Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-12-14
Claims TO have Always been a Law,
Abiding Citizen, aud Thinks the
Peattentisry would be Pun
ishment Enough,
FRANK scorr,s STATEMENT

him for the ninety cents he owed M, as il
was my business out that day 70 collect money
70 pay OF my hired labor; when he came By ]
hailed h IN, and the answer he gave me was
IN a loud tone of voice, as follows; "ThaL's
three Of you that's been on 10 me this mGrn-
ing for money" BE then said. "Do you mig
gers think am q fool and am going to pay
cut my money when Christmas is right here
at handP II you do, wouldn't do IL TO save
your lives" He drove past and said moth
Ing more to him; that was about three quar-
tors OF 9 mile fron the bridge where he passed
ne. When he got to the bridge
was about one hundred and seventy yards
behtnd him; he stopped there and waited un-
I'll could come up; when / CA TIP he
dropped his head over 10 his left shoulder and
said: What did you stop me Tor back yon.
derf" Said l, "Rsnson, stopped you 10 ak
you for the money you owe me-" "Do ycu ali
ntggsS think I'm gwlne to pay out all my
money, and ieAee myself bare of money,
when -infistmas is right here al hand9 /
XII a Niger INST" dRanson, said, that
money toward making q payment TO Mrs.
Willis for some bed-quilts which had bought
from her" LET Mrs. Wills go 10 the
devil. Ny wife wants things as well
ssys 1, 'iaanBom you are not complying with
your promisei you are not treating me like
tiemsn;" then said he: "You s-n OF b-ch,
ifyou stand TO my face and abuse me that way
IiI bust your brains out" and as he spoke the
words he jumped of OF the wagon AMI struck
me oVer the hesd with heavy hickory whip
handle; he also rushed upou me and caught
me with his left hand in the collar, and con-
unued 10 strike me on the head with the whip
handle; his son jumped of tho wagon ana
pitched in TO help his daddy fight me, and
80, .: xiii him DADDY, |, t's k IL him." never
VIII forget these words; saw he was getting
the best OF me by striking he
on the head with tie whip hsndle,
although defended my head as best 1 could
with my left arm. n the tussel pulled him
from the frnnt end of the WAGON to the hind,
and said: "RsnEOm II you don'G quit strikn &
me on the head with that whipAnanGle In
shoot yCu." He answered, "Shoot me then,
that's all the way you can do anything win
me-" defended my head with my lefL hand
as well as could, and run my risoJ hand IN
my pocket AID pulled out my pistol; he
changed the blows from nay faceto M hand
asd Knocked the weapon out of my nsnd, and
MS son picked IL up, and tried to
pistol, he couldn't fire 1t; he then commenced
striking me with the pistol, l being engaged
with The father defending the licEs OF my
head as best cou d made chance to make
backhand lick and Knock the pistol out of
the boys hend, he grabbed for the pi- tOl
again and grabbed to-, the father still strlk-
ing me with the whip-handle; ducked in,
grabbing the pistol that time myself, when 1
grabbed the pistol, defending my head with
the LETT hand, had mind u shoot him
(RansOm) in the arm, so as 20 prevent him
striking me any more; but took no aim, but
as l grabbed IL up and suaighteued up l nred
it, be having his left hand IN my collar and
his len SIDE 10 me, Of course ne caught II IN
his left side; he received the ball under the
left rib and II ranged up and he tossed him
self over 10 his got side, fell loose from me;
his right side struck the grSund first; he then
rolled over on his back and threw both arms
out wide, with the small end Of the whip
handle grssped in his right hand, just as ne
mad held 1t when he was striking me on the
head with it, alter receiving the hhot he
never ratstd his hand nor spoke a wold: he
6d Sied Immediately ,S on the spot; by this tlme
lsms nting, and they came up as
was standing by the man and
says, Lord, Mister, couldn't you get along
Without killing that mRn?" rays l. "Didn't
you see that man trying 10 bust my brains
out with q whip-handle, which he threatened
70 do" "Yes, saw that, replied one of the
his son had fed at the fre OF the pistol; 1
then started across the bridge 10 where some
meR were getting out boards, and with whom
l had worked and was acquainted; as was
going ri the bridge met nvs or SIX niggers,
men and women; they paid not much Rtten-
ton TO me, looking forward at the man lying
dead aud the woman lamenting over him; in
going down of the foot OF the bridge, on the
other side, l met white man 10 buggy
though he said nothing 10 me; before got
very far from there he got to where the nlg-
gers were around the dead body, aud reck-
oued t. at he told them 20 go and stop the
man who did the shooting; very soon alter he
got 70 the spot there came nve or six negroes
following me back, with big pistols; l WAS
walking at = moderate gait along the road,
across the bo:tomi bsfore got to those par
Ties where was going TO Tell them the CIR
cumBtances, and how that man had treated
me, and what had done TO him, there were
TOUR or i've negfoe who ran and overlook me,
three OF them having Dig pistols in their
hands and demanded my arrest 1
walked on some distance, giving them
angry words, and they threatened 10 shoot
me, and presenting their pistols; didn't like
10 come back anu surrender up to them;
thought could see that couldn't get justice
out of that party; my aim was to go where
there we're three men at work and TO come to
town with them, as knew they would see me
tusuhed; but them nlggers / knowed /
wouldn't get Justice by them, for they were
clan OF negroes who on the sixth of the August
past had melted mob among them, and gen.
