Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-01-14
Court, Murders, whisky, Rtc.
TAzEwELL, TENN, Jan. 7tb. Il

-'@t a1NANsf JaHs flDt IOtts
EDITORS CHRONICLE: by your permis-
sion Will give you brief item of what is
going onin Claiborne and Union counties,
as soon as possible, not being n citizen of
either county. Leaving Knoxville on
Monday last, accompanied by the right
bower of the marshal's office and United
State gauger, we wended our way through
the mud to Maynardvile. Arriving at
this little village, we were just in time to
be too late The battle was over, whisky
drank up and the smoke cleared away
but when II come TO counting noses, il
was found that Bill Toliver had relieved
Alex. Merritt of a part of his nose in
The fray. His Honor John Huddleston,
having adjourned County Court, and a
public guardian of the peace making the
necessary arrest, peace and quietude was
restored before our nose could be counted.
Having rested our weary limbs under Es-
qulre Bakers roof for the night, morning
found us again on the road to TaZewell.
At this place we found His Honor Judge
Rardolph holding court, during the ses-
sion OF which one man had been elected to
cell in O'Conner's legislature for stealing
an OK. ....
But, Messrs, Editors, the most horrible
crime OF the day is that of the muir
der OF Thomas Ausmus, q brother to
capt VIM. Ausmus, of this county.
Tnomas Ausmus was a good, well-to.do
citizen of Claiborne county, living in or
near Powell's Valley. 1t seems that the
murder was committed for money. have
it from good citizens in the immediate
neighborhOod that one Anias Huneycutt
and Jas. l.. Myers are the murderers from
all the circumstances in fact Huneycutt is
said to have acknowledged committing the
horrible deed. Mryes had previous TO this
committed some misdemeanor, for which
he was scouting, and had horse which he
wished to dispose of at reduced figure for
cash, if Anias would meet him some
where in the woods. Huneycutt desired 20
buy or lease Some land of Anias and ar
raHrenl ents were made to go and look at the
land at which tir.c Q and place Myers should
be on hand with the horse, when, all
trades should be settIeu. This arrange
ment having been accomplished, on last
Saturday morning, Ausmus and honey-
cutt, were seen going IN The direction Of the
place stated, in company, which seems to
be about three miles from Ausmus' homie.
Nothing more was known until late in the
afternoon, when it was found out that
,Ausmus had been wounded by being shot
through the head, then his head terribly
mashed with stones. IL was known
that Ausluus was to make a arge payment
for some land in few days but from tie
best Information the murderers got only
about S25 or $50. r. ..
Myers and Honeycutt fed and as yet no
report of their arrest has been had though
strenuous efforts are being made to effect
the same. 1t seems that Ausmus had al
most raised Honeycutt. Reuben Mas
sengll n citizen of Lee county, Vir-
ginia, living near the Tennessee line,
was called 10 his door on the night of De-
cember 81, shot and instantly killed by
parties. Whisky and bad soci-
ETY. seems to be the causes for this wretch
ed deed.
On Christmas day VIM. Bpgate and
Michael Wolf, of this county, near the
Virginia line, got into a row, which seems
to have been stimulated by whisky, in
which Wolf received one shot, in the arm
and Fugate four shots which will likely
prove fatal. A man named Robinson was
accidentally shot in the row, probably IA
tally. This man Fugate killed a man in
Tazewell some years since and seems to be
a desperate character. Wolf it seems,
acted on the defensive.
We learn from good citizens of Claiborne
county that desperate state of affairs exist
just across the line in the edge of Lee
Virginia. Illicit distilling in
whisky drinking and rowing
What can our revenue men in
Virginia do for this Illicit traffic?
Yours NIDI.