1ght eye.
rms n fhe peaceable, quiet, laW-abiding
sheriff OF Pope county, VINO Is permitted 70
command the militia in Pope county. Dod-
son had taken Tucker from tno D',in ss VI NJ
weeping wife and group Of sweet nlle emil
dren i'm Dover only q few hours before this,
and pledged his honor 70
THAT POOR WIFE
that her husband should not be hurt. As
a man ana ss Mason he had pledged hln-
self; and then, Is sheriff Of the county Slll- ~
fully, mahciously, felonieuslFl ana Nath9es on
pledge OF protection fnads 70 the plgr ig ae
wife stin lingering on his ips-insilsatea hf
ths aeYil-raised his dOuble-Darrelled shotgun
SUD brought itdown on helpless, wOunaeds
dissrmea prisgneri and while he was there
begging for ~ ercy ~ the hands Of the heart
less No urdereT, ,thIs sane sheriff, z. W Dodson,
nred MS gun sna sleR - poor mans brains
arch fend OF endless night alsst ave- s3ssed
with bashfulness on the fearful TRACED y, 4ne
Chat he must have stood at distance from
tsla Rsad that perpertrated this
WORST oF ALL HUMAN DEEDS,