Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-04-17
DEPUTY mARsHAL R1cH.s DEATH.
New DevelOpments-NOt Aeeidensa',
bat a WiIful aurder.

/ OAA ASaAS4S VIII ESuS MESIs III
doubt, the death q few weeks since o.
Deputy Marshal David n. Rich, in
Granger county, which was recorded
in these columns, the conclusion al
the time being that he accidentally
shot himself while blowing into a gun
| which be had taken from one VIM
Floyd, to see il it was loaded. The
story went, and it was shown before
the jury of inquest that Rich was with
! Thos Roberts and VIM. Floyd that
night in Poor Valley, that he and
Roberts stopped a. a house together,
and upon an alarm being raised
afterwards went to FIoyd's house to
quell row between Floyd (who was
drunk and his wife. Floyd had two
muskets, which were wrested from
him by Rich, and it wa, IS the proof
showed, into one Of these Rich was
blowing to see if it was loaded, at the
same time putting his foot on the
hammer, which discharged it and
shot him in the mouth, the balls COM
ing out at the back of his head. The
verdict OF the inquest was in accord
ance with the above statements
After Rich was buried, however,
suspicious began to be aroused, and
the body was exLumed for a post
mortem examination, aud second
Inquest was held, which rendered q
verdict adverse 10 that OF the former.
The facts which led to this procedure
are thus stated by the Beams Station
correspondent of the MoIristown
Gd=ette!'
The second examination, made by
Drs. :. Y. Tate, J. p. Legg, @. A.
Tate, 5. V. Homer, Z. 5. Tidwel, and
@. Z. COssOn, was a thorough autopsy,
and disclosed marEs OF viOleGca which
could not have been seen without dis
secti1n, the benefit OF which the first
jury did not have. First, they dis
covered a fracture OF the skull bone
one inch above and not connected with
the two holes below the base OF the
brain, supposed TO have been made by
the passage of bullets Tnis fracture
seems 10 have been caused from blow.
Second, they found 3 severe bruise on
the back, extending across the fourth,
fifth and sixth ribs, near the spinal
lacarating in spots the
muscles of the back. This bruise
must have been Inflicted with
heavy weapon, dealt by a strong
arm, as no connection existed be-
I Teen this brGise and the one caused |
by the bullet holes, and four out of the T!
SIX physicians say, 70 internal agency /
could have caused it, Two of the !
thought the bTuise could /
not have been Inflicted externally, be- /
cause there was 10 sign of it on the |
surface of the skin. the best reason /
given By the four physicians for the /
of the bruise on the /
skin was, that the prOfusiCn of blood /
0y the severence of the maiu artery /
was so sudden that none was left to /
settle in the capillary veins. Il was /
an absolute impOssibility for the de .
ceased to have inflicted The wound in |
the back, which the doctors say would /
have paralyZsd him, and then to have /
discharged the contents OF the gun in /
MS mouth.
1.-THE gun with which il is said he |
shot himself, is an old carbine, and .
was charged with six or seven rife |
made in the back Of his head, one /
inch apart, the largest Of which you /
could not more than penetrate with |
your little finger. All the teeth on /
the left upperjaw were knocked eft. |
none Of which were ever found in the /
wound or in the room. No sign OF |
powder burn was found in the mouth. |
These facts go 10 dispTOve the evidence /
f the mSteTiai wiinesse5; therefore,
he hypothesis OF the former jury Is
incorrect.
The evidence given in by those
y hO were a., or near the place, at the
lime of tue killing was very conflict
ng. One man sTOre that he hesrd
one of the party, who was present at
he time Of the death of the deceased,
say not long since that if Rich ever
attempted TO arrest him he would blow
mis- brains out.
1.-THE facts, as elected from the post
norton examination, combined with
ne crooked Statement of the wit
lesses, forced the jury of inquest to
he inevitable conclusion that David
Y. Rich, Deputy L. :. Marshal for
Granger county, was murdered by
Violent hands, on the night of the 22d
II March, 1871
4 significant fact in correction
with the affair is that Rich had just
arrested a party of revenue violators,
Who had their cases continued, and
hey released on bond, and those fel.
ows with him were of that party.
Therefore it is q self-evident fact that
Rich was murdered by these illicit
whisky men, To get him out of the
way. We have understood there had
,een some arrests made, but don't
Know whether it is true or not.
" Monitor " and Everlasting Coal
Ntnk Very low fnr cash ut