Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1877-12-08
The Kemper County Murderers-Mrs,
Chisholm Interviewed.
Cor. Cincinnati Gazette.


canvass his district. He made his appoint
| ments and went to speaking. Such a can
! vass as related TO me by men of all parties
| has few parallels In the history of politics
| Nearly all the meetings were attacked BY
| armed Democrats, who constantly inter
rupted the speeches, and used ali means
short of actual shooting to scare the me-
grOes away. Still the Republicans persist
ed, and as a last resort the killing began.
AT Macon
A CoLORED PROCESSION
was fred into and a number killed, for the
alleged prOvocatiOn or making % muc CHI
noise with drum" Still the blacks re-
fused to give up the canvass, and then q
reign of terror was inaugurated. Judge
Chisholm was twice driven from the stand,
and his audience scattered by armed Dem
ocrats, after which he abandoned the can
vass. On election day, armed Democrats
took possession of the polls in most of the
precincts, and excluded the Republicans.
1t is needless to say that the Judge was de-
feated. These Ofenses, being notorious,
the Grand Jury of the United States Dis
trict Court summoned several witnesses,
among whom were Judge Chisholm and
John w. Gully.
Indictments were found against those
above mentioned, and the trial set for the
spring term, 1877. By way of preparation,
the Democrats of Kemper commenced
driving away the witnesses. Four of
them refused to go-viz.: Judge Chisholm,
j. P. Gilmer, and the brothers Hopper.
As last resort, Chisholm and Gilmer
were killed, and the Democrats are now
waiting to see if the Hoppers will not
leave. 1t is to be presumed that they will
L am much pleased to notice that the
Democrats of this vicinity do not look
kindly on their kemper county brethren.
1t is freely admitted that they are hard
LOT" and / could scarcely conceal my
pleasure when L saw their principal point
eddy snubbed by a prominent man here.
On general principles, was not noisy in
the expression of my views. Seven years
In Utah will teach the dullest man some
thing.
1t Is known to all who have had expert
ence in reporting trials that criminals will
never look as we thought they ought to
and l was not surprised to see that many
of the accused appeared like ordinary
middle class farmers. But among them
were few who looked the bulldozer "
to perfection. William Gully is fine
looking man, physically, and fancy that |
he would make good neighbOr under or |
binary circumstances but be evidently |
has bad temper when aroused. AS for |
the mass of the accused, the traveller |
through Southern Indiana, who has seen |
the backwOods resident in for days loaf
ing at the village store, has fair idea of
them. That class of mean whites " who
moved from the mountains of Virginia
and Kentucky to Indiana are identical
with similar immigrants to NJ Mississippi.
Hon. K. II. Hill, United States Circuit
Judge, Set the trial for yesterday having
AS he told Us, forgotten it WAS ThanksgiV-
ing Day but the accused came up with a
pile of athdA,iJ It's for continuance, and the
anne was granted So 1t goes over till the
asi Monday IN January. Having W tied
only 10 be disappointed, L called upon
MRS CHISHOLM,
Viuow of the murdered Judge. l found
pleasant looking lady of ma lie age, with
lArk brown haIT and clear blue eye
dressed IN black silk with Father more of
gold uauau-uI> an jew i than Is ru>tom-
eTy IH TIE NarJu Sue II much younger
.uOhEug -Aau he ptCtur,s ot ler would in
j 3Cate, but the events of the last ear have
Ell ,h-Ir traces IL r.T cOunJenance OF
The two hours conversation. IN which her
Mr. md VI :. Ed. D. Fish T,
OOk part, the reader viii probably only
are To near what relates to facts not hlLh-
arto pub isheC. Not only have the mi
lute-L incidents of the murder been pub
ished, but Mrs. Chisholm has had " itteu
tut, once for al, cIrcum stantial account,
which Is soon TO appear IN book form, and
be naturally avoids reference to the pain
al details. But the more the case is exam
ned the more utterly without excuse does
[ appear. No circumstance of horror was
ackIng. 1t was at Cnce cowArdly, cold
} CODED and causeless.
They were all old residents" says Mrs.
Chisholm, land what may strike you as
TRANCE, all relis ions were represented. |
There were Catholics, Presbyterian elders,
md most of all | noticed two Methodist
lass leaders that were very active all |
through the matter. One of these men
vas great exhCrter, and had often labored
With US for the good of our souls. At the
Id
.Ot so happy be shouted at great rate,
nd came up to Mr.. Chisholm and took
i'm around the neck, and begged him to
% forward, and said 1t is all you lack,
udge, to Be first rate man-sll you lack
religion And that man helped kill my
usband."
They were old neighbors, them"
40, yes and many of them in debt to
Ir. Chisholm for the very bread they ate
or breakfast that day-if they took time
o eat The next candidate for sheriff
ave his pledge that if he was elected
Mrs. Chisholm should never collect any
hing by law in Kemper county And
0 move to Mississippi. Well, I'll sell all
We have in Kemper county-sell it cheap
Ne have land in forty and eighty acre
racts all over the county, and as fine
nill site as there is in the cOuntry-Mr.
chisholm meant TO improve 1t and build a
L0ey CAL nave IL hi lOE next
D nothing, enough to buy US little place
p North, where my boys can live"
" You have boys living?"
1.-TWO boys left, and its the oldest one
nat Is in danger. He was chased through I
le woods the last time he lett home. He
the one that they want to drive away T
ow. But he's used to trouble. When he
ent to Sunday-schoOl, the larger boys
inched and thumped him, and even 7
Dung men would torment him IN every 8
ay they could. 1t got so bad that {
.ught my children at home. There is
either Sunday-schOOl nor church now, to l
peak of, the region has got to such pitch.
he ruffiAns rule, and now they don't al
w people from other sections, North or
outh, to take any comfort there. They :
ont tolerate difference in politics or any :
ling else-not even a difference In birth
laces."
Further conversation developed the facts .
lat Judge Chisholm was of Scotch ~
cent and native Of Georgia; hat he 8
.rved through the war in the Confederate z
rmy. and accepted reconstruct IN, be-
q there liter known as I'D thew
~ radical" The murderer, included
sVeral men IF property and some stand
x in the comm unity, and for while
rere greatly glOrted BY their neigh hors;
ut of late there 50. ms to be dread that
bmething will be done, and all the ma
hinery of local government and society is
nh>ted against any inquiry. One by one
he enlightened q Z-Hs are leaving the {
ounty, aud their place IS supplied by des ;