Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-03-26

| the most dastardly crimes that ever dis
graced our city. Mr. Murray resided on
| Bellville, between Gay and Cedar streets,
| and at the time above named burglar en-
| tered his house by boring a hole through
| the door panel Immediately above the lock. i.
| Upon entering the house the villain came
| into the sleeping room and stole net jack
| ct hanging on the bed post. In the jacket
the fiend found $50 in money and bunch
| of keys. In one corner of the room was
desk, supposed to contain other money and
valuables. While opening the door of the
! desk the burglar made noise, which awoke
Mrs. Murray, who aroused her husband,
telling him there was a man in the room
trying to get through the window. As Mr..
Murray raised up in the bed the burglar
snapped bis pistol and said to Mr.. Murray:
s'You Cd id old rascal, lay still, or
will blow your heart out" By this time
the burglar was standing in the doorway
with one hand on the knob. Mr.. Murray,
in the meantime, was feeling under the
head of his bed for large meat-knife used
by him in the grocery, kept at night under
| the pillow. Mr.. Murray now put his feet
out of the bed preparatory to getting out,
and while in this position, the burglar fired,
the ball striking Mr.. Murray in the ABIDE
men. When he fired, the burglar fed, pur-
sued by Mr. Murray some distance, almost
to Cedar street. His wife and children,
| terrified by the awful tragedy, uttered pierre
! ing screams all the while, which were heard
| by several residents in the neighborhood.
Henry Murray, his son, who was sleeping
in the store being aroused by the piercing
screams of his mother and sisters, rushed
to the house only to learn the sad reality
biS fat bpr. r1oor.follu xrronudod
the griefstricken young man started imme-
diately for physician, and when near Pearl
street came across officer McAllister, whom
he told bis father had been shot by David
Jones, a negro, who was most likely
to be found at his brother-in-law's
house. Officer McAllister immedi-
ately summoned officers Davis and
Maskey to his assistance and together
they set out for the house of Jones, corner
Gay and McLemore streets. The front
door being shut the officers went to the
rear and after listening to hear what was
being said by the occupants, who were up
and had light in the back room, each man
took position and officer McAllister start
ed to enter the front way. By chance he
heard some one walk hastily across the
floor and by the time the police
man reached the front door it was opened
from within and a negro man stepped out.
As he did so, McAllister said halt, tapping
him on the shoulder, and asked if he was
David Jones-that he wanted him little
while that morning. The negro said that
was mis- name, and asked the officer "what
he wanted with him." Jones was then
taken inside and examined, but no pistol
found on his person. Upon being
questioned as to the reason Of be-
ing up and starting away from
his house, he stated that he
was going TO get some wood. The officer
asked him how he was going to get wood
when he had no money: to this Jones stated
that my uncle, Caleb Jones, told me yester-
day he would give me some wood. The
officers took Jones TO jail End placed him in
confinement, and being taken to the resi-
dence of Me-. Murray he was in
stantly recognized as the man who shot
him that morning. Mr.. Murray
then made the following dying
declaration, which was sworn to and sub
scribed before Justice Hines, and in the
hearing of Thos. S. Hays, John D. Swan,
d. NJ. Burke, and DR.. Eve, who was, with
Drs. Briggs, Sneed and HOllOwell summon
ed to the unfortunate mans assistance
shortly after being shot:
81 was aroused from sleep about half |
past two o'clock this morning by my wife |
who said some one was in the room; felt
under my head for my knife; the !
person who was in the room
said, You Cd d-m-d old |
rascal, lay still or | will blow your heart !
OUT the person was standing inthe door; l !
put my feet out of the bed preparatory to
getting out of the bed and was shot by this |
person while in this position; there was
only one shot fred; the door was open it |
was moonlight and l could see the person |
distinctly; l knew him well and recognized |
him and spoke to him; knew him as well |
as l know Barney Hines who is now by |
me. 1t was David Jones, colored, who |
shot me; | cannot be mistaken.
After being shot l said Jones you rascal |
you have shot mel L pursued him after |
being shot some distance, nearly to Cedar |
street."
When the shot was fired man could be !
plainly seen and when Mr.. Murray's son
and other persons went to his room, he told !
them David Jones was the man who shot |
him. Mr.. Murray died Sunday night be-
tween 10 and IL o'clock and Coroner |
Everett held an inquest over the remains |
Yesterday morning. The following |
gentlemen composed the jury: L. K. Spain, |
foreman, F. Deaderick, r. +. Bates, E. j. |
Thompson, J. w. Weatherford, W. II. Fun |
ston, j. c. Pentecost, who, after hearing |
the testimony of Mrs. Murray and the dy- |
ing declaration of the deceased upon their |
oath, say that "Henry Murray came to his |
death by pistol shot in the hands of David |
Jones, colOred, and that the act !
was murder in the first degree"
The statement of the deceased after |
being written was put in sealed envelope |
and not opened until after the jury heard Mrs. |
Mmray's evidence, which corroborated in |
every particular that of the deceased. A |
post mortem examination was made by |
DrS. Eve, Briggs, Sneed and Hollowell, |
who found the ball had penetrated and was |
found in the region of the spine and hip |
joint.
Jones has been remanded to jail to await |
committing tlial either today or tomorrow. |
While on his way from Mr.. Murray'S house |
to the station house Jones said to one of the |
officers, ''Well, am in a bad fix, if that |
man dies" The officer told him he was in /
bad fix, even though Mr.. Murray did not |
die. Jones said, "Yes, | am; but am not |
guilty" Jones is regarded as a very bad /
negro, and had not been out of jail more |
than day previous to committing the dark |
deed we have just recorded. His uncle
Caleb is still in jail, and was arrested with
David on the charge of larceny.
Mr. Murray was quiet and peaceful citi- /
zen, held in high esteem by those who knew
him. He leaves a wife and two daughters
and son. We tender the bereaved family
our sincere sympathy in this their deep af-
Fiction. The funeral of Mr.. Murray will |
take place this evening at 2 O'Clock, and
will be attended by the Masonic Fraternity,
of which the deceased was a worthy and
honored member.
Telegraph COurtesies
W. D. Gentry, Superintendent of the
Southern Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph
Company, has offered the use of his lines
To the EYnnsitinr, Board of Manarers and |