Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-05-27
ED. NELMs.
The Murderer OF Rufus Armi.
stead-A Few Facts I'm
Reference to his
Capture.

AAcnOU III gCotcAud1 , AEbdEh regaIu-
ing the capture Of Ed. helms, who in
cold blood murdered Rufus Ar
instead on the 9th inst, near Horn
Lake, Miss. 1t would be we'll to give
a few facts to show how his capture
was brought about. As soon as the
news Of the murder reached this city,
Capt. Ed, Hart, on whose place the
crime was committed, at once, for the
family of the deceased, engaged a col
ored private detective, named Bob
Paine, who has worked several such
jobs, and in every cast given entire sat
isfaction.
Bob is bright mulatto, about 80
years of age, with an intelligent ex.
preston. He left here by steamer for
Star Landing, Miss, where he re-
manned only a few hours, havingfound
out hat helms had crossed the river
to Jones store, on the Arkansas side.
He at once hired himself to Major
ScanlOn to work on his farm, but not
deriving any information crossed back
to the Mississippi side, where, after
sounding some of the white people in
the neighbOrhood in regard to their
feelings toward the Armisted family,
found they were all in sympathy with
them and were using every exertion
to capture the murderer.
helms was followed to the bottoms
by Paine, where the latter found the
negro woman with whom helms was
IN the habit of stopping. He re-
NAMED in the neighborhood watching
her every movement, and he became
satisfied that she was fixing to leave
for Tunica county to join her father
and his (Nelms) relations. Bob Of
course moved also he was acquainted
with Ed helms and family, and had
no trouble in getting into the cent?
dence of Ed, upon representation that
he himself was a fugitive from justice,
having committed a similar crime
some time since, but he got out Of it
by joining the army and was
now a recruiting officer and
tried to pursuade helms to go with
him to the hills, take the Central rail
road for Cairo, and join the United
States army, as in so doing he could
not be prosecuted for his crime.
helms consented to go, but his uncle
smelling a mice" objected, and sup
posing Bob was planning for the ar
rest of Ed, drove him away.
During all this time this colored de-
tective had a middle man (white) who
acted as a tramp and kept the Armis-
toad family informed in regard to the
movements of Bob and helms. Bob,
when forced to leave, went to
the Armistead family and re-
ported all. This was Friday night
prior to the capture. A posse went
at once to his hiding place and started
him up, with the result given yestcr-
day; while with the helms family he
found out a conspiracy by which they
intended to murder every member of
the Armistead family.
The negro helms IS confined in the
store Of Messrs. Armistead, Lundy &
Bedford, being heavily chained and
watched until a magistrate arrives,
by which a mittimus can be obtained
to take him to Jail. Bob Paine, the
detective, also went over to Captain
Harris place, hired himself as a hand,
gained the confidence of negro who,
on Friday night previous to the MUIR
der, brought helms to the house,
took him on the porch and showed
him the window of the room in which
Rufus Armistead slept. The negro
placed himself in position to shoot
when the dogs attacked him and
drove him from the premises. The
negro who assisted helms Friday
night has been arrested also the
whole helms family. Further devel-
opments are expected daily.