The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-08-19
MEMPHIS.
Horrible Murder-. Foundry and Got.
ton Sheds Burned; Loss e40, ,00O..
Seizure Of Track Of Memphis & Lit.
In u

| nOtIlDle muIueFasFOunuryn ana COga
ton Sheds Burned; Loss 04O, ,OOD..-
Seizure Of Track Of Memphis & Lit
tie Rock Il. r. % H.
MKARHIs, August II. early this morn.
ing q fisherman discovered the little
steamer Helen Brooks floating down near
the head Of Checks Chute, some ten miles
above here, apparently abandoned. Row.
ing Quito her he made q line fast 10 the
skia and started TO land her. Before land.
ing, however, he discovered q negro sit.
ting asleep on the lower deck with o shot
gun In his lap. When the boat struck the
bank the negro started up, jumped ashore
and ran into the woods. The fisherman
on boarding the boat found traces Of q
desperate struggle, the decks being wet
with bloom. He came 10 this city and
reported what he had done, and when
subsequently the Grand Tower from St.
Louis arrived here the officers brought
message from the maglstrateat Bradley's
landing, IS miles above here, that the crew
Of the Helen Brooks and the proprietors
family OF a trading boat, which the
Brooks had towed up there, had been
murdered and the boat plundered. As.
sistance was at once dispatched on the
steamer John Oyerton. The report is
that Capt. William Pratt and his brother,
two proprietors Of trading boat, their
wives and two daughters, were all muir.
dered and thrown into the river. ...r
A fire broke out early this morning In
Paine's cotton shed, on Poplar street, near
Fourth. 1t soon spread to, the Central
Foundry, owned by Charles Gustmain.
Both were consumed. A number Of
small frames adjoining, occupied by ne.
groes, were likewise burned. Loss, $40,-
600. Very little insurance. The origin
Of the fire is unknown.
Gen. Smith, Surveyor OF Customs at
this port, has seized portion OF the track
OF the Memphis and Little Rock Railroad
for unpaid duties on rails to the amount
OF $4,000 gold, and is tearing up the in.
clined plane TO the transfer boat and
bringing it to this side. About 800 rails
have been torn up. 1t is supposed that
no more Of the track than is necessary to
cover the debt will be torn up.
MEMPHIS, August 1S.-Later. advices
from Bradley's Landing, are that soon
alter the Helen Brooks arrived there with
the trading boat, man named James
Trumbull went on board, and being
drunk, commenced triGing with the ma.
chinery. Capt. Pratt ordered him to
desist, TO which Trumbull replied with
approbrious epithets, and threatened to
throw Pratt overheard. Pratt took up
shot gun and ordered him off the boat.
Trpmbull went before Esquire Walt
and swore out warrant accusing Pratt
OF retailing liquor without license, and the
latter was arrested by colored constable
and taken before a magistrate. His wife
leaving her infant with two women on the
boat, accompanied him. After waiting
until nearly dark, Pratt's brother fearing
trouble, took the boat over TO Island
Forty, and made 1t fast to the shore. That
night Denning, the colored constable,
Trumbull, and man named Hass, took
skltf pressing two negroes into service, or
dered them TO row across and land above
the steamer, which was done. One Of the
negroes says that on landing Downing
and party ordered them TO remain quiet
under penalty of death. Downing and
party then crept cautiously towards the
boat, which they boarded, and soon after
a loud cry was heard and then several
shots in quick succession. Ches then
pursued Captain Pratt's brother, who had
jumped ashore, and fired on him. Wheth-
or he was killed or not he does not know.
Pratt was the only one by Ches, and he
thinks the other men, one OF whom was
named Robinson, two women and three
children were killed and thrown over.
bOaad. When Ches and his partner were
called to the boat they saw no one but
Downing, Trumbull and Haus, who broke
into the bar and the entire party got
drunk, Ches remembering nothing more
until the boat was landed by the fisher
man, as stated last night, when he jumped
ashore and made his way back to Brad.
ley's where the widest excitement pre-.
vailed, as nothing had been seen OF Pratt
or his party, while Downing and party
had also disappeared, and from the fact
that the boat had been plundered 1t was
feared that the whole party had been
murdered.