National Republican., 1874-04-02
/ DIABOLICAL MURDER,
"A RESPEcT4BLE REGRo KfELED BR
HIS WIFEzS PARAM9UR.

HIS W7fk7S PARAhSOhs
EHE MURDERER ENTIeEs MS NicLiM
AWAY TO SEE A SICK MoTHEE AM
POUNDS Hfs HEAD TO A 5ELLf-hE SoN-
FEssES HIS CRIME AND Is LoDoED -
PRISON AMID THE GREATEST EANiaE-
AENT. --
A corrssnoDdeut Of the Lynchburg, Va, Re
,.,.bl,1,,. writing from Chatham, Pittsylvania
-copntv. March 25, gives tho following de-
tofls Of one of the most deliberate brutal and
horrible tragedies which has ever occurred In
that section of the country: ''The people of
this usually quiet village were thrown into con-
siderable excitement yesterday by suspicion be-
ing aroused OF foul play having been used about
negro named Albert Barksdsle, who has been
missing about three weeks. .Itseens that Al
bert receiveda a summons on the night Of his
disappearance to visit his sick mother, who re-
sides in Halifax county. The man who brought
him the message was negro by the name OF
Joe Clarke, who has for q long tine oeen on
very intimate terms with Barksdale's wife. He
told him that he had just meta man from
Halifax, who had been sent In great haste to
summons him to visit the BEDSIDE oil his dying
mother; that the messenger, beingVery tired,
had stoned at a barn about two miles distant,
and asked him to come and bring him (Barks-
dale) to him.
Barksdale and Clarke immediately departed
for the barn to see the messenger, and that was
the last seen of him until this morning, when
one of the most horrible sights ever witnessed,
in the shape of human brutality, was presented
in the form of Barksdale's body, buried in
mud hole, with his head manglsd into = perfect
Jelly. Suspicion was aroused on yesterday by
his wife stating that she had received a letter
from him, and that he was Gtwork for Mr..
Hart, at Clover depot, on Their. & d. railroad;
but Clarke had returned the next morning
after the disappearance, and told it around
that Rarksdale had asked himto do his work
while he was gone, and he accordingly made
BarksdsIe's house his home,. staying there
every night.
Some of the negroes who knew the relations
existing between Clark and Barksdale's wife,
not being satisfied that ell was right, tele-
Rrsphed TO Mr.. Hart, at Clover. depot, to know
ifBarksdale wGs there, when he Immediately
replied that he was not, and had not been about
there. Clark was, after consultation among
the authorities and citizens, then arrested as
being the murderer of Bskksdale; but he stoutly
then interviewed, making several conflicting
statements. Among other things she said she
had washed some clothes for Clark, all stained
with blood; said she had not received letter
from Barksdale, and such other things as led
the officers to believe that she knew all about
it, and they also arrested her as an accompliee
in the crime. They were both confined in the
Jail last night to await further, developments
this morning.
By this time the whole village was thorough
" aroused to the highest state ,of excitement,
and early this morning large party of officers
and citizens started in search of the body Of
Barksdale, dead or alive. About eleven o'clock
the news came to the village that the body had
been found, when the whole town, with one in |
stinct rushed out in the widest state Of excite
ment to where it was reported the body was |
found. On reaching the place designated, it |
proved to be spot rarely if ever hequeDted by |
the citizens of the neighborhood, ION branch |
which was thickly overgrown with bushes and
briars, and it was almost impossible to pene-
trste into the spot. 1t seems he had tried to
dig grave few yards higher up the branch,
which he failed to cover up, and then dug an
other, apparently round hole, into which he |
threw the head of the body, and then dug out |
q trench for the feet, which were only about |
two inches under the ground.
By this time there had assembled about five |
hundred negroes, who expressed themselves as |
highly indignant at the brutality Of the murder,
and spoke of lynching both Clark and the wo- |
man. A jury Of inquest was summoned, and |
the body dug out and examined, when, to use |
the words of the doctor who examined It, 1t was |
the worst mashed uphead he ever saw. He was |
knocked down frstswith stone and then hit on |
the back of the head with an ak. The body pre- |
sented truly horrible sight. 1t was placed in |
q wagon and driven to the jail, where the pris-
oners were allowed to view it through the bars
It was then placed in the basement of the court
house, decently shrouded, placed il. a plain
coffin, aEd exposed to the view of the curious |
hundreds
In the evening an immense crowd, of white |
and colored citizens, Assembled to hear the |
funeral discourse, which was delivered By col |
ored minister He ,counseled his colored |
brethren to Let the law take its own course; said
he was better prepared to preach the funeralofl
the assassin Oh the gallows than that of the
deceased; he said the law of both God and mani
had been violated, and the criminal must meet
his just doom on the scafTold.. This somewhat
Hliayed the excitement for while. But inthe
meantime Clark, who had stoutly declared his
innocence, asked to have al interview with the
murdered mans wife. he was accordingly con-
Quoted TO her cell-when he kissed her and said |
he hoped she would meet him in, heaven. He
then confessed TO the brutal murder; said he
was alone connected with the deed; that he |
killed him about three-quarters of o mile from
where he concealed the body. but that he did it |
in selfdefence. The colored population are
clzmorous for his execution. They say he
should be tied to the stake and burned.
About the time of the confession another
negro came up, whom it was known was too
intimate with another mans wife. There was
strong talk of visiting summary vengeance
upon him. He was finally let of, and given
twelve hours to leave the place. The negroes
declare their intention of driving all such char
acters from the village. In this action they are
encouraged by all the white citizens of the
place.
Barksdsle has the character of being one of
the best negroes in the county, while Clark is
one of the nost notorious rogues and gamblers
to be found In the Stete of Virginia.
THE HYSTERY OF THE DaUPHIY