Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-07-29
MEMPHIS.
A Mysterious Murder.
A Citizen Killed at His Wife's Bed.
i5 side
No clue to the Murderer.

Special to the Louisville Courier-Ieurnal
MEMPHIS, July 21.-The city was
startled this morning at an early hour by
the report that Mr.. Frank M. Moore, well.
known citizen, had been assassinated be-
tween two and three O'Clock, at his own
house, and just IS he was about retiring.
Such tragedy naturally caused great ex.
element, aud, as the news of the event
spread with startling rapidly over the city,
many theories as to the cause inducing the
murder were INDUCED In. Various re.
ports were prevailing as explanatory of the
horrible deed, which, in damnable, shock
IL g character has scarcely parallel in the
annals OF crime. One report was that the
unfortunate victim had been discovered
with an abandoned woman and shot by bis
vie. This proved untrue, as Mr.. Moore
was shot through the brain while standing
by the bedside Of his wife; but by whom
the deed was Committed, has not been and
may rot be ascertained.
Visiting the scene
The scene of the tragedy has been visited
during the day by hundreds of citizens,
and even hit there are crowds there.
The coroner's investigation WIS very short
one, and afford ed
No Clue
to the parpetrator of the horrible deed.
The police have, however, are sted two me-
gro men named Edward Williams and t.
W. Williams, who rented houses from Mr..
Moore, and are said to be guilty of the as
ssssinasion. One of them, T. w. Williams,
last Saturday week bad difficulty with
Moore in relation to his rent, which Moore
was in the habit of collecting weekly. 1t is
said that the negro seized brickbat and
was about to commit an assault,
when some one inberferred. Wheth-
er the negroes referred to are guilty
or not, it is certain that a difficulty
occurred between one Of them and Mr..
Moore, causing some gossip in the neigh
bOrhood. This, however, is regarded only
as plaus be pretext for the ascription f
guilt to the negroes. By others it is thought
this difficulty was in no manner connected
with the immediate cause of the murder,
which is involved in mystery. One theory
is that it is the work of desperate burglars,
who having invaded the residence, and find
ing themselves discovered, shot their victim
as be sprang out of the bed, where his wife
was sleeping unconscious of the dreadful
fate of her husband.
A Certainty and a Surmise.
One thing Is certain, however, and that is
that the pistol was fired from point on
level with Moore's head, as the ball entered
the brain just above the left ear, and
lodged In direct liue from that level. 1t
is silrmised by some that Moore had diff
fcul5y with his wife, and that her nephew,
young man who slept in an adjoining
room, came to her relief and killed him.
But no ma Ks of s ruggle are visible, and
the police do not consider this theory of
enough importance even to arrest the
nephew. Further details will be sent
should there be anything new developed.
To the Associated Press.
No Clue TO the Assassin.
MEMPHIS, July S.-TheIassassnation of
Frank Moore yesterday morning is still
shrOuded in mystery, and excites much in
terest, but the police are still unable to
throw any light upon the subject.
The COrOner's Inquest-A Nephew OF
MRS. Moore said to be the Guilty
Party.
LATER.-The assassination of Frank NJ.
Moore yesterday morning has been the all
absorbing topic on the streets to-day. Cor.
SAlS& Soho OAA Law q POoS hlOlSO OAollho-
ton of the body made, and the bail which
caused death extracted. 1t proved to be a
large conical ball, fired from cartridge pis-
toll or gun. After the examination of num-
Der Of witnesses, including Mrs. Moore,
wife of deceased, the jury returned YER
dict that deceased came to his death from q
pistol shot fred by JOS Hanson, nephew of
Mrs. Moore, who was sleeping in the house,
and that be was instigated thereto by Mrs.
Moore. 1t has been assertained that since
their marriage his wife left him for eighteen
months, and that their marriage had been
an unhappy one. She testified that they
spent the evening preceding the murder at
Moore's mothers on Union street, and re-
turned home before eleven O'Clock and re-
tired; whilss Mrs. Brechette, who keeps
saloon corner Union and Desoto, some six
squares distant, testified that Moore was at
her saloon at 1870 that night and talked to
her of his unhappy marriage.
Killed by Failing from a Window.
Vim. Storm, barkeeper on the steamer
Phil Allen, fell from his window in the
second story of Ayers block, on Second
street, last night and was killed instantly.
It is supposed he fell asleep while sitting in
the window.
The Crop Outlook.
The crop reports from Arkansas are very
encouraging, rains during the past ten days
having brought oct both corn and cotton,
though in the region of Jacksonport rain is
much needed. Reports from Mississippi are
conflicting in regard to cotton, but corn crops
will not yield more than half crop, owing
to drouth, while in the neighborhood of
Okalona, Kosciusko and Brandon both
cotton and corn will make a poor yield,
while in addition to drouth, worms have
appeared in Westburn. Corn will only
yield half a crop, but cotton prospects is
fair.