Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-07
A STUNNING KU-KLUX STOR i
FROM CINCINNATI.
a COrrect VerNiOn,

In Yesterdays UNION AND AMERICAN
was dispatch from Cincinnati in relation
to the reported doings and outrages of Ku-
Klux last Friday at Brownsville. 1t is IN
necessary tS republish the bloody contents
of the dispatch which is unfounded and
most flimsy in its pretexts. The negro
Edmund Lee was not killed but hung by
the sheriff of Haywood county at Browns
vile.
In October last Edmund Lee, colored.
killed young man named Elias King, in
HAYWOOD county, Tennessee. At the time
of the murder Mr.. King was lying on a sofa
by window in his room. Edmund was
in his employ, and stealing up to the side
of the house, fired once, the bullets, seven
in number, taking effect in Mr.. Kings left
breast, and producing death almost in
stantly. For this he was tried, and being
found guilty of murder in the first degree
by Jury of the Circuit Court of Haywood
county, was sentenced to be hanged by the
neck until dead. The sentence of the
Court was, as the following will show,
carried into effect at Brownsville on last
Friday.
State of Tennessee VS.. Edmond Lee. Circuit
Court of Haywood county, November term,
1S71.-Indictment for the murder of Elias Z.
King.
To the Sheriff of Haywood county:
The Attorney General pro tenn. comes to
prosecute in behalf of the State, and the
defendant, Edmund Lee, is brought to this
bar, Con this 8th of December, 1871, and
it is thereupOn demanded of him, if he has
anything to say, why sentence of death
should not be pronounced on the verdict of
the Jury against him, who nothing further
saith that as before he has said.
1t is therefore considered and adjudged
by the court, that the said Edmond Lee be
taken hence to the jail of Haywood county
from whence he came, and there securely
kept until Friday, the I'd day February,
1872, next; and that on that day he be
taken from thence to some place within
one mile of the courthouse in Brownsville,
said county, and thence, between the hours
of II O'Clock NJ, and o'clock P. NJ. of the
same day be hanged by the neck upon
gallows erected for that purpose until he be
dead; and that the Sheriff of Haywood
county do the execution Of this sentence.
1t is further considered by the court that
the said Edmond Lee pay the costs of this
prosecution for which execution may issue.
l, Thomas A. Raynor, Clerk of the Cir
emit Court of Haywood county, certify that
the foregoing is full, true and perfect
record in the above stated case.
THos. A. RAYNOR, Clerk.
The town of Brownsville was crowded
with white and blacks who came, many by
train from distance to witness the spec
tacle. A number of negroes came from
Mckenzie, Memphis, Humboldt and all the
other way stations along the railroad.
Many of the negroes became drunk about
the time of leaving for home, and party OF
them had fight, it is said, in the car while
returning home in the afternoon, fact,
however, which was not known by persons
on the same train. During the difficulty,
which was between themselves, two or
three were somewhat hurt, and got OIL upon
reaching Bells station, on the
Memphis and Ohio Railroad. Just
as the train was leaving Humboldt a young
man named Gus Ross, the telegraph opera
tor at Mckenzie, got into difficulty with
the engineer and fired twice or three times
at him. The engineer or fireman returned
the shot, hitting Ross in the arm. Ross was
then put off the train. The diffiulty between
the negroes was at a different time and
place, and had no connection with that be-
tween Ross and the engineer. No ku-
KluX were concerned in either of the dill.
culties. The negroes were drunk and
fought among themselves, no white person.
being in any way concerned with the fuss,
which originated from a personal matter
merely. To be certain of this we have
made especial inquiry, and ascertain from
parties living in Brownsville and passengers
on the train that no Ku-Klux or any other
disturbance of a political or public nature
occurred, Lee was hung by virtue of
sentence of the Court, and was buried
the same evening at Brownsville.
The Body was turned over to a friend,
and not put on the train. Funeral
serVices were held at the grave, and the
bodyeis there now, unless shaken to the top
of the gsound and waited away by the ma