The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1880-12-01
ANOTHER RORROR.
RICHARD ]. scRUGGs FOUND DEAD.


ushered in a carnival Of horrors. /
First the wholesale poisoning in Roane
county, then the double murder In /
Hawkins, and now the fIightful and
mysterious death Of Richard j. Scruggs,
ESQ, a well known and esteemed citi-
zen Of Knox county, and related 10 the
best families OF this and ajoiniug
counties. Frsm the knoxville Tribune
Of Saturday we condeuse these partic-
ulars Of the last tragedy:
Mr. Scruggs left the city about six
o'clock ia the evening. He started
from the stable Of Andy Cox, saying
when he left that he was going home.
He was driving a mule, which drew a
light spring wagon. Nothing mere was
known of him by his friends ill he was
found, about O'Clock Thursday night,
dead. He was found hanging in the
shafts Of the vehicle, in a very mauglcd
and mutilated condition. He was
astride the cross piece Of the shafts,
with his head hanging near the ground.
His right leg was broken just above the
knee, and his arms were broken in one
/ or two places. His head was very bad
/ ly broken up, bis skull being crushed
| behind, and there being several gashes
\ in his forehead, His throat and breast
are cut, and he is bruised in various
places. The mule was found standing
perfectly still, and none of his harness
was broken. The first supPosition was,
that lie had fallen out and had been
kicked to death by the mule. And such
a conclusion as this, taking into csusid-
Grafton the position in which he was
! found, would be very natural At first
sight, with no evidence to the contrary,
one would naturally conclude that he
had been kicked to death. But circum-
stances and facts which have been gath
cred since his death was discovered raise
the suspicion that he has been f0ully
dealt with. One witness says that he
saw Mr. Scruggs when he crossed the
railroad on his way home, aud that
there was a man in the spring wagon
with him. As il IS not very far from
where he crossed the railroad to where
he was killed. it is strongly suspicioned
/ that this unknown person is the man
who brought Mr.. Scruggs to his untime-
| ly end. If one of Mr.. Scruggs' friends
had been with him and had left him be-
fore he was killed, he would have turn
ed up ere this. Another ground for
suspicion is the fact that bis throat is
cut. 1t is believed that il would he im-
possible for mule 10 cut the throat
across-wise, by kick. II is not GER
| tain that he was murdered but the sus.
picion to that effect is very strong. Mr.
| RUFF Alley passed out the Gin Pike
about z: 80 o'clock Thursday night and
saw Mr.. Scruggs' horse and vehicle
standing near certain fence. He saw
nothing of Mr.. Scruggs, but saw anoth-
er man standing near by.
The Chronicle says: Il seems that Esq.
Scruggs left the stable Of Simon Brad
ford, where he bitches, just about dark,
and that he was under the influence Of
stimulants An effort was made % per-
suade him not to go, IL being so dark, 10
no effect, however, and he started cut
alaue, in his spring wagon, drawn by
the mule which he usually drives. The
dash board Of his wagon was broken at
one end, and bore marks Of a fresh
break when found. The superstition ar
rived at by some Of the witnesses is, |
that he had put his feet up against the
board to brace himself in refining his
mule, and it gave way His foot WAS
hung between the single tree and cross /
piece between the shafts, where II was
held with vice like grip, and his bedy |
went back under the wagon, with face |
upwards. In this condition he was /
found. The head was badly shattered /
up on the back, and in the forehead /
bore marks apparently az licks from the /
corl1s Of the mules hind shoes Besides, |
his neck was broken, as was also his /
shoulder blade and his arms and legs in |
several places, so that the body was /
mangled frightfully. His coat was
stripped of aud was afterwards found al !
the creek, bearing evidence Of being /
dragged off the body. The hat was also
found in the road, and there we're marks |
of blood on rocks at different points.
What a terrible death Il must have /.
been The mule had, from all the cir
cumstances, perhaps, wound about, back |
and forth in the road, all the time drag /
ging the body over rocks and gravels, Il /
being held fast by the feet. A small !
quantity of silver change was found In 4
the pockets and also a receipt for some
money deposited 10 bank that day. Our
community has not been 50 shocked fDF
many days, and the sad affair has east a
gloom ever many households. Esq,
Scruggs was extensively related in East
Tennessee. lie has beon for several
terms justice OF the peace In the l2ih
district, was a prominent, well-to-do
citizen, and good neighbor He leaves
a wife and three small children, who are
overwhelmed with grief Al the peculiar
~ sad and tragic fate Of husband and
father, and they have the heartfelt sym
pathies Of all. There were numerous
rumors afloat on the streets yesterday al
foul play and murder, but from al The
surrounding circumstances there seems
10 De but little doubt that Il was an ac-
death.