The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-12-05
The Harrodsburg Tragedy.
Correspondence Of the Courier-Journal.
HARRnDsBURe, KY, Nov 81.

Correspondence Of the Courier-J ournal.l
HARRoDsBURe, KY, Nov 81.
Our town is in a terrible state OF
excitement, caused by the difficulty
which happened in the courthouse
Yesterday afternoon, and which re-
suited in the killing of three men and
woumding of three others.
The parties engaged in the affray
were. Phil. d. Thompson, ST., an old
and distinguished LAWYER of our town
and brother of ex-senator J. b.
Thompson, and his three sons, viz
ID. NJ. Thompson, Phil. B. Th0mp-
son, Jr., Commonwealth Attorney
for this district, and j. B. Thompson,
Jr., County Attorney, against Theo-
dore Ii. Davis, Esq, and his three
sons, Theodore, Jr., Larue and Cald-
well. Circuit Court has been in ses-
lion for several days, and was at the
time this shooting occurred, with
Judge Wickliffe on the bench. The
petit jury had just retired for few
minutes, when all of a sudden pis-
rol shot was heard, followed bV
twenty-five or thirty others stimuli
taneousiy almost inside of the house
which was crowded at the time
The excitement was intense. Men
umbled headlong out of the win
dOws and doors. Doctors, lawyers
citizens and the judge himself rushed
for place of safety, piliug one upon
top of another, secreting under and
behind benches and pillars. The
stove and courthouse walls were
literally riddled with bullets, while
two men lay dead on the floor, one
other MORALLY and three others slight
ly wounded,
Theodore Davis, Sr., was shot
through the heart aud died immedi-
ately, and his son, Larue Davis, after
receiving four bullets in his body,
fell, and died in a few minutes.
Theodore Davis, Jr., was shot
through the body and in tho hand
He lived until this morning and ex-
pired about ten o'clock. He walked
from the courthouse to the Adams
Express Office after he was shot, and
did not at the time think he was ser
ously hurt. Phil. B. Thompson, Sr.,
vas shot through the right thigh. j.
B. and his brother, P. b., Jr., were
wounded slightly and several holes
shOt through their clothing. d. M,
another brother, also had his clothes
perforated with bullets. One ball
passed through his hat. The fight,
though sudden, was not wholly I'M
expected, for it was generally known
hat both parties were armed, and
Judge Wickliffe had the day previ-
pus ordered the sheriff to arm him
self and deputies, and be ready to
quPll any disturbance that might
rise, and to nip it in the bud at all
hazards. However, when the diff
Guilty did begin the danger was
Sheriff, with the judges permission
had gone home. The 10th of De-
cembrr has been set for the examin-
ng trial, and until then no further
particulars will be brought TO light.
The cause of the fight was about
suit which had been brought by one
Mpux against Theodore Davis for
3 500. Davis swore that he had
pail the money, and produced the
note as evidence, and Mr.. ThOmp-
son. Sr., commended that the note had
not been paid and that it had been
~urrpptitiously obtained from his
desk. Such, am informed, was in
substance the origin of the difficulty
which terminated so seriously.
A father and three sons were ar
rayed against father aud three sons,
and whilst 1 write. father and two
sons lie dead in one house, while a
father and two sons lie wounded in
another. Both families live on the
same street, not far apart. The bat
tie, for such it may be called, was
short. fierce and decisive. There was
no Pickering. All the parties were
cool and determined and not shOl
was fired at random or without aim.
The dead will be buried in one
grave Tomorrow, and Wednesday,
the Goth of November, 1873, will
hereafter be known as the ''BlOody
Wednesday in the history of Har-
From the Harrodshurg People,
Since writing the above we have
been informed that Theodore DI
viess, Jr., short time before his
death, sent a message to the ThOmp
sons, asking their forgiveness and
them for the bodily harm
inflicted on him. An affecting Incl
dent occurred not long before his
death. On either side of his bed
stood two men who had been bitter
Addressing them, he said
''you have been bitter enemies now
share hands over my dying body"
and so, by the bed of bloody death
the two men became friends. TheC-
dore, Jr., also said soon after he was
shot, that the encounter was brought
on by the rashness of Larue, and
begged his mother not TO prosecute
the case. The ThOmpsCns profound
" deplOre the dire necessity which
drove them into the conflict.