, 1879-04-14
BEN PORTER'S MURDER.


BEN PORTEIs'S MURDER.
Bflsa CumsnsuA' Btory o. the Tragedy.
Cbrrespondtnef CInetnaaM Commercial.
MEMPHIS, April B.-Your correspondent met
s1iss Eliun Cummens, tic actress, at this pout
to-tay. As she assured him That no correct
account Of tho late tragedy st Marshall, Tex,
had appeared In print TO her knowledge. tho
readers of tho Comn,sreia' ulay take interest In
her description OF tie murder Of "poor Ben
rorter":
Wo had Hycn d mnttnec ut Shreveport, La. At
u o'clock, Wednesday,, March 10. will mover
forget t1lnt date. The o'clock train was held
for vs., anil we rcachcd Marshall 1t about
o'clock. All the company but Mr. larry
more, Mr. Porter and myself took such suppcr
as they could yet at Tho depot hotel. We
three concluded to watt until after tue theatre
for ours. as we had lunchcd On thu tran After
tho performances Of Diplomacy" to the only
company vent to the Texas md Pacific depot
aud hotel To walt for the train at half-past 3
for Little lsock, Ark. Those Of The company
WHO had suppcd beforo went 10 thc parlors.
Mr. Barfymore, al aid myse!{, We wsnt ii Into lha
eating saloon. The lunch-counter was high,
and we had to sit upon high stools TO
eat Mr. Porter was upon my left, Mr..
M oo ny olsfs rs pcer ~ o1 ms s r
himself. sir. Porter declined, saYsng he would
take coffee. slr. Barrymore. lacked ID his
pocket fur money, mud fund that he bad but
e &c., s.pts M II @ ss0f %e avs s e o asa aa a ef ~
{the trcasuref) and get soma nuncy to take
you out Of pawn. III leave you here. Order
your suppers, and ~ be BACK in fen mlnntes."
lie wont out laughing. Wc were negotiating
1ow know wa4 Curre, caule tn, drow tic stool
on which Mr. Barrymore had been sitting little
apart from me, and sat down TO the counter.
glanced ut him, aud he returned a,r look
looking man. not handsome. lie wore rough,
seemingly snufT-colorcd suit, white shirt, I
think, and tho inevitable sfouch hat. vas
alarmed at Ills manner, OF; rather, fHlt out OF
better g. lu therel" pointing, as thought, 70 q
more retired dtn!ng.roosn. Mr.. Porter rcplactl,
"That Ia tic barr0otl. fou ate all right in
hcreh 1hcn NC turucd our attcntion again to
the supper question: Curfc at first ordered
some eggs, III lo, tone, Saying TO the attend
AIT that lie WIS going to cat hs supper and then
70 to bcd. So fnr rs could Judge. he was not
drunk, nor even under tic INFLUENCE of liquor.
Mr.. Porter ordered coffee nnu Cure DID tho
same. ordered son'e eggs and We continued
to elaat over our supper. had not looked again
NJ Cure directly, hit he seemed 10 me to be or
der!nEeyerythnE thatwc did. imay be mistaken
In this. He pail for hls supper, Mil wien The
proprietor handed him hvc cents change lAe said,
then added. as understood MIN, "Do you
walt 10 sell the n dog" thought this was d
ncw way Of Ordering q. drink, and Eaugl,ed at 1t
direction Of The barsoom through d lattice door.
Mr.. barrymore xhout this mo.ncnt returned,
took hts seat, md said, notns!ng tn tl,e rctnans
Of Cures supper, "What Is thIsi,'. I aatd,
Cure Just then passcd back through t's room
AMI went out the other way. l called Barry
more up and was telling htm about
the expression, ,"selling, d dog" when
Sss 1s sss"s ia's III nes s "a On III IL hn M %
ynu do thut to mr fori' Porter turned ulla
said, "Dfd you Speak to metz Cure replied,
"Yes, and want to know wtat you did that
for" making pscullnF .not1on 4 Of his hn'd a''d
anane,s ~us onrssvss 0 eu1ls repliea "s MI' sa
Porter d Cd id liar, CD d-d St., aud
sG-d d-ds-of r.: Mr. Porter said. Ise
present" "a ladyl' Cure replied vith 4
snerr; "wcll, don't know.h Sit. Barrymore
then turned to the proprietor and said "ls
thls tho sort Of place you kept Can not
being insu!tedi" Harvey said, ''ot,. he's
| ali Hight; don't mind him. Jim, 70 home
md 70 to bcd." / said to both tho
gentlemen. With INC, st bc qu!st, plcasc don': nr.
y sppsr curte us sata "asso
md settle e." Porter aald, ''ltll meet you by.
a!'d-by; want to cat MY st,!'psr nos'." Then
lake up thc atsrreii" I had noticed ti.at ali
tis time na lad his 1,arl'l on his pistol. barry
more replied, q can't fight with you; ! have
neither ,,iatol nor kniic." Curru said. F" Neither
sis sss seps Up yoo 10 s%ssr Ia. a
Cafre rcsvouaca, Yes" BARRYMORE sala,
Oh til the stool j, mr." md 5ssa'n ' to .afs i his
two coats oil together. Almost before lie
could get them of, Cure mined deliberately at
his heart. We were NOW all ou our irct, md 1
seized atr. Bksrylnuscs right urn. Hr threw
tho oil and the motion saved HIN, ~ tic plstol
muzzlo was clusc to his body allu could not have
| missed Its cool ail1l-
Thu pistol WAS acit.cocker, and tl1e firing SO
impossible. only remember the man wheeled
| md fred ut Porter instantly, bcfolu he had
finished his cry, "Dou't shoot mc;, an ut,-
lluln!a nnd ran out. 'lllu 1nnn then fired at
barrymore, who rna golsu5 out the back door,
| tlls slot missing, as II ,rovcd, mud lodging ln
a, uG oIon" ',ea s ssa
!H, Disappeared. started out to 20 after
Mi. barrymore aud mel him returning.
I said, "uon't 20 In again." lie WAS very
pale, MD hurried behind " counter, eyideutlS
| waAas Curre returned. liz pointed two plstols
at Inc. l gasped, "Oh, nlcase, sir, 0on'.r
/ barrymore sad: .sDon't you acu ! ain uparmcd !;
\ cart fight you." Cltsru aaid: "llavu you lnd
enoughF' Mr.. Barrymore again ran out Of the
back door, and after him. lIo went over q
| si1.foot fence, nud understand II was for tho
second ttme. After some difficulty hc was per-
suaded to come back, and We got hitn upstairs
! into bed.room over the snooG. For nearly
two hours afterwards, as we attended upon
Barrymore, could hear Cllrre's voice, cyIdntitly
at 1argc, III carousal, ! dd not oven dare to 70
! ~ scu pour Porter before ho 1iss!.
THIS Is tho statement Of Allss Cunmtns. M
she ASSURES ,1s she will mako 1t substantially
upon tho wltncsk-stand.