eraled II in way to Kill q negro-shOt him
dead; there We're some twelve or fourteen OF
them In II, and three OF the negroes demand
ing my arrest were the lea .Ing men of that
mob; the negro they killed mis- name was
Peter Barracks; most any OF the citizens In
the sixth civil district know this 10 be the
truth; he was killed at the house of negro
named Jen Manner, II / mistake not; never
have learnt whethe- The law ever affected the
or not; didn't feel disposed 10
give my self up to the cha ge of such charac-
IeEs, for parties VINO will do such an act ~
tn 81 are liable TO commit any crime; they'll
make up false tales and swear mans life
away Just as easy and Is free y ss they set a
trap to get q man into TO shoot him dead; the
preJ udice they had against me was this:
Their nelghborhood Is seJiltd Ia with ut.
ras eons and outbreakIng and ouLlawsd
and they had rule among tn m
there at that time of carrying on fairs anu
had up some excitement in the eneighbornoud,
and more or less every day the Wo en- aGd
men we're inviting me out Ia these frOlic.;
that life dtdn'L suit me; therefore i didn't
take sidts with them; 1 worked h Ari for my
money; wouldn't spend it in that way; bu;
they wouid have their bai's and fruii1s, get
drunk, rush up and down the road all times
At night, firing of guus and pistols, alarming
the citizens OF the neigh oorh0Od in their civil
6lumb ber, and because / wouldn't take 8 share
AID a part with them in that kind on a life, as
soon as they got this opportunity al me -
prison me or tsks my lie by false swearing,
hen they thought they would get their salts
there was Jack PinKney, oEs OF my
nearest neigh bors, sho came up and swOre
false y against me ;thiS man Phi rs that shot
was not on god 10, ms vita PinkneS, and the
formers family knew II, and when shot him,
they, Niger like, thought that Pinkney was
81 d lha, PhipPs was deadi they accused him
threatened Pinkney with the law; ne through
fear OF the law taking hold Of him and 10
please thtsa parties, volunteered himself and
came up to the court and swore that ne heard
NE say the morning that | shot PhiIps; that
II Was going 10 take q stick anu stare on The
bridge Rsd stay right and left OF them that
owed me" proved rode across tue bridge
on the wagon, and was three quar- ters OF d
mile from the bridge and coming back toward
it when Phipps overlook me; the evening be-
fore The shooting was IN town {, buy some
Two men passed me who owed me money,
I ne Mr.. John Baker and the other John De-
mint; ! called at his house atout sun
down; he IMr. Baker, was not at home
bnt leaned L. st he would be home very quicE
De came between seven and eight, and said
he did not have the money, the amount being
one dollar, but he would pay me Saturday 1
asked him for half. and I'll consider IL a set
ne laughed. and said ne would see
II he could get Ihs fifty cents, but wouldn't
consider II 3 settlement; 1 waited at the gate,
and he went in and got 1t, came back SAYS:
- = eres nfty cents, call some time and II pay
you the other fiity cents" "no, Mr.. Baker, I
have fore said that I would consider that a
settlement, and i also consi eT II a settle
ment;" answered, and gave Tim no angry
words no words Of sass at all then bid him
"sood night" and passed away; about halt a
mile from there, going on TO home, passed
near by where a colored man owed me a dol
lar, by the name OF John Demint; Il had
been due, by promise, ten days; as l was
needing money % pay on my hired hands, /
thought / would call and get the dollar he
was owing me; he was at supper, and 1 told
him was in hurry, and would like 70 get
the dollar he owed me; he sald he ought 70
have paid Il long ago but said he would pay
me the next day wi bout q doubt; he got up,
and started away out OF the house 10 where he
GlSpt, and thought, - ne bRi deceived NE
Oh o fair promise, had letter revive him upon
It; got up with him ~ the road, thirty yards
nom the houks, IL beisg al least eight O'clock
st night, and / called him; be stopped, ard
tod htrS WaS Ia miQlty press Tor money