The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-08-07
Under Sentence of Death.

On the Sth day of August, 1873, in a
public road, and not far from the town
of Salisbury, in the dusk of the evening,
a young negro man named Robert Bas.
kin, who was reared in or about Tupelo.
Mississippi, shot and killed an old gem
tleman named John NARROW, a peaceable
and quite citizen of this county, while he
was riding along towards his home.
The murder was committed for the uur-
pose of robbery, and long before old
man Marlow's body was cold, Baskin was
miles away, flying through the country on
/ the murdered mans horse. Two bullet
holes were found upon Marlow's body
one in the back and the other in the
forehead, either of which was sufficient
/ 70 produce death. Bob Baskin was the
last man seen in the company of Marrow;
he was seen following close behind him
on foot not more than two or three
hundred yards from the spot where Mar
! lows body was found on the morning of
| the 9th of August. The two shots which
he fired were heard by persons living in
the vicinity. Baskin took the old mans
knife and N mounting the object for which
he murdered him, gut out for place of
safety He passed rapidly through Ubet,
through Corinth, and on to Tupelo,
where he was arrested. From thence
he was brought to Bolivar and has been
in Jail at this point ever since, and where
he will remain until Saturday, the Goth
+ day Of September next, at which time he
will be executed for the terrible crime
which he committed.
His trial was put off from one term to
another for good and sufficient reasons.
but at the July term of our Circuit Court
be was put on trial. He aad the weight
of able and earnest counsel, and faced
as intelligent 4 jury as ever sat on a
i similar case in this State. Testimony
was fully taken, and the arguments were
exhaustive on 10th sides We heard
the testimony in the case and must say
that never in all our experience did re
Sc q clearer case Of murder made out
Everything and everybody pointed to
Baskin and fixed the horrible crime Of
murder in the first degree without miti,
eating circumstances upon him. Moth
ing could change the current of the tessi
mony-it was all one way
Judge Flippin charged the jury ably
and we'll Their verdict as murder
in tie first degree aointout mitigating
circumstance, and itmet with universal
approval from all classes of our people.
Sentence was passed on Baskin by
Judge Flippin on Thursday, but it seem
ed to make bur little impression upon
him
It was useless for his counsel to ap-
peal Tie case-thore was not the least
canse for such action no hope Of escape.
and on the 26th Of next month, Robert
Baskin, young man, in the very prime
Of life, will have 70 yield up the ghost,
bid adisu to the scenes Of earth and 60
to tina. bourne from whence no traveller
returns, because he murdered Il poor old
deFenseless man on enc OF the public
highways Of the country. He has con
fesseI the bloody deed ar d corroborated
all the testimony, direct and circumstan-
ciI, introduced during the trial, even
going into minute details as to how the
old man begged for his life ere the second
bullet went crushing through his brain
Horrible picture; we hope we may
never have TO scketch G2other ike It,