American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-01-19

1t was not long before a terrible trag-
edy was enacted in return for the mock
ing farce that had been put off on the
Lyons. The trouble predicted by those
who knew the desperate character of
Jim Lyons was not long delayed. But
a few days after the lawsuit, says Cap
tain Stewart, l was aroused by a man
saying the Morrisons had all been muir
dered and their house burned down.
L mounted my horse and went i'm
mediately to the spot. AS 1 approach
ed, saw a crowd of miners looking
about the ruins by the light of pine
knots which they carried in their hands.
1 dismounted and went close to the
smoking ruins. They had found the
bodies of two of the Morrisons, the third
was missing.
One of the bodies was a mere trunk
without head, arms or legs. 1 turned it
over and counted II buckshot holes in
the small of the back The body of the
other Morrison lay outside of the fire
line, where he had dragged himself, his
right arm shattered from a gunshot
wound; he was mangled and bruised
but was still alive. I put my lips to his
ear and asked him who did this? He
said it was Ed Watson, the lawyer, who
had killed his brother.
was astounded. KNEW Watson had
abused the Morrisons in court at the suit
of Lyons, and had poured out on their
heads the bitter invectives of deeply in
jured client, but that he should follow
should glut its vengeance by committing
to the wrathful flames the bodies of his
victims and their earthly habitation, l
could not conceive.
l knew Watson had no pecuniary in
terest in the suit; knew he did not ex-
pect verdict in his favor but that he
had tried it as much to salty these men
that an effort would be made to right
their wrongs as any thing else and to
prevent if possible any thing like the
very trouble which had occurred in the
terrible vengeance on the Morrisons.
This was my firm belief, and when he
told me ''Ed Watson the lawyer did it"
1 was more shocked and surprised than
when 1 heard of the principal occur
renee, the killing of the Morrisons and
the burning of their house.
1 had been afraid something like that
would overtake them, and its realization
only brought confirmation to my uneasy
| apprehensions. j.. The eye for eye, tooth
for tooth, life for life doctrine had been
| practiced there every day, but here
three lives were sacrificed, might say,
to their own greed. Here was retalia-
ton, not in kind, but with dreadful ac-
cumulations. thought, of course, Jim
Lyons had done it, but, as if to add new
trouble to that already wrought, the
gasping, dying man said, ED Watson,
the lawyer, did it,
Several of the best known miners or
residents come closer to the man and
heard his declaration
l mounted my horse and rode back to
town, reused the lawyer and made him
| go back with me to the scene of the fire
and murder, brought him up to where
Morrison was lying, and, putting my
lips close to the wounded mans ear,
asked him to look up and see whether
this was the man? Morrison opened
his eyes for an instant and then shutting
them tightly said firmly:
eyes, sir; that is the man who shot
nv brother.'' Watson went almost wild
at this, he clutched his long beard with
both hands, wheeled about once or twice
and coming closer to Morrison said
"My God, sir, is there no possibility Of
your being mistakenP''
The dying man opened his eyes and
said firmly s'No, sir.''
knew that if 1 let Watson remain
there many minutes longer they would
lynch him, and very likely roast his
body in the burning ruins of the build
ing. plucked him by the arm to come
and as we turned the glare of igh
threw his shadow on the wall. L wa;
transfxed with astonishment. l stop
ped Watson and pointed with speechless
anxiety to that shadow which thrilled
me through and through. He stood
motionless apparently, not comprehend
AOOAAAleoo1 wv AAAuOA
en- by this accusation to be more thar
half alive.
The first words I could utter were a:
if had been tongue-tied for an age.
raised myself up and struggled as if ]
was being smothered, and my voice
broke out in a loud call" Bob Pore
and Jim Lyons did this''-The shadow
on the wall was the exact picture O.
"Bob Pore, the half BREED" who work
ed evil with Lyons, and it seemed as i
some other voice than my own spoke
through me. l was in a perfect fermen
of excitement. There was the wounded
man who had recognized the lawyer az
the murderer-and then was the Sheriff
of the county with the accused in my
charge, and yet that shadow on the wal
compelled the loud exclamation from
my lips, from me, who should have beer
the last person to accuse any one, bu
should have waited in calm dignity the
deliberations of the law; in fact wa.
there to see that such elaboration wa.
had.
L suppose the fear that an innocen
man would be executed, together will
the knowledge of the bad character O
the half breed Bob Pore, and of Lyons
who had real grievance. Isuppose these
things heightened my nervous apprehen