New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-08-19
The baggage master. John Corning killed, and the
engineer and one brakeman seriously injured Inc
passengers escaped unhurt
Il WESTERN MYSTERY.
REPORTED MASSACRE ON THE MISSISSIPPI

REPORTED MASSACRE ON THE MISSISSIPPI.
MEMPHIS, Aug. 17.-Early this morning a
fisherman discovered the little steamer Helen Brooks
floating down Head Cheeks Chute, ten miles
above here and apparently abandoned. He rowed out
to the steamer made line fast and pulled her toward
the bank but before reaching IL negro, with shot
gun on his knee sitting position asleep on the lower
deck As soon as the boat struck the bank the negro
started up leaped ashore and ran into the woods The
fisherman boarded the steamer and found traces OF
desperate struggle the decks being wet with blood lie
then to this city and reported what he had done
and seen. Subsequently the Grand rover, rom a.
Louis, arrived here bringing message rom tue Mag
stating that OF the Helen Brooks and the pro-
pretors and families OF trading boat which the Brooks
had owed up there, had been murdered ana inc ooas
plunderod Assistance was at once dispatched on tne
Pott aud mis- brother the proprietors Of the trading
boat together with their wives ana TWO uaSers "eIo
all murdered and their bodies thrown into the rver'
A FATAL oUARREL-THE NEGRo's STORY.
MEMPHIS, Aug. 18.-Later advices from Brad
eys Landing are that after the tug Helen Brooke
arrived there with the trading boat James Irumbull went
on board and being drunk gan tring with the machin
cry. Capt Pott ordered him TO desst to which Irum
bull replied with opprobrous epithets and threatened 10
throw POtt overheard. Pott then took up shot
gun, and ordered Trumbull of the boat
Trumbun went before Justice Walt and swore
out a warrant accusing Pott OF retailing liquor without
license upon which the latter arrested by coored
constable and taken before magistrate. His wife,
leaving her infant with two women on the boat, accom-
panied him. After waiting until nearly dark Potts
brother fearing trouble, took the boat over to Island
No. 40, and made fast to the shore That night Down
ing the eolored constable, Tumbul, and man called
Hans, took ski6 pressed two negroes into their SER
vice, and ordered them to row across and land above
the steamer, which was done
"Ches," one of the negroes says that on landing
Downing and his party ordered them to remain quiet
under penalty Of death. Downing and his companions
then crept cautiously toward the boat, which they
boarded, and after loud cry was heard ana then
several shots in quick succession. "Ches then saw
them pursuing Capt POtt's brother, who had Jumped
ashore and firing bim Whether he was killed or not DC
does not know Pott the only one seen by Ches,
and he thinks two other men, one OF whom was named
Robinson two women, and three children, were killed
and thrown overheard When "Cbes" and his partner
called TO the boat, they saw no one but Downing
Trnmbull and Hans who broke into the bar, and the
entire party got drunk. "Ches" remembers nothing
more until the boat landed by the fisherman as
stated last night when he jumped ashore and made his
way 10 Bradleys where the widest excitement pre-
vailed as nothing had been OF POtt or his party,
while Downing and his party had disappeared; and,
from that the boat had been pundered, IL is
feared the whole rary has been murdered.