The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-10-03
The RADICAL DEvlnrn1Es IN Pope

The RADICAL DEvILTRIEs IN Pope
COUNTY. ARKANSAS SHOCKING DETAILS
OF THE PoLITIoAn Wan "A correspond
ent of the Missouri Republican writes as
follows, under date Of Little Rock, Sep
tember 10:
On the 9th of last July. Sheriff Dod-
son, of Pope County, (Sheriff by ap-
pointment of the Governor, the Govern
or having refused to commission the
Sheriff chosen by the people.) with u
posse OF twenty men, went to Dover. the
County seat, and there arrested N. J.
Hale. an old Citizen Of sixty-6ve years of
age, also his sou, VIM. 7. Hale, Joseph
Tucker aud J. l.. West, ull men of good
standing and repute. The arrest was
made upon complaint preferred by
Deputy Sheriff Williams, charging the
parties with having attempted to kill
him by shooting at him in the woods.
But there appears to have been no foun-
dation for this charge, Williams himself
having, it is said, recently confessed
when mortally wounded) that the charge
was made for the purpose of getting into
their custody the four persons named.
Tho parties arrested we're Immediately
taken from Dover by Dodson and his
gang. in the direction of Russellville
At sunset, they reached Shiloh Church,
six miles from Dover, where halt was
ordered, and after consultation he
tween Sheriff Dodson and his deputy,
Williams, eight or ten of the gang were
sent off, under pretence of going for
forage; but they did not return, and
when it was f"irly dark, Dodson ordered
the purity to move on in the direction of
,1la
They had gone but q short distance,
whom, on reaching dark, narrow place
in the road, guns were discharged in the
bushes upon the roadside. and imme.
diately Dodlon aud his posse fred upon
the four unnrmed prisoners. killing WIN.
T. Hale and Joseph Tucker-Dodson
narrowly escaping the same fate. The
pointed upwards into the air, aud were
forward for that purpose. If We Can credit
the statements of the two who escaped,
and old Mr.. Halo is not man whose
word any citizen of Pope County would
doubt, and according to the statement ts
of Hale and West, just before the firing,
one of the posse remarked, 1T is dark as
Egypt" to which Dodson replied,
EGYPT has no eyes,"
The beautiful young wife of Mr..
Tucker seemed to have presentiment
of her husbands death, for when Dodson
aud his posse came to arrest him, she
clung to her husband, declaring he
| should not be taken away, telling Dod-
son. "You know you have como to MUIR
der him." But to the young wife Dod-
son pledged his word of honor (?) that
no harm should come to Tucker Will.
under arrest. Alas! her presentimcnt
proved but too true. But this was but
tho commencement Of trouble.
Wallace II. Hickox, the County Clerk,
(by nppointment,) WAS one of tho Dod-
son gang who we're openly charged by
MIR. Poynter, of Dover, with the murder
of Tucker and Hale; and short time
after the killing of these men, Hickox
was seen by q half dozen citizens, among
whom was the Rev. Mr.. Hickerson, OF
Dover, to ride deliberately up to the
shop of Mr.. Poynter and commence
firing. Poynter returned the fire with a
shotgun, killing Hickox.
Some time afterwards Deputy Sheriff
Williams, in company with number OF
mounted men, met Hale, u brother OF
VIM. L. Hale. shot by Dodson, and fred
upon him at sight. Hale then fired at
Williams, severely wounding him. Last
evening Williams was not expected to
live. and he has made confession
(already alluded toy fully exoneratipg
Hale from all blame, and revealing u
plot deliberately entered into by officials
of the State for the double purpose OF
gratifying personal malice, and to place
the County under martial Inv for politi
cal purposes.
THE MOTIVE. THAT the motive for
this may be fully understood, it should
be stated that Pope County is one of the
strongest conservative Counties in the
State of Arkansas, and in close clec.
ton, the throwing ont of Pope County
might save tho State for the "minstrels, "
as tho Grant party is here called.
This damaging confession of ono Of
the chief movers and instigators of the
present trouble is. as muy readily be
imagined, crenting a feeling of great in j.
diguation against the State officials.
REIGN OF TERRoR.-It is with reluct-
ance that we are forced to believe that
even reckless set Of carpetbag politi-
clans would resort to such diabolical
means to retain the power which they
Gun bnt see is fast slipping from their