Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-10-28
COLD-BLOODED MURDER.
4 Negro Called from his House After
Dark and Iohumanly Shot TO
Death.

from the Aulville Mo- Tines
On Tuesday evening, a few minute:
before nine o'clock, two men rode up tc
the house Of a negro named John Nc
CRnsland or "Shin, - as he was more com.
monty known, who lived about a mile
south OF this place, on Mrs Mcclure
farm, and asked him to direct them how
TO get 10 this place. AT first be did not
20 out OF the door, but gave them the
necessary directions, which they did not
seem to comprehend, and finally they
asEed him to come out and open the
gate for them, which he did in spite OF
tn caution Of his wife not 10
% out 10 them. Ii seems that be
had opened the gate for them, when one
OF them began cursing him and shot at
him, then three or four shots were fired
in quick su -cession, aud then one after
8 short interval. After the last shot
had been fired one of the murderers said
" Let Us go TO the house" upon which
his wife blew cut the lights, took the
children Ond rsn out into the corn
They then went off at g rapid rate, going
"a a south western direcu n. AS soon as
they were gone the frightened woman
started to return, and heard her bus-
band call to her but when she 90 to
him be was speechiess, and died almost
Immediately. 1t seems that ne must
have been in crOuching position when
he was shot, as the ball entered on the
right side, passed through the kidney,
ranging upward TO the left nipple, where
Il lodged just under the skin, from
whence it was extracted. The alarm
vas AT once given, but as the night was
very dark, nothing was done in the way
of pursuit.
The coroner's inquest was held Oh
"Wednesday, and although the evidence
was altogether circumst8ntial, the Jury
found the following verdict:
That the deceased came to his death
10y pistol-shot in the hands of Polk
Grant jcOiOTed1. -
Grant j. q negro, who at present lives
N johnson county, about two lies
southwest of Oak Grove church, but who
We believed did live in this neighbor-
Do1d. de had had some difficulty with
The deceased, and threats had been
1nSde on both sides Grant came into
town about four o'clock Wednesday
evening and was arrested by Deputy
Constable q. W. Prince. He said that
le had jgst heard of the. killing, and
1oTe up well for one accused OF
50 grave an offense. He was searched
and 8 revolver was found upon his
iers0n which did not suit the bali
which did the d ably work. Constable
Srlnce went TO Grants house as soon as
the verdict was rendered, to arrest him,
and found there in the possession Of
another negro pistol which carried
n9ll OF exactly the same size as that
which did the billing, and we under
stand that a warrant has been issued for
lis apprehension.
There are many circumstances which
render IL improbable that the killing
was done 10y negroes. The wife of the
lfceased says that their voices did not
sound ike negroes, and the deceased
would have known if it had been ne
groes, and would have at once suspected
designs upon himself, and would not
have gone out 20 them. It is known
-hat the deceased had been a hard
character, and had done a great many
pad things, but since his return to this
part OF the country two years ago, he
had behaved very well. There are
other th ngs which may turn mp which
VIII change the aspect of affairs, and
we only hope that justice may be dealt
'ut 10 the goilty parties.