Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-04-25
UNNINGHAM
The Wretch who Murdered the Poor
Confederate Soldier.
Heartless Conduct Of the Murderer
while COnfessing the Murder.

James Cunningham has been SEN
fenced to be hung at Clinton, Hickman
county, Kentucky, on the seventh OF
tune, for the murder of Joseph Fender
grass, of Alabama, in order to rob the
victim of a sum ofmOEey he was known
to have in his possession. The Hick-
man papers give the following brief
particulars of the tragedy: Joseph PEN
dergrass was the son of a widow who
lived in Alabama. He had been at
. work for three or four months on a
farm about five miles east of Clinton.
On being paid of, he determined to go
home to Alabama. For a few days be-
fore he started Cunningham cultivated
mis- acquaintance and friendship, and
when be started away, Cunningham
proposed going a short distance with
MIN to show him the road around q
field. The two started of together.
Cunningham returned home in due
course of time, and it was supposed that
Pendergrass, the unsophisticated farmer
lad, had proceeded on his journey home,
there to greet his widowed mother and
GLADDEN. the hearts of the household
with his presence and the earnings Of
his honest toll. But the mother waited
in vain for his coming. Finally she
wrote a letter to some one in the neigh
'borhood, inquiring the whereabouts of
her son, but no one could answer her in
quiries. The only reply that could be
made was that the last seen Of him he
was going around the field in company
with James Cunningham, with the
avowed purpose of going home. There
was no clue to what became of him
afteTward, and but for the murderer's
own confession, his fate would probably
have remained an unfathomed and un-
fathOmable mystery to the end of time.
James Cunningham, unsupported and
unasked, told several of his acquaint-
ances separately and at different times
that he himself had murdered Fender
grass for his money-that he had enticed
him into the woods under pretense of
going to a spring, asked him to let him
look at his pistol, and when he had OBJ
tanned possession of it, he aimed it at
him, and told him to prepare to die, for
he was going to kill him-that he shot
him three times, and described the part
Of his head and body in which the shots
had taken effect-that he riied his pOck-
cts, and then left him and went down to |
70 the spring for a drink, and returning
found the life of his victim not yet to-
ally extinct, so he took a knife and cut
his throat. Then he dragged the body
a thicket, intending to bury it, but
hiding the ground too hard, left the body
uncovered lei a log. He then took the
atchel of clothing belonging to the
murdered man and concealed it at a
considerable distance from the body. II
5 said that while relating the incidents
le even laughed at the fright his victim
exhibited while being slain. After tell
ng all this, Cunningham, to prove his
tory, exhibited the pistol and pocket
'OOk which he had taken from Fender
,rass, and told his auditors that if they
Yer divulged the secret he would kill
hem also.
Such a threat, from a man with such
reputation, who could commit so cold
a murder, and boldly and glee-
ully boast of the deed, was well caleu-
ated to frighten the timid into silence.
But finally some one ventured to reveal
he substance of his story. Search was
instituted for the body of Pe~ndergrass,
it was found in the very spot, in the
recise position, and with the identical
described by Cunningham. The
of clothing was also found con-
called as reported.
The chain of circumstances was thus
Omplete. A warrant was issued for the
rrest of Cunningham, but he had fed
be country, and was not found and ar
ested until within a few months past,
hen he was arrested at some place in
and brought back to this State
n a requisition of the Governor.
All the evidence outside the confess
on of the prisoner was doubtful-or at
,ast insufficient-but the confession cor
)borated the evidence. 4.