Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-09-25
ASSASSINATION
OF 9 Merchant at Charleston, Mis-.
sissippi.
A Preachers Son Accused, and
His Father In Jail for Aiding
Him TO Escape.

Miss, about ninety miles south in
Tallahstchie county. Thursday night,
together with the capture and sutse.
quent escape of the murderer. For
some time past A. Macon Leigh, a
prosperous merchant Of Charles
ton, has been in the habit of taking
the cash receipts of the day home after
closing his store, and though frequent
ly entreated by his wife to stop SO
dangerous a practice, lkughed at her
fears and continued his habit. Thurs
day night last, about eight o'clock, he
started home as usual with his money,
$500, 10 a cigar box under his arm.
The distance is only a few hundred
yards, and he had reached a point
within fifty feet of his gate when some
one called to him to halt. He regard
ed it as a joke and stopped with a
smile on his face. Without another
word of warning the murderer, who
stood Swallowed in the jamb Of the
fence, fred his gun, Leigh falling to
the ground with the report. Mrs.
Leigh, who sat at a window waiting
for her husband, heard tie report,
followed by a cry of pain and reeog
nized her husbands voice calling for
his pistol. Securing the weapon in an
instant the brave wife dashed away to
her husbands rescue, and when the
murderer Jaw her coming he deliber-
ately drew a pistol, stepped close to
the PROSTATE man and snapped the
weapon in his face three or four times
without effect, then turned and
walked away. The next moment Mrs
Leigh put a pistol in her husbands
hand and he, turning over upon his
side, fred after the assassin's retreat
ing form. Soon aGterward a number
Of the neighbors, who had been
aroused by the unusual noise, collected
about the spot, but on account of the
darkness of the night found it impos-
sible to trace the murderer. The
money was found In the corner of a
fence nea by,
Every attention was given the VIC
tim, one OF whose legs had been shot
all to pieces, but ho died in great
suffering 10 a few hours.
Early Friday morning a party com
posed of Captain Turner, Leish's
brother and brother-in-law and anoth-
or man, traced the assassin from the
scene Of the tragedy to the house of
the Rev. I. Ward White, a Prcsbyte
rian minister universally popular in
Charleston and the surrounding coun-
try. Suspicion was at once directed
to Vernon White, his son, a young
man nineteen years of age, and who
had once cleFked for Leigh, but so
great was the esteem in which the
family were held they could not make
up their minds to allow suspicion to
rest upon them. Before noon it was
decided to arrest a rough character
living in the edge Of the town, who
had been seen Thursday with a double
barreled shotgun, but as it was very
plain his gun had not been fred for
several days, he was released.
Friday evening it was discovered
that Vernon White had disappeared.
and his father, when questioned about
1t, declared he had sent him away to
school. Saturday morning the father
also disappeared, and the trailing
party thought it folly to waste further
} time in sentimentslisiDg, and tracked
father and son to Oakland, ten miles
away on the Mississippi and Tennessee
railroad, where both were found Sat
urday night at a hotel. Captain Tur.
ner became the spokesman Of the
) party, AID ~endeavored to persuade Dr.
r White to allow his son to return until
the whole matter should be investi.
gated. He at last agreed, and his
/ determination was acquiesced in By
t his son. The entire party left The
I hotel, but when about to mount theil
4 horses DR.. White and Vernon asked
permission to go back into the hote
for their overcoats. This request wal
: granted, aud both went back into tn,
t hotel. Shortly aftarward DR.. White
returned with his overcoat, and wher
| asked about his son replied innocently
0 oh, he's just getting his o%vercoat.
: The party at once entered the hotel
when they discovered that the pris
= oner had fed and could no where b,
n found. So great was the fury o
t Leigh's brother and brother-in Law
d that it was with difficulty they wer,
r restrainedfrOm strangling the preache.
upon the spot. Young Whites trunk
which was found in the hotel, wa
searched, snd in it was found a pair o
shoes covered with mud. They wsr,
s~tterward found to fit the murderer
footprints to a nicely. The fugitive i
nineteen years old, we'll educated anc
a a very bright young man in ever!
respect. A reward of $500 is Offered
n for his arrest. DIR. White is unde,
arrest for aiding in his escape.