The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-07-31
THE NASHVILLE TRAGEDY.

n Iatsi street. dnHaJ SOOA plaCC III
Nashville about 10 o'clock last Wednes-
day morning, between Samuel Hicks
and Jones, Edward, Jere and Nathaniel
Baxter, jr., the four sons of the Demo
cratic nominee for Judge of the Circuit
Court. Hicks and Jones Baxter were
fatally shot. The former received sew
eral shots from the Baxters and was
struck over the head with their pistols.
Jones Baxter received only one shot,
which was fred ny an unknown party
and which proved fatal in about half an
hour. Hicks expired within few min
utes after the ARRAY. Jere Baxter re-
ceived a shot in one of his hands. Nat.
Baxter was shot in the foot. A negro
girl thirteen years old who was passing
the scene of the vendetta was struck in
the leg by a stray ball.
The following is given as the cause of
the difficulty: Hicks made violent
speech at the speaking of the ''Indepen-
DENTS" corner of Cherry and Cedar
streets, Tuesday night. He said that
Moore (his fatber-in-law) had, On his
dying bed. called Judge Baxter to his
side and had entrusted his family to his
keeping, that he had violated the trust
committed to his hands and had Sedu-
ced his (HicksO mOther-in-law; that he
(Hicks) had been classed on the streets
as a black-mailer, and that he felt
bound to defend his honor if the reports
were continued in circulation that he
had the proof and would produce it if
necessary; that he had met Judge Bax-
ter on the street and had dared him to
say a word about It. Hicks said he did
not care for all the Baxters. He was
responsible for what he said, and could
be found at 37I Union street from a.
M. to So. m.
The Baxters did rot expect so soon to
have any difficulty. They had agreed
to meet at Jere Baxter's Office to con-
slider whether it was not best to pay no
attention to Hicks harrangue on the
night previous, and were on their way
there when they suddenly and unex-
pectedly came into collision with Hicks,
who had precipitated the ARRAY by at
tempting to draw his pistol as the Bax-
tiers had reached Wigger's corner and
were about to proceed across Cherry
street toward Jere Baxter's Office. 1t is
claimed that Hicks fired the first shot.
AS to who killed Jones Baxter is now
the mystery to be solved. Jones Bax-
ter was about thirty years of age, and
was the fourth son of Judge Nathaniel
Baxter. He married Bette Perkins, a
step-daughter of John 81. Ewin, and has
since resided in the country, eight miles
from the city, on the Franklin turnpike,
taking fo7 his occupation that of far
mer. He leaves q wife and four chill
dren, the youngest but six weeks old.
A reporter of the AH1er6cGn interview
ed Mrs. Moore, she mOther-in-law of
Hicks, and gathered the following par
ticulars of the family desscnsions
She and her husband had opposed the
marriage of her daughter to Hicks, the
father threatening disinheritance. The
two were married after her husbands
death, and she endeayored to make them
as comfortable as possible. They lived
at her house for five years without any
cost to Hicks. She could think of but
few reasons why he should have acted
towards her as he had. Just after his
marriage to her daughter he wanted her
to let him have So 900 or SO, 900 with
which to set himself up in business, but
she refused This refusal angered him.
She had told Hicks in January, 1877,
that he would thereafter have to earn
his own living, and he left her house
greatly irritated. 1t was not until this
happened that Hicks had made any ac-
cusation against her. When she first
heard il, she went to him, and he de-
MED having said anything derogatory to
her character. His feeling against
Judge Baxter seemed TO have originated
a good many years ago, when, as Hicks
said Judge Baxter had decided some
case against him. For some time after
he left her house she and Hicks did not
speak. He came to her one day, praised
her up as the best of women, and then
told her she could make Judge Baxter
resign If she would say the word. She
at once told him that he could not use |
her for any such purpose; that she
would have nothing whatever TO do with
such scheme. She also thought Hicks |
had an idea that Judge Baxter had adj |
vised her against letting him have the
% 600 OF SIC, 600, and that was probably |
one source of his i'll will against him.
But she has never had a conversation
with Judge Baxter on any subject. She
said no one knew what she had suffered
from the false accusations which had
been made against her, nor how she has |
under the burden thus I'M