Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-12-20
THE MAENIEG-HARVEY CASE.
A Romantic and Tregic Afiair-LoTe,
Jealousy and Murder.

Some five or six weeks ago a man
named Harvey, of Lsuisville, was muir
dered at night, nsar Austin, Mississippi,
by unknown persons, soon after be got
of a steamboat. which left Memphis a
few hours before. The affair was
shrouded in the greatest mystery, aud
public curiosity was %quickened by the
fac. that Harvey was a poor man, aud it
va believed was enticed to Austin to be
waylaid and murdered. Various coujec.
lures were offered. One quite common
ly accepted was, that he had belonged to
q band Of robbers aud knew too much
for the safety Of the rest, and had 10 be
put out Of the way.
Several Memphis men happened to be
in Austin at the time, aud from them and
other sources we have learned many par.
t%iculars, a few Of which may be proper
to mention. Much is said about the
causes of the murder, which is based
upon rumors relating to domestic affairs.
The curtains Of more than one family
circle have been blown aside by the
breezes Of public gossip, to reveal grin
ming skeletons of gigantic proportions
aud hideousness. If half be true that
has tssn told, it would fill q large volume
to tell the story. We will try to draw a
uice line between known facts and mere
-rumor.
AS facts TO begin with, Mrs. Manning
has been arrested, and we understand is
10 Jail or under official surveillance.
Three men have been arrested at Austin
charged with the murder of Harvey, and
are now in Jail. They are held as &C.
cessories. Sheriff Manning, who went
to Jackson a day or two ago to settle
some accounts, has been arrested there
and is on his way to Austin via Vicks-
burg and up the river, closely guarded.
The three men in Jail have confessed to
their share in the bloody murder of
Harvey, and unite 10 saying that Sheriff
Manning killed him. 1t is rumored
that Manning admits the killing.
A letter was found on Harvey's
person from Mrs. Manning. Rumor
has it that it was an invitation to visit
Austin. Il is also stated that the other
letters in his pocket we're perforated
by bullets and this was not, which
raises the supposition that the letter was
put in his pocket after be fell. The
rumor has it that Harvey and Mrs. Man
ming we're lovers and engaged before the
war; we're separated by some chance,
aud met fol- the first time 10 many years
this summer at the Centennial, when
her husband vas not with her. Mean
time she had married three times
and he married once-but had been d.
vorced from his Louisville wife. The
impression is that Manning intercepted
correspondence, or heard news from
Philadelphia, which caused him to plan
and execute Harvey's murder.
Manning is q very popular nan with
all classes, and has made a splendid Off
Ger. He is a man of fine sense
and commanding appearance, al
though not well educated. He went
to Mississippi as an officer of a
negro regiment, and was afterward con-
nected with the Freedmen's Bureau, but
his fairness, ability and courage won
hosts Of friends for him, and he Is popu-
lar to-day. His wife is a ~ine.looking
lady, not old nor yet very young She
has fine sense, and is very attractive in
appearance. There are various other
matters connected with this history as
interesting as what we have narrated, but
not essential in this connection. Alto.
gether it is a very remarkable story, even
when Invested Of all possible ornament
and em~bellishmept