Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-06-06

Wholesale and Inhuman BuIeherv
by n GeOTgia Farmer.
Cnae;al 20 tha O;ao;onnt; T-.

Wholesale and Inhumau uieh
by n Georgia Farmer.
Special to the Cincinnati Enquirer.l
ATLANTA, jane Yesterday after.
noon at 3 o'clock, fourteen miles west Of
Americas, the negro laborers Of John w.
Caldwell, a well.to-do farmer, forty.fye
years old, saw him standing on his
house top waving his hands. Thew
started to the house and met his little
girl, Emma, five years old, who said;
PA has killed ma" When they arrived
at the house, the laborers say Cald,
well jumped to the ground. The
blow stunned him, and they took him
up aud carried him in doors, where
they saw Mrs. Caldwell, her slater, Miss
Mitchell, and three of the children lying
side by side, all Drained by blows from
. heavy iron, aud gallons of blood pud.
died about on the floor. The laborers
laid Caldwell down and ran. he got up,
and following, begged them to kill him.
He then wen to the we'll and jumped in.
got out and jumped in again; got out
again, and went to the Clubhouse, when
he met his oldest son, sixteen years old.
and told bim be had killed all the people
at the house, and was going to kill him.
self. The . dissuaded him, but he
climbed to the roof and threw himself to
the ground, producing death instantly.
When the reporter reached the scene
at 9 o'clock this morning, q horrible
spectacle met his view. Caldwell and
wife lay on one bed, the three children
and Miss Mitchell on another, all with
the most ghastly wounds upon their
heads and faces. A heavy bar of iron.
a hoe and a smoothing iron were the
weapons used, and were marked with
blood and hair. The victims had been
killed at various places about the house,
and dragged together in the dining room
by the hend. The neighbors gathering.
had placed them on the beds. The floor
aud yard all over were marked with
CaldwelPs footprints in blood. The
little girl Emma, hat escaped, states
that he asked her if she wished to live,
and then told her to run. Many neigh.
bors stated to the reporter that thew
thought Caldwell perfectly sane when Ls
committed the deed. His Oldest son st1ted
that his father was on the plantation In
the forenoon, and at dinner vas morose
and ate little, stating that he would re-.
main at the house in the afternoon
Caldwell had eight children. Tbrea
we're a. school, Those killed are Nancy
Alice, aged ten; Robert Homer. aged
six, AID Leila, aged two. Mrs. CaldwslI
was forty and Miss Mitchell thirty, The
latter was killed in the yard while irving
to escape, being Drained with a hoe. All
the wounds were on the heads. Neigh.
SorS running 10 the scene saw Caldwell
jump from the Clubhouse. He stated tn
the negroes to run for Representative
Dawson, his near neighbor, as he had
played hell, but was in his senses. The
reporter learned hat he had been amer.
rated for some time, but Deighbors denv
this. He vas usually a mild, quiet man
and good citizen, and in good circum.
stances.
Most Of those present thought that do.
nestle trouble concerning Miss Mitchell
was the cause Of the tragedy. She has
lived with Caldwell twenty years. The
family physician thinks differently from
the neirhbors concerning Miss Mitchell.
There are Ave children left, two of whom
are nearly grown. Caldwell was a good
farmer, highly respected, aud a church
member. 1t is thought from statements
OF little Emma that Mrs. Caldwell was
the first victim. The coroner's Jury
found in accordance with these facts.