Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-07-25
THE JACKsBORO TRAGEDY.
Still Further Developments Con.
firmtng the Theory Of Plot.
Five Men Arrested for COnspir-
acy against Bibee.

AUuItiOuhi 0Uu tLlFoisaut lhClS SILL
come to light with reference to thu
tragedy enac.ed at Jacksboro Tuesday
night, In which John Bibee aud Ben.
Roach both lost their lives, as has been
detailed in cur columns. And as these
facts come out it becomes more appar-
ent, In fact, it is almost we'll estat-
lished fact In the mind of any one.
who is unprejudiced, and has heard
Tia g details, as they come to as, that
there was plot entered into by Roach
and friends to assassinate Bibee, for
Roach had been heard to swear venge
ance against Bibee. after their fight
over the sheriff's election, on Monday,
ia which Bibee came out first best.
Now, at the inquest held over the
dead bodies, the evidence of Roach's
son, Miller and the two Riggs, all Of
whom were with Roach, is said to
| have been very conflicting and unsat-
isfac tory, especially in their explsns.
tion of how they happened to be where
the difficulty occurred. Some swore
they were taking y walk (about 10
O'Clock at nigh); others that they
had started home on foot, leaving
their horses in town, etc. They, how
ever, all testified that when Roach
and Bibee met they both commenced
shooting until they killed each other.
It seems that one Bill Green, who
| o<iaanfIu frih ~ in
the matter, and is into the conspiracy,
had made arrangements with Bibee to
take walk with some women. Green
and his woman, however, seem 10
have gone on in advance, but Bibee
and his woman were together when
tne fight cOmmenc. d. This woman,
whose name we did not learn,
has since turned up and puts
very different construction on the
difficulty. She say that she and Bibee
were walking along the road when
| Roach appeared from the side and i'm
medistely attacked Bibee, catching
him in the collar and giqing him q
rake OF two in the back with nife
Bibee instantly drew his pistol from
his pocket and fred two shots in rapid
succession. each penetrating Rosch's
body:nesr the heart. Roach fell, ex-
claiming that be was mead. Then, she
says, come of the or 1wd begen shoot
ing at Bibee, and, it Is supposed, he
fired one more shot, as three
chambers of his pistol were
empty. Seven shots were heard
In all, so that the crowd must have
fired four. at any rate, one Of the
shots. by whom fired the woman can't
say, but certainly not by Bep. Roach
went through and through Bibee's
neck, sideways, severing the jugular
vein. When this wound was received
Bibee turned and ran IS or so yards,
fell and died very soon. The woman
says che ran also, and didn't stop till
she had gone about miles.
Now 1t is the woman against the
other four or five witnesses, and she
is a woman Of ill repute as to
virtue, but still she Is corrob.
grated, as We are told by all
the surroundings and circumstances,
and her story bears the impress Of q
reasonable statement of the matter.
II is said that Investigation proved
that quite q collection of rocks were
gathered at the point on the roadside
where the attack was made. No pis
tol was found on or near Roach, but
one was found lying at some distance
from him. Bibee's pistol was found
in his clenched hand.
At any rate, the developments in
: the case were taken Ia hand, and after
the woman's version was heard, the
e We men, young Roach, Green, Miller
and the two Riggs, were
, all arrested Thursday. They were
to have a preliminary hearing yester-
day. Attorney General Mitchell will
be assisten In the prosecution Of the
case by Hon. o. P. Temple and Col
w. A. Henderson, and, it is under
, stood the defendants have retained II
r. Gibson and others. Col Hender.
son came in from Jacksboro yesterday