The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-01-15
Particulars of Ihe Murder of
~ GODS Ga pertOn, ia TeOssIs Par
Tsh, Louisiana.

Particulars of the Murder OF
~ GODS Ga pertOn, ia Te0sas Par
TsEn, Louisiana.
EDS CLARIoN--On the 3lst of last month
were brought To Forest, his former home,
tn. remains Of Woods Canerton, ore OF the
finest young men ever raised in Mississippi,
aud one generally beloved. He had b"en
for the past year or more in. the employ Of a
M. Murdoch, "A merchant about fifteen
miles out from Hardtimes Landing, Tensas
Parish. La. On the AID of last month he
was cruelty and treacherously murdered
will gave vou the account of the deed as
heard it from Mr.. Thos. Smi h who. with
Mr. Ed. NJ. Capcrton. brother Of the de-
ceased, accompanied the corp-e home,
SMITHS ACCOUNT, (IN sUBsrANCE)
Capertou was H. the employ of Murdock
as bookeeprr and manager of the store
Murdoch wiki Col. Warfield as partner
was engaged in planting. Caperton few
months since had accused Warfield to hi.
face OF selling cotton aud appropriating
proceeds exclusively to his own use. Thi.
Wirfield did not resent. am engineer for
Murdoch and Warticld; Merrifield is a clerk
Of Murdock's under CIperton; J. \. Doug
las is a friend Of Warfeld's and was a pre-
tended one TO Woods Caperton, he lives
in about a mile of Murdock's store On
Sunday. Dec 22d, Capcrton, Mortified and |
went down Lake 1t. Joseph five miles to
NewcIton. While there Murdoch passed
and said to Caperton he wished to see him
ar the store. Capcrtou then left Us return
ing To the store. 1t seems that Murdoch
and Wnrtield were to have settlement the
next day and this was why Murdoch wish
ell to talk with Caprrton. Late in The
evening Caperton mounted his horse saying
to the servants if 'sthe BOYS" came, to tell
them he would be back directly AS he was
only going ia-sske a ride. Pretty soon we
returned, but Caperton did not come. AT
ter night while, Douglas sent u. word that
Caperton was dead At his house, Merri-
field, one other and 1 went immediately to
the house OF Douglas not Knowing the ma
ture of his death nor even suspecting it.
Caperton and d. had been apparently warm
friends, and {. had gone to party at Dis
house, by invitation, the Friday night be-
fore. As we entered the gallery, Douglass
said to me: ''WelI. Smith, | have killed
your best friend His wife and daughter
were present, but | demanded, What in
the he'll did you do that for ?" He replied
that he did it in self-iefeuce, and showed
us pistol shot in his lett forearm but,
though | and several others searched dill
gently. we could not find a hole in coat or
shirt sleeve, The wound was slight and
near the surface. Entering The parlor we
found Caperton almost directly in front of
the hearth on his back, his heart pierced by
five or six bullets, two holes in his hat
which he had on, aud two in his pantalooHs
httie In rear of his hip, his pistol in his
hand or near il. When the coroner came
(tOr till then we had not moved the body)
the two shots which had pierced his pants
had passed through the rear pistol peck
ct; pieces of ivory Shattere / from the han
die were still in the pocket, and knew
the handle TO be entire before this Tue
pistol was present from Mr.. Murdoch ami
was given him sometime this fail; was
small and very pretty. Tuere was one bull
let hole directly IN the back of the body.
! forgot "a mention thar when fir enter
ed the room Mortified stopped over the body
OF Caperjou and began 10 cry. Douglass
said harshly Nv hat are You crying about 2"
Merrifeld replied that he loved Caperton
Dnugla- said: "Whv thaI'S nothing, sir:
this makes seven I've killed. not Counting
negroes" Later he said Il want 'em to
get that fellow ouJ OF there by 'leVeu
O'Clock. | want some round dances then"
The statemeutof Douglass and ms nephew,
Muir, was about as follows: Late in the
evening my wife, daughter. nephew and |
were walking, when We met CApertOn n~ar
the gate riding. We invited him T. come
in; he ar first refused, but an our pressing
him. accepted the invitation. When seated
in the pATior, the conversation turned upon
the proposed settlement between Murdoch
ant Warfield. said that before it was over
Murdoch would get a good raShing. Ca
pertou said he wa MurdOck'S friend and
would not hear him abused, but began to
abuse Warfield | told him that w arfie cid wa
my friend aud he should not abuse him in NV
house. | ordered him out of my house, but
he would not 90; proposed to send for War
field and he would prove him Scoundre. |
| sent M son To W. With a note which {. |
read and approved. He asked if bad two |
Winchester rifles brought them out. He |
said Wdrfieid and he had to shoot it out,
and il he would not fight, l must. L heard |
the gate slam, and went on the front gallery, |
but finding no one, returned TO the parlor /
by way OF the rear door. Caperton rose |
and began hriag at me with a pistol as l /
entered. l asked what he was shooting At |
me for. He made no reply, but continued.
l then seized one of the rifles and shot him /
down. He said: And you are going to
make a slaughter pen OUT of your parlor,
are your" L shot till he was dead
Douglas is very much disliked by nearly /
every one, and the general belief is, that
portion of his story Is true. and that when |
he ordered G. out of his house, he took his |
hat and was leaving, when D., who knew
ly to resent so gross an insult, concluded
he had better Kill him while he had the
advantage, and shot him in the back; that |
&. then turned 10 defend himself aud re-
ceiVed the shots in his heart. 1t is not |
thought he had an opportunity to use his
pistol at ALL as il was evidently in his peck
ct when the handle was hit Douglas is
supposed To have taken il and discharged
1t into his arm first, foClishly pulling up his
sleeve. la spite OF all the testimony, the
parish Judge, upon examination, released
Douglas. q r. Steel, the District Attor-
ney, aud whom | myself know to be an ex-
ceIlent lawyer, says: Ii the Grand Jury
do pot find true bill, he will see to it that
the Judge is prosecuted for malfeasance in
office. 1t certainly WAS very clearly cold
blooded murder, rendered more enormous
by the peculiar circumstances of hospitality.
The mother of the deceased is OF course /
well-nigh stricken to earth. When K. 81.
Caperton went TO see about his brother,
Douglass shut himself up pretending TO be
crt that he had killed his best frienfl."
Such crimes should not go unpublished.
Please be sure to give this space in Jour
present issue.
am yours,
q. K. JAxME.