Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-04-29
DOUBLE MURDER.
Shocking Csse-HOrriiyfRE PsEiieu.
IArs-EWO NesIS p ssaeheTs, Charged
with the Crime. have Fled
the Country.

One Of the most shocking cases Of
double murder that we have ever record
ed has been committed about four miles
west of Cuba, in the fourth civil district
of this county. Last Saturday, one
week ago, as a negro named Thomas
Jones was passing along the Mississippi
river bottom, in the above named vicin-
ity, he was surprised TO see flock Of
buZzards near the edge Of the backwster,
evidently enjoying q feast upon two car
cssses. As Jones approached the spot,
he WAS hoTrified TO perceive the half de-
csyed and lifeless bodies Of two negro
children, which, upon examination, he
recognized as those Of Dock and Mittie
Hodges. children of a negro preacher
named Dave Hodges, who lived in the
neighbOrhoOd. Jones Immediately told
the neighbOrs of his discovery, and Cor
oner Thomas Giles being notified,
summoned q Jury and held an inquest
upon the two bodies. One Of the chill
dren had been struck in the head, and
through the aperture portions Of the
brain had Oozed out. The ffOntRl bones
of the others head had been smashed,
and although the buz yards had feasted
upon the bodies of the cOrpses, the faces
and wounds had not yet been touched
by their beaks or claws. From q careful
examination by physician, it was evil
dent that death had been caused by
heavy blows upon the heads, and that
afterWard the bodies were thrown into
the bayou to prevent the crime being
known. Al the time OF the murder the
Dackwater was up, but when it receded
the bodies became exposed, and having
attracted the buZZ2Tus to the spot, the
negro Jones claimed to discover them Ss
he wandered along the bank Coroner
Giles at once commenced a rigid exam
inatiOn TO find out the murderer OF MUIR
derers, and from the result of the inves-
tigstion We CLEAN the following facts:
THE NEGRO PREACHERS WIFE,
who is named Julia, says that some six
Hodges, treated her quite brutal.
Iy, and often threatened her life.
One day he placed her in a chair, tied
chain around her neck, and, securing it
to q beam in the ceiling, then pulled the
chair away and left her hanging. She
rema aimed in this condition several min
utes, but was rescued by the timely ar
rival of the neighbOrs. Mittie and Dock,
aged respectively six aud eight years,
knew that their father had tried to hang
their mother. Her husband, fearing that
they would reveal the fact, determined
to nave them killed. To accomplish this
he went TO see neighbOF, Jack Wool
bridge, who is also negro preacher and
over sixty years Of age On the twenty
sixth day of March last the children,
Mittie and Dock, were seen in charge OF
old Woodbridge and his wife Leah
Since then they have never been seen
alive, nor did any one know what had
been their fate, until Jones found their
lifeless bodies in the manner above de-
scribed. 1t Is presumed that the chill
dren were killed on the night of the
twenty-sixth Of March, and their bodies
then thrown into the water to conceal
the fearful crime. The brutal father and
his villainOus brother minister " oOl-
bridge have fed the country,
and their whereabouts is not
known. The jury Of inquest
returned q verdict to the effect that the
children had been murdered by Jack
Woodbridge and his wife Leah Wool
bridge, the latter OF whom has been ar
rested and is now In jail. 1t is said that
several cases Of horrible crime In which
these parties were engaged will be un-
earthed, and that the children were
murdered to prevent them testifying
in other cases that may be revealed.