Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-07-13
WISH HIsI A PLEASANT
DOUBLE MURDER,
James County the Scene of Another
Tragedy.
Chattanooga Times.


Friday evening, on W. C. Thatcher's
farm, near Thatcher's Landing 25 miles up
the river, in James County, in most helm
Gus manner Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson, a resi-
dent of that settlement, was murdered. On
Saturday morning, little s year old daught-
er of Mr.. Petty found the dead and multi
ated remains, with the head almost entirely
severed from the body, lying IN a clump of
bushes, almost concealed from view. The
left ear was also cut off, and other marks of
violence noticeable ON her person.
| A coroner's jury was summoned, COM
posed of Squire j. P. Tally, foreman, W.
+. Raines, Vim. Parrot, Jas. Henry, ST.,
C.. L. Moon and Linch Hatfield. The Jury
was in session night and day, from Satur-
| day noon until yesterday morning, when no
verdict had been reached, and an adjourn
ment until o'clock Thursday morning was
agreed upon.
The Weapon used is supposed to have
been large butcher knife, well sharpened
r.the occasion. The cut was a smooth
one, and, as above stated, the head was al
most entirely severed from the body, only
hgament on the left side holding it in
place. From this fact it was supposed to
have been either large butcher or bowie
knife with which the crime was committed.
it is difficult to determine who the perpe-
traitors of the crime are. The half-witted
daughter of the murdered woman testified
that she saw two men, one white and the
other colored, in conversation with hel
mother on Friday night shortly before the
deed is supposed to have been committed.
Only one horse was in sight-a dark bay
which was tied in the bushes near the spot
| where the body was found.
The murderers not having been located il
is hard to discern the cause of the murder.
There are two causes credited however
which may possibly lead to the detection
and conviction of the fiends who are guilty
One is that Mrs. Wilson was pregnant, and
lacked only about two months of becoming
mother of an illegitimate child, and the
father, rather than face the disgrace, deter.
mined to put his victim and his offspring
both to death. The other cause is thought
to be that the murdered woman was well
acquainted with the facts in the Yarnel
triple murder case which occurred Ill that
locality last February and to shield them
selves from damaging evidence the guilty
parties put to death the promising witness.
Mrs Wilson was a grass widow, she hav-
ing parted from her husband several years
since. About year ago she was arrested
and convicted of lewdness in Chattanooga,
but was paid out of the difficulty by jerome
Hayes. She was the mother of two children,
a boy and girl, aged II and H. The MUIR
dered woman had been living on Mr..
Thatcher's farm until about SIX months ago,
she moved to the plantation of Squire
G. o. Gates, where she rema; ned up to
about two weeks before her murder, when
she moved back on the Thatcher farm. She
was between 40 and 40 years of age, OF
prepossessing appearance, industrious and
efficient. If she had an enemy it was not
known. Her conduct was always such as
to gain the friendship of the people, and
none but motives of self-preservation can
be urged against her murderers.