Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1880-11-30
MARBLE HALL.

:S; (A) Room where Brown and
Heck slept.
(A) by door.
(C) Dining room, with door to
Kitchen, at which murderer
entered.
ID Room where Mrs. Price slept.
- (E) Room where Mrs. Blackley
slept.
(x) Doors.
IN Fire place.
(Y) Door found standing open
VIM. by Price.
Prices Prices (K) Front door found locked by
"'u''' Price.
Two negro servant girls Of Mrs. Black
lcy's occupied the kitchen (F) which has
a shed connecting it with the house.
About dusk these girls notified Mrs.
Blackley that they were going two miles
distant to a house for apples, but would
return at bed time. They did go to that
house and did return at bed time, but in
view of some uncertainty about it Mrs.
Blackley got Mrs. Price to spend the
night with her, Mr.. Blackley being at
the Bristol Court.
Brown aud Heck, though not in the hab-
1t OF drinking had procured little bran
dy and were occupying room A. Mr..
Price came oyer and stayed until usual
bed time; his son Jacob, same age and
size of Heck, was also there and was
playing on the banjo. Price says Brown
and Heck took but one drink up to the
time he left and when he went homo he
left his son Jake with them and expect
ed him to spend the night with them.
Here the curtain falls forever on Brown
and Heck. What dark and bloody work
WINS done IN that room during the next
few hours must be unfolded by the dim
light of circumstantiOl evidence, unless
Harris should unlock his mouth. After
the negro girls returned at say 0 O'Clock,
there ia some discrepancy in their state
ments as to their account Of the night,
but one Of them Is deformed and very
weak-minded creature, and they are not
suspected. At IL Mrs, Price aud Mrs.
Blackley retired and were soon asleep.
The next scene was under cover of the
profound slumber and darkness that en-
shroudcd all of Marble Hall save room
A. II must have occurred within an
hour, Let us pass to
THE DISCOVERY.
As nearly as can be judged IL was
about o'clock Tuesday morning that
Mr.. Price awoke and went to his front
door from which he saw that room A NJ
Marble Hall was lighted He Mt once
D - tfFl a.
had calculated and that the parties over
there had arisen and were preparing for
nm early start as agreed upon. lie n
once kindlcd his fires and after having
his daughter commence preparing break
fast crossed TO Marble Hall, say at two
o'clock, pissed TO the rear and finding
outer door to room G standing open call
cd at room d, awokc Mrs. Price, notill-
ed her breakfast would soon be ready
and asked her TO dress and come home.
She and Mrs. BlAcNlCy al once atc7c and
he remarked to them he thought he could
smell something burning, adding that A.
the men IN room A were sleeping with
their bed on the floor near the ilrc, the
fire might have popped on the bed while
they were asleep. At their request he
went to room (A) aud, OIL opening the
door found the room filled with smoke.
Calling 10 the men 10 nwnkc them there
was no response. Cropping his way
through the smoke he found the bed on
fire and cndcayorcd 10 arouse them
care YOU gotn to sleep here until volt
are burned to dcnthY" But tho dead
talk not aud there was no response
Surprising they had been sullocNtcd he
caught Que of them by the leg, but u
had been burned until the flesh slipped
away, and taking him by the shoulders
he dragged the body on TO the marble
floor of the hall, where, by the light
which had been brought by the two Ia
dies, he came TO the conclusion that the
charrcd and blackened body was That Of
ma own SON
He then caught the burning bed clothcs
almost consumed, threw them In the Gre
place, and dragged the slowly burning
feather bed. with Browns body on IT,
into the hail. Calling his younger son
from his own house, he impaired TO him
the belief chat his brother Jake was dead,
But the younger son replied this was
not so; that he had Just lett him asleep
Al the other house. The body was then
recognized as that Of Heck. A further
examination revealed the blood-sllrriug
fact that their skulls Ind been crushed,
Word was NJ once sent to town md ut
an carly hour n vast number Of peraons
nsemblcd The sheriff, Robert Blcy-
Inc, ona Of the most fearless, shrcwd and
intrepid officers In the State, was soon
al me scene OF the MURDER
VINO rip u9
All day the continually increasing
crowds stayed nj Marble Hall B'r,lus