The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-11-13
A True Account of the shooting AZ
Lexington.
BY AN EYEWITNESS.

The excitement arising from the
killing of j. Il. Ashcraft, sheriff, and
J. T. Lockhart, chancery clerk OF
Holmes county, at Lexington, having
partially subsidized, an accurate nc.
count of it can now be given,
J. T. Lockhart reached Lexington
about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. He
had been TO and heard from number
of other precincts, and was much sur
prisel and irritated at the way the
election was going. At about quar-
ter of six o'clock, from all reports,
Ashcraft was believed to have been
reelected. About this time Lockhart
made some general charges of Demo-
cratic swindling. J. w. Ashcralt,
father of j. l., repiel in iOcular
manner, "Your head is not of the
right shape to indulge in such lam
guage." Lockhart retortcd by strik-
ing him severe blow on the head
with II heavy stick. As j. w. Ash
craft, though unarmcd, was much his
physical superior, Lockhart immcdi-
ately drew his pistol and was caught
by w. +. Cross, mayor of Lexington,
who attempted to prevent his using
it. j.. Il. Aslcraft was on another
part of the grounds, and rs he was APP
preaching the scene of the difficulty,
LOckhart fired on him uuder Cross
arm. Those who had been attempt
ing to separate Lockhart and J. w.
Ashcraft fell back. Lockhart and
]. + Ashcraft fired almost simulta-
ncously, each receiving mortal
wound, the former in the groin and
the latter in the neck. Ashcraft
dropped back against the rope stretch
ed around the polls, Strengthened
himself, fired another shot, walked off
Il few steps and fell. After murmur-
ing word or two about his wife and
children he died. After his death he
was found to have also received Il
mortal wound in the back. After be-
ing wounded Lockhart walked around
until his strength gave way AMI fell,
and was carried off by his friends.
c. NJ. Hull, friend of Lockhart,
fired from one to three shots, and was
wounded, but whether by Ashcraft or
Lockhart is not known. There is not
the slightest evidence to show that
any one besides the three mentioned
were engaged in the shooting. Hull's
trial for shooting at Ashcraft will
come off on the 18th inst, when the
whole matter viii be judicially inves-
tigated.
At the time of the shooting there
were some two hundred persons, most
ly negroes, grouped in very narrow
space, and it is not a little strange
that more were not hurt. Most of the
white people had gone home or to
supper, and at no other time during
the day could this shooting have oc-
cured without involving more per-
sons.
The statement that the difficulty |
arose from Il charge of fraud in the
election of 1879 was mistake. Ash
,ratt died as the polls closed and be-
ore his election was positively known.
Though only twenty-siX years of age,
he had previously served four years as
clerk Of Holmes county.
j. w. Ashcraft was bIinded by the
blow received from Lockhart, and was
of the shooting that was
going on around him; and would have
)een victim to Lockhart's pistol had
t not fallen half-cocked-in which
position it was afterwards tiOund-and
allied to fire.
Neither he nor Lockhart used any
larsh or disrtspectful language to
.ach other.