The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-04-14
AN INDIANA TRAGEDY.
A DEADLY FEUD

ToL.LIvERs AND MooDYs-oUT OF CoURT-RE-
VIEW OF THE INTERNAL ATTEMPT AT
WHOLESALE MURDER-LEFT TO FIGHT II
OUT AMONG THEMSELVES.
From Occasional Correspondent OF the sentinel,
BEDFORD, md. April IL, 1s74-The case of
the State of Indiana VS.. DIR. J. Pork Tolliver,
on the charge of arson, has been on trial
during the past week, on change of venue,
before Judge Bicknell. Upon the state
closing the testimony for the prosecution,
the court directed the jury to return a ver-
dict OF mot guilty, as charged in
was released. Although this was
state case it was really Moody rs. Tolliver,
| Montague VS.. Capulet. Thomas Moody fur
nishing the means for a vigorous prosecu-
ton and was the principal witness for the
| state. 1t is said time heals all wounds, but
the snlmosity existing between the above
highly respectable, and once wealthy. citi-
zens of Lawrence county has increased with
time and is likely to be transmitted from
sire TO son. The Moody family is COM
posed of William, John, Joseph, Thomas
Moody and Mary Tolliver, sister. Gordon
b. j. Park, Joseph /. Tolliver and II. b.
Jones comprise the list of sons and sons-in-
law of William Tolliver, deceased. William
Tolliver, deceased. married into the Moody
| family, and upon his death, which occurred
| short time afterwards, she claimed, and
| would not relinquisb, her legal rights as his
widow to one-third of his possessions,
1t was in appointing an administrator that
| trouble first began which has resulted in so
many encounters and personal collisions.
| 1t was shown that the parties were always
belligerent, and upon meeting on trains. at
hotels and public sales, their hands were up
on their revolvers, and only by timely inter-
| ference was bloodshed prevented, In all
their madness there was method, for each
party had both given and received threats
to settle the difficulty according to the
CODE OF THE F.F.v
The crime for which the defendants were
arrested and one tried and acquitted, andall
released, was given in detail in the Sentinel
at the time of its occurrence, on the oath OF
June, 1871. 1t was no less than a carefully
prepared and a carefully executed plot to
exterminate the first named family at one
fell swoop, and attempt to perform the
service OF cremation while the victims
were yet alive On the night of the oath day
of June, ISL, party of II armed despera-
does attacked the dwelling of the MoOdys.
| The doors being open, they entered the house
and placed jugs of benzine under the beds
and in different parts fthe house, stealthily
retreated and at given signal threw
| lighted torpedoes, bursting shells filled
with Greek fire, 20 penny nails,
screws, bucKshot and pieces of iron
| crashing through the windows and inuo the
open doors. The house having been satu-
rated with infiammable benzine was soon a
sheet OF flame. They then commenced a
simultaneous assault with fire arms upon
the burning house and its inmates. Ghe
| sleepers, startled from their slumber so
suddenly, burnt and still burning.
were terrified beyond any power OF
description. Some endeavored to extin-
guish the flames, and one, Thomas Moody,
suffocated by the unbreathable stencil from
the exploding missiles rushed out the open
door and attracted the fire of the party.
He heard distinctly in voice he thought he
recognized, "There goes the damned son of
a b-h, now shoot him." Upon climb.
ing the yard fence he was struck with
"a bullet; it entered near the
spine, and came out on the opposite side,
passing entirely through his body He
managed to get to a neighbours house and
call for assistance. The assailants supposing
their
WORK OF DEATH
and ruinatIon finished, retreated without
being recognized, leaving no traces
or clue from whence they came or
whittier they had gone, and are to this
day, and probably will be for all
time. unknown. The flames were finally
subdued. and community was soon aroused
and rendering assistance to the SUITE rers,
SusplclOn seIIleO upon the IOluNerS. De-
tectives were employed, and have been for
months endeavoring to ferret out the guilty
parties. and with what success has been
stated. All evidence given upon the trial
has not been enough to excite a reasonable
suspicion. That the screws were found
at the factory where ii. B. Jones
worked similar TO the ones upon the floor
alter the house was raided, and that screws
were found scattered over the floor of the
Tolliver kitchen, on the 18th of June. A
written order from Tolliver Bros, who were
druggists, to Louisville firm, for 40 gallons
OF benZine, was introduced, dated April. 1871.
The court, upon its own motion, instructed
the jury TO bring in verdict as before stated.
without permitting the defendant to intro
duce any testimony at all.
Major Gordon, of counsel for the defend
ant, stated he could show, ifpermitted, that
the defendant was in the company of grey
headed men on the night of the oath OF June,
and felt abundantly able to erase the least
suspicion of their guilt. The five brothers
were indicted on FIVE different charges, ar
SOD, assault with intent, conspiracy. etc.
The Honorable d. w. Voorhees,, of counsel
for the state, entered an
NoLL PROS.
ia some cases, and desired a postponment-
Of the rest until next term, on ac-
count OF the absence of witnesses.
Major Gordon replied that his clients were
there ready for trial, and that quite time
enough had been given to search for loose
screws. The cour: being with the major, the
cases, IA in all, were dismissed. The state
was represented by j. w. Tucker, prosecut-
and Isemonger. For defendants, Major JON
ithan w. Gordon and Wilson & Riley.
There is a rumor that the iudefatigabl0-