Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-05-17
A BAD LAYOUT.
Another Version of the Late Killing II
DeSotO County.

We have received another and quite
different version of the killing of the
eolored man named helms, in DeSoto
county, Mississippi, as published in
Thursdays LEDGER. Not knowing
any Of the parties, but governed by a
desire to give the news and the truth
without coloring, we will give a differ
ent statement from the first one. We
will begin at the beginning and try it
over.
Leon helms, the colored man who
was killed last Monday, was the son of
old Buck helms, an owner of land
and other property, a good man in
the community and for years past a
Democrat, as we'll as his son. There
fore it was not a case of political preju-
dice. Leon helms was the s%on-in-law
Of another respectable colored man
named Tom Conko, who is a merchant,
a farmer and considered we'll off. He
has always stood we'll with the whites.
They live, those who survive, near
Norfolk Landing, on the river, twenty
four miles below Memphis.
Colonel Blythe, a prominent citizen
Of the county, who died last fall of
yellow fever, had a mortgage on Leon
Nelms' mule. Nick Male, the exc
cutor Of Blythe's estate, sent Kim
Armisted, a deputy sheriff, to take
the mule some three weeks ago. This
was accomplished without resistance.
A week later Armisted went back to
get a horse out of Nelms' possession.
Whether he had any legal authority
for this is not reported. He took the
horse but held it only a moment or two
as helms got to his gun, which was
standing near by, aud told him he had
better not take the horse. Armisted
agreed with him, and took off the
bride and left, remarking to some one
on the road that that was not the end
of it.
Nothing further occurred until last
Monday morning, whep Kim Armisted
and his two brothers, Tom and jim,
and Doc Manning, a school teacher,
started on horseback bright and early,
with double barreled s~hot-guns, for
helms cabin, twelve miles distant.
AS they approached the place they
met helms wife, who was going away
to do some washing. She started to
turn back, but was not permitted to
do SO. The negro testimony is hat
they entered the cabin and found Nelms
asleep under a musquito bar. Three
shots we're fired, and they came out.
After waiting a little they went in
again, and three more shots were fred,
ANY how, helms was killed, and they
rode off. Armisted te~legraphed to the
sheriff what he had done, and claimed
to have done all the shooting. The
next day he surrendered to Esquire
Stewart, his brother-in- and was
tried and acquitted.
1t appeared that the negro, on the
demand of the officer, refused to sur.
render, declaring he would die first
and Selling a pistol which he had coz
cealed in his bed fired on the party.
Amisted then shot him with results a,
above given.
The same day, Tuesday, Coroner
Rains, of fernando, went and sum
moned a jury aud held an inquest
The verdict was that the deceased
came to his death from the firing Of
guns in the hands of Kim Armisted
and two other persons unknown. The
affair created great excitement, espc,
cially among the colorcd population.
and it seemed likely for a time that
they would resort to violence to avengC
the death Of one of their number
Those who were concerned in the kill.
ing are as free as ever to day, and viii
remain SC unless the grand jury, which
meets some time next fall, finds a bill
against them.