Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-07-02
A MISSISSIPPI HANGING,
Scott Bell Goes to Glory for Murder.
AwOman at the Bottom OtIt.

leave him. The following is his YER
sion of the case:
Statement of Scott hell.
STARKvILLE, Miss, July 2.-Scott
Bell, the man convicted of killing
Jim Henry, was interviewed this
morning. After expressing his will
lingness to state the facts, he said:
The cause of all the trouble was
Jim Henry's coming to my house be-
fore day one year ago. He knew that
| was gone away from home. l told
him on Friday that | was going away
Sunday morning before day. Sunday
morning he came; then had left be-
fore day, and something told me all
was not right, and after getting about
a quarter of a mile from home | turned
and went back. l got in the chimney
corner outside, and had not been there
long before he came to the gate. 1t
was not yet day. He pulled of his
shoes at the gate and went to the
house and called my wife, and she an
Swered and told him to come in. He
went in aud asked her, where is the
bOss?p She said, "He's left here, but
l don't know whether he is gone or
not, She was in the bed, and when
she told him that she got up and they
talked in a low voice together. l
couldn't stand it. l then went into
the house on him. He did not
HAVE HOLD oF'MY WIFE,
but was standing in the middle of the
floor. She was standing near the
e-place, and screamed when 1 went
in. | asked him what he was doing
there. He said he had come down tC
talk with me. l struck Jim Henry
with stick. He clinched with me
in the house and we scuffied into the
yard and out of the gate. The gate
was about fifteen steps from the door
He was too stout for me, tried tC
throw me, but couldn't. He got hold
of my stick and struck me over the
head. | caught the stick and we
stopped and he went off. My wife
came out and tried to stop it. After
the fight was over, Jim said he hat
come there to get me to take lettel
for him to his cousin. | then said
Why didn't you give me the letter
before? | told you l was going, HI
said he didn't think about it. | ther
asked him why he wanted me to senC
a letter to his cousin, who lived ou
east, when he knew | was going to m,
sisters, who lived south. He mad,
no reply, but left. l fully believe h,
was
AFTER MY WIFE.
His explanation never did satisfy m,
otherwise, and from that time on
was suspicious Of him. At the tim
my wife left me, which was nearl,
two weeks before the killing, | be
lieved that Jim Henry was the caus
of her leaving. believe he persuaded
her to leave me, so that he coul,
get to her. On Saturday morning
went to her. She was at the AL
Garyin place, which was about thre
miles from my home, and about on,
quarter of mile from Jim Henry
She was at the washing-place in tn
field. | asked her pointedly if sh
was going to come back and live witt
me. She said no, she was not; that
had accused her of Jim, and
SHE WAS GOlNd To QUIT.
She told me it was not so, but
still believe it, and believe it al
the stronger because she had got s
close to him. l never then mad N
idea of killing him until Sunday.
went to where she was at her moth
er's Sunday morning and carried he
her dress to wear to church and start
ed to meeting. put on a coarse shirt
She said, II don't know what yo'
want to put on that old shirt, to G
to meeting in for" l said it was goo
enough for me to wear to church. W
had
NO MORE WORDS
Just then. We started to church.
was with Alf. Garvins and Jim Her
ry's wife; my wife was on behinC
The woman l was with got me to G
, back and see if the others were CON
ing. l carried Jim's little girl bac
az her mothers request. l met Alf
: childFea and my children in the roa
playing and Loft the little girl wit
} them. l then went back tGwards tn
meeting; my wife was coming on bt
hind, and seeing me at a crook in th
I road, followed at and asked me, "wh
! don't you wait for US" stOppe
and waited until they caught up. HC
, and her sister Prithe again con
menced about the shirt saying, "
don't know what you wanted to go
, church in that old shirt for sal
!, again it is plenty good enough for II
a to wear. She then said ! don't wal
Won IN on