Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-03-24
| COLD BL0ODED MURDER
TWo MEN SHOT TO DEATH WI1B-
OUT W.aRNING.
A Cruel Crime in Princess Anne
County, Sirginfa-A Probable En-
PLANTATION oftbe Trouble.

Norfolk virginian.
An atrocious murder took place on Sat
urday afternoon week in Princess Anne
county, and we publish below the circum-
stances of the same, as well as are now
known, and which We're related to us by
Mr.. R. b. Hayes of this city, who was
upon the scene OF the tragedy shortly after
its occurrence
little before sundown on Saturday
afternoon, as four white men, named Hec-
tor Old William Whitehurst, Thomas Me-
Pherson and Caleb Fisher, We're proceed
ing in cart to their homes, and at a
point on what is known as the Old Gum
Swamp Road, about three and half miles
from Princess Anne court house, towards
Norfolk, the party swas suddenly and
without warning fired upon from behind
an ambush, which was about five feet
and half high, built between two pine
trees in a pine thcket, situated about 30
yards from the road. AT the first shot,
which did no damage, Mr.. Mcpherson
Jumped out of the wagon into ditch near
by and called out s'Hand me my gum"
The words were scarcely out of his mouth
when another report was heard and
Messrs Old and Whitehurst fell from the
wagon mortally wounded in the head,
the former dying at once and the latter
| lingering only long enough to enable him
to proceed some 80 or 40 yards along the
road, leaving tracks of blood all the way,
and then falling dead.
The coat and pants of Mr.. Mcpherson
We're perforated in several places by the
buckshot, though he escaped further in
| jury.
The horse attached to the vehicle
becoming frightened at the reports, took
to flight, and up to noon Sunday had not
been recovered. As Mr.. Fisher was in
the wagon it was thought at the time that
one of the shots had killed him also, and
that his body remained in the cart.
The charge of buckshot by which Mr..
| Whitehurst was killed entered his left
temple and the crown of his head, tear
ing the top of his skull almost off The
trees in the vicinity bore marks of the
buckshot, which were about the size of
peas.
Mr.. Mcpherson states that at the time
OF the first fire he saw the face of man
with white beard, behind the blind but
could not identify him.
1t is not known as yet by whom the
terrible deed was committed, but it is
thought that it grew out of various
troubles which have taken place from
|
regard to the fence law. Mr.. Mcpherson
was known, so We understand, as a ''no
fence man." and it is said that he had
taken down his fences and shot number
of cattle, the property of his neighbors,
which had trespassed on his land. On
the day of the tragedy he was presenta
the court house, at the trial of a case
originating from some of the above causes;
decision had been rendered in his favor,
and the murdered men had acted as his
witnesses. 1t is not positively known
that the deed was prompted by these
causes, but there are, so far as is known,
no other alleged motives for the animosity
by which the guilty parties must have
been actuated. 1t is thought that it was
the intention of the murderer or muir
derers, whoever they may be, to kill Mr..
Mcpherson, at all events, as the shooting
occurred within a stones throw of his
house. The parties were all Princess
Anne county farmers, and we'll known
and respected in this city.
| Mr.. Whitehurst was an old man, aged
72 and entirely inotfensive. He was the
father of number of grown children (;
: both he and Old belonged to good families,
and Messrs. Old, Mcpherson and Fisher
> had lived formerly in North Carolina.
The road upon winch the bloouy event
transpired is the one leading from the
court house to London Bridge, and the
scene of the murder is near that where
= DIR. McAlpine was murdered, prior to the
war, by one Ewell.
A letter received last evening from a
reliable gentleman living in Kempsville,
speaking of the affair, said "An inquest
was held over the dead bodies yesterday
e Sunday, the jury Withholding their
t verdict until further developments in the
case. Two men by the name of John
a Murden ana Theodore Bartee were ar
rested on suspicion of being the perpe-
traitors. The community is in great ex-
{ citement, and everything as yet is all
conjectures and mysterious. The officers
E are doing all they can to investigate the
matter.i