American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-11-09

dastardly assasinations that was
ever perpetrated in this county,
SAYS the Aberdeen Examiner of Fri
day, occurred on our streets At about
half-past eight O'Clock on Thursday
evening. while the public meeting
was progressing setho courthouse.
Mr.. John Morgan and Mr.. Ste
phen Moore, two of the most popu-
lar young men in the county, were
sitting on the doorstep of Sale &
DOwd's law Office, on the dark side
Of lower Commerce street, convers-
ing, when they were suddenly ap-
preached by two men belonging to
the penitentiary guard now on
duty with the cOnvicts here, by the
names of Shaw and COzart, who
seemed to he haunting the streets
in quest of those beastly honors
which are SO highly esteemed by
the ruffian.
But little of the conversation of
COzart has been reported to us, but
Shaw approached Mr.. Moore, and
said that he had been told that he
was ga fighting man, and, Cd
d-n him, he had come there to
whip him." etc. Dir. Moore told
him that he was mistaken; that he
was a man of peace, and did not de-
sire any difficulty, and, moreover,
that he and his friend were totally
unarmed; whereupOn Shaw told
him that he was id liar, and
commenced a murderOus onslaught
with the butt end of his pistol, Ohly
ceasing when he believed bis victim
dead. While Shaw was beating
Moore, Cozart was at work on John
Morgan with his dagger or knife,
and notwithstanding the most
heart-rending appeals of his unarm-
ed victim, literally carved him to
pieces, int1icting at least half a dOz-
en- mortal wounds. Policeman Hen
don rushed up where Shaw and
Moore were engaged during the af-
fray, but having no other weapon
but his cane, and Shaw levlling his
revolver at him, he was unable to
do anything, and was not at the
time aware of the scene of death
that was being enacted just around
the corner.
Doctors Lowe and Sale were
promptly on the spot, and all that
surgery can hope to accomplish,
was promptly done.
At about half-past ten o'clock
that night, Marshall Brannan, an
ticipating resistance from the assas-
sins and their fellow guards at the
convict camp, organized an armed
posse of citizens and officers Stepb-
ems, Hendon and Smith, and, OBJ
tanning a military guard AS a pre-
caution against those accidents like
ly to occur where over an hundred
penitentiary cOnvicts are disturbed
aud excited at a late hour of the
night, surrounded the camp and de-
handed the surrender Of Shaw and
COzart, who had been traced hither
by a detective, and after about half
an hours delay and parley the door
was opened, and the men identified
and taken out.
They were carried to the jail, and
a guard of citizens was detailed to
stand guard over them all night for
fear of an attempt at rescue.
We take pleasure in testifying to
the prOmptness and efficiency of
Marshal Brannan and his police on
this occasion.
The examination of the culprits
will probably take place this morn
ing before Mayor Lee, and as the
evidence is damning and conclu-
sive, there is no probability of their
being admitted to bail, and We
trust that such precautions will be
taken, regardless of expense, by the
Sheriff in whose custody the prison.
ers now are, as will guarantee their
safety against escape or rescue.