The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-11-04
A SHOCKING AFFAIR.
Richard P. Bull, a Former Giles
countian, Brutally Murdered at
Fort Worth, Texas.

known merchant OIL ludS pldCe, uau
been murdered at Fort Worth.
Texas. The dispatches furnished
by the city press were meager in
details and uncertain as to the
identity of the victim, and the rela-
tives and friends of Mr.. Bull chung
to the hope that the sad intelligence
might prove untrue. Later advices,
however, confirm the first report
and establish the identity OF the
murdered man beyond all question.
We are indebted to Mr.. Gordon
Walker for copy of the Fort
Worth Advance, of the 26th INST,
which gives the following particu
lars of the shocking affair:
Sunday morning the news rap
idly spread throughout the city
that man had been killed at the
Central Wagon Yard. Further in
quiry proved that a man had actu-
ally been mortally wounded at that
place, but the unfortunate creature
was still living at the time, nor did
be die for several hours afterward.
The first intimation of the occur
renee received at police headquar-
tiers was early Sunday morning,
when two of the employees of this
wagon yard came to the city hall,
and waking up Officer Joe Witcher,
asked him to go to the Central
Wagon Yard and remove drunken
man from the yard. Mr.. Witcher
answered that he would as soon as
he dressed and ate his breakfast.
Shortly after this Mr.. A. Matthews,
the proprietor of the wagon yard,
came himself to the city hall
and requested Mr.. Witcher to go
down and ''take that man away
informing Mr.. Ed. Maddox that the
man was knocked in the head"
This was the first intimation Mr..
Mr.. Witcher received of the real
state of affairs, and without any
further hesitation he proceeded to
the wagon yard. On his arrival,
Mr.. WItcher found the man lying
in a wagon, with his skull badly
crushed from the effects of a blow
or blows from some heavy blunt
instrument, and as an axe was found
lying under the wagon with consid-
cradle blood on it, the Natural in
ference is that the ak was the in
strument used. 1t was afterwards
ascertained that the skull was frac-
tured from its union with the left
cheek bone to a distance of nine
inches upwards and over the top of
the Uranium, and that at least six
fragments of bone varying in size
from that Of twenty-five cent piece
to pieces three and four inches
broad, were totally detached and
lying loose under and merely at
tached TO the scalp.
Several blows were evidently dealt
him, and he must have lost con.
seriousness from the moment the
first blow was given him. Officer
W1tcher found him in this condi-
ton, and as soon as possible mott
fed other officers, together with the
city physician, and had him re-
moved to the city hospital, where
the poor fellow breathed his last a
few hours after his arrival.
AS he was a total stranger in the
city, every means possible has been
used to establish his identity and
convey the intelligence of his sad
end to his friends and relatives,
whereVar thew NAV be-
Through the kindness of City
Marshal Farmer, we were permitted
to examine various letters, pho
tographs, cards, ETC., found in his
pockets, and we give as near as pos
sible a full description of them.
A postal card written from this
place, dated October 23rd, and di-
rected to IL. C.. Merriweather,
Gainesville, Ark" first attracted
our attention, and we give it YER
batIm as written:
"FoRT WORTH, Oct. %, 1880.
Friend Lindsay-You may look
for me at your town the last of the
week. Hope this will End you we'll.
R. P. BULL"
We next looked at a neat little
card on one side of which was
printed, georgia A. Bull" and on
the other side was attached lock
of auburn hair, tied with little
blue ribbon, beneath which was
written: Remember your little sis
ter Georgia"
Several plain white cards con-
tanned on one side: Richard Z.
Bull, Private Detective, Member of
the Force since 1874. Address,
Elkton, Tenn"
On the other side of the cards
was the following: Successful in
the following celebrated cases
Murder of Dunton by Beach, Mo
line, Ga, 1877; Robbery of First
National Bank, Richmond, Va, 1877;
Kidnapping of Brittle Miles, Nash
vile, Tenn, 1876; Murder of Moore
by his nephew, Falcon, Ga, 1875.
and many others. Business sole
tied"
In his pockets were also a copy
of the Police News, dated October
23d, pass on the Iron Mountain d
Southern railroad, made out for
IN. V. Camp, editor Press, Gaines
vile, Ark" and numbered 45. Sew
eral plain white cards, some with
the name "Alice Parker, GOA Myrtle
street" printed thereon; others with
an. V. Camp" written on them, and
one or two with "R. p. Bull, Editor
Democratic Press, Gainesville, Ark.
His pockets also contained a let
ter written by his sister from Elk
ton, Tenn, dated October 10Th, and
received by him at this place very
recently; several photographs oil
himself and one or two ladies, q
nickel-plated Smith 81 NELSON'S
five shooter, and printed circular
from Dauchy d Co., printers ware
house and advertising agency, New
York.
Now, with the above given dats
and the manner OF his death as far
as learned. various conjectures are
rife.
1t seems that on Saturday eve
ming this man whom we suppose is
Bull, went to Mr.. W. II. Vaut, 6
farp,a- liv;DO paar Mansfiald hui