Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-12
HOMICIDE.
meath of a Negro nesnerado.

Between : and O'Clock last night negro
named Abe Townsend was shot and i'll
stantly killed by another negro named
Wallace. As 10 the circumstances Ofthe hOm-
icide we are placed in possession of the fol-
lowing gfrOm reliable gentlemen: Some time
AGO a state of bad feeling seems TO have arisen
i'm the heart of Townsend against Wallace.
Several times he had sent word to Wallace
that he intended 10 kill him and his wife
as soon as lie got i chance, and would also
murder Mr.. J. w. Hamilton, the gentle
man who employed Wallace. Yesterday
afternoon, abOut three o'clock, Townsend
met q negro who vas going to work in
field with Wallace. and told him TO tell
Wallace that hc was going to Kill him al
first sight. Townsend sent the same mes
sage by other persons 10 Wallace, and later
in the evening went TO Mr.. HamiltOn'S
house and called Wallace to the door, and
also asked for Mr.. Hamilton. After re
heating his threats against Mr.. Hamilton,
Wallace and his wife, Townsend left.
Having business down in the city and
fearing personal violence from Townsend,
Wallace armed himself With a musket; and
as he was going from the railroad track
along Oak street, near the cor
ner Of South Summer, met Town
send. What occurred here is not
known, save that Wallace fired his musket
hitting Townsend under the right armpit,
producing death almost instantly. At the
time Wallace shot Townsend, rs was as
certained upon examination of his body,
he was armed with & dOuble-barreled shot
gun and large pistol. lie must have been
in the act of firing on Wallace when the
latter killed him, since his, TOwnsend's gun
went off almost simultaneously with Wal
lace'S. 4 half-pnt empty whisky bottle
was also found on the body of Townsend.
From what we can learn he was born in
Giles county, and was 4 desperate negro.
worthless, and in fact not respected even by
his c0lOrpd associates. lie is thought 10
he connected with several larcenieS commit
! ted in this city. He appears 10 have
/ had no home, and lived upon
the confidence Of his uSuSpeCting race and
! by thieying. His emmity towards Mr.. Ham
| iltOn and Wallace is supposed to have arisen
| from the fact that they were in possession
| of information that would most likely COLI
| Wet him Of larceny. Wallace is regarded as
! 4 very good negro, is meek and well behaved.
! After killing Townsend he gave himself up
! to the authorities and also executed bond
| i'm the sum Of $1,000 to appear before
! Justice Wilkinson for trial at ,
| O'Clock this afternoon. He in fact
in no way wishes to evade investigation and
does not hesitate, when asked, to tell the
circumstances Of the killing. At any rate
| be has the sympathy Of the community in
Kidding it of an obnoxious character and
/ those who heard the testimony before the
! Coroner's jury believe Wallace was iustifi-
able in the act. Coroner Everett summoned
a Jury ofmquest who, after hearing the evil
! dence, returned verdict to the effect that
! Abe Townsend came TO his death by gun
! shot from the hands of Andrew Wallace
His body was turned over to r. II. Groomes
! q Co for burial.