The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-09-29
GEN. ". F. TUCKER.
THE FACTS OF HIS MURDER.
Hon. ]. R. McINTosH's ELOQUENT TRI-
BUTE TO Hrs MEMORY.
Meridian Mercury

That the negro. Houston Parish, now ia
custody, is Gen. fuckers brutal assassin
there can be no doubt. The hearts and
minds Of the people of Okolona are in per-
feet accord in this belief. There is nothing
that CRATES even family upon this opinion.
The people are as prudent as they are firm,
and the storm that is raging in their sad
hearts viii fan to fury the flames of death
around the bastard when they know him
fully, hotter than the fires of hell, to mer-
ciiessly torture and consume him. The
law OF God, the higher law, the law Of self
protection, will prevail, and the retribution
will be swift and terrible. We invoke the
blessings Of God in Heaven and all brave
on earth upon every hand that strikes the
unnatural fiend blow.
The beginning of this terrible tragedy
had its origin ia Baptist Town." 0kolona' 5
negro pest hole, Lass Sunday, IA week ago.
The negroes of Baptist Town" were to
have baptising on Chuquatoncha creek,
about eight miles west of Okolona. Gen.
Tucker permitted his little son, Willie, to
take his wagon and team to haul load of
negroes to the baptizlng and back to humor
his ambition to make money. Willie got
little neighbor friend, Jimmie White, son
of Jas. B. White, formerly sheriff of the
county, to go with him.
The negroes of "Baptist Town have a
church and a church bell. The little fel-
lows drove their wagon up in front of the
church, a little in advance of time, and
were waiting for their load of passengers.
While waiting a little negro boy, playing
about the church, mischievously tapped the
bell. Houston Parish, who lived near the
church, and who was a sort Of selfconstitu-
ted custodian of the church and bell upon
hearing it tap, sprung from his howell like
wounded tiger and demanded to know who
rang that bell. The little negro answered
very readily that he did it. Parish said
nothing TO him, but in a rude and insulting
manner ordered the little white boys away,
which aroused their resentment, and they
gave him short words in reply Parish be-
came enraged at this and slapped and chffed
! the little fellows about in brutal way.
They went home crying and sobbing to their
| fathers and told what had happened to
! them. Gen. Tucker went Immediately to
! Houston Parish's house and called him to
him. Parish came out with an open knife
/ in hand which Gen. Tucker took from him
and threw away, and with his walking cane
whacked him over the head. The brutal
! coward took to flight to escape further cas-
! tigation. Gen. Tucker returned to his home,
and thought no more about it. Mr.. White
/
the hurley buck for his unprovoked and out
rageous assault upon his little son, and was
on the lookout for him from Sunday to
| Wednesday evening, before the assassina-
| tion Of Gen. Tucker Wednesday night,
when he found him on the streets; but he
was too swift of foot, and Mr.. White too
slow to catch him. Parish went among his
negro friends and tried to borrow or buy
pistol, saying that Gen. Tucker had struck
him, that Mr.. White was after him to whip
him, and that he didn't intend to stand it,
1t cannot be ascertained from whom he got
a pistol or whether he got one at all or not
but il is known that Gen. Tucker was killed
that night.
We leave Parish here and take
peep into Gen. fuckers death chamber
Early after tea Wednesday evening, Gen.
Tucker had some friends to visit him on
business at his house in the room in which
he met his untimely death. They left him
about 3 O'Clock, and he undressed himself
and lay down across his bed to read. His
wife went into his room and he handed her
the HGhickasaw Messenger, which he edited
that week, and asked her to read il, saying
that he was not satisfied with it, she took
the paper, and as she was leaving tue room,
| he asked her to return when she was through
with it, as he had a letter from their son
! Hal, who is in New Mexico, which he want
ed her to read. During all this time his
cold blooded assassin is supposed to have
been s,ailip@ his opportunity at his cham
Der window on the oac4 Eorch. Mrs Tuck
er retired from the room a4d the General
resumed reading. For some reason the
assassin lett his place at the window on the
! back gallery and went around to the window
/ on tho fropt of the room. 1t was rainy,
stormy night and big tracks In the mud
| indicated his movements about the premises
| One of the window panes on the lower tier
| of the sash was out at this window and it
! was evidently the intention of the assassin
/ te sheet Gen, Tucker as he lay upon his
| bed through that opeLips But the noise
| that he made at the window attracted Cen.
/ fuckers attention and he rose from his bed
and went to the window to see, if he could,
| who was there The tracks indicate that
| the assassin stepped back upon a little
mound about two feet from the window, and
while the General was peeFing out into the
! darkness to see what he could see, he fired
the fatal shot The ball entered the body
(then in STOPPING posture) just above the
! left nipple, and taking a downward course,
spun Through his brave and manly heart.
| He reeled and With His rig4C hand pressing
| his dazed eyes, fell lifeless upon the floor.
| Mrs. Tucker heard the shot and heard her
husband, fall and in few brief seconds she
and her fatherless cnIuren were behalng
and weeping over his lifeless form, while his
! iGhuman assassin was seeking safety in
| flight and darkness. Their screams soon
attracted neighbors and friends, who gave
! them all the sympathy and comfort that no.
| bic and generous hearts can bestow. In
half an hour the whole town was awake
/ l,h, Il "a Al
excitement vas most intense and the woe
and grief unutterahle, for Gen. Tucker was
q brave and good man and those who knew
him best loved him best. Suspicion natu-
rally pointed to Houston Parish and a
party went Immediately in search of him.
| They went to his house but he was not
there, and nowhere to be found that night.
He appeared voluntarily upon the streets
the Lext day and his appearance was as
sudden as it was unexpected. He was taken
into custody and put under a strong guard.
Secret investigations before the Mayor
were at once instituted which lasted for
several days without satisfactory result.
The grand jury, now in session, have the
case in hand and it is hoped and believed
will ferret the whole thing out, and place
the guilt, by proof, where it belongs, upon
Houston Parish.
EULoaY On THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF
GEN. TUCKER BY HON. j. r. MCINTOSH, AT
BAR MEETING HELD IN RESPECT TO
HIS MEMORY.
1t is mete and proper that submit some
| remarks on this occasion upon the life and
character of my distinguished friend and
law partner | feel that not to do so,
woul be unmindful of the dictates of a gen.
uine friendship and appear Indifferent to the
strong chords that bound Us together.
| He was born in Iredell county, North
Carolina, on the 9th day of May, 1927. In
| his 2lst year he graduated in the Emory
and Henry College of Virginia, in the class
of 1913, and as he stepped upon the arena of
| life he surveyed the surroundings in the
old North State and with those peculiar
characteristics of his nature that marked his
eventful career through life, he at once con-
ciuded to abandon the home of his youth
and the friends of his childhood and make
| his futurs home in the growing West. For
tunately for Mississippi and this community
| he located here, then, but little prairie I'll.
lage. He came without money, friends
| friends or influence, but he possessed those
elements of character which were worth
| .@,s1nav Ia v-ao oouprnflz