The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1882-10-25

of them to shield himself from hi
pursuer. Lusby rushed out tn
door, poked his pistol over the man
and shot Mabry in the neck. Mabry
ran down the street, and when h.
had gotten twenty yards away
Lusby fred again, striking him il
the back, killing him instantly.
In the preliminary trial of Lusby
the magistrate refused to allow hin
bail. He applied for a writ o
habeas corpus and was refused bal
by Judge Hall. This necessitatec
his lying in Jail until the June term
of the Criminal Court. At this
time he was tried bya jury which
disagreed that the case was not
murder in the first degree. He was
then allowed bail, Maj. Thomas
O'Conner being one of his bonds
men. Both Gen. Mabry and Joe
Mabry were enthusiastic in the
prosecution of Don Lusby, and o.
course desired his conviction of muir.
der in the first degree.
During the latter part of August
Don Lusby threatened the life o.
Gen Mabry, and went so far as tc
abuse him on the street. The chic
of police of Knoxville happened tC
be standing near and arrested Lush,
at once, and requested Mabry to &C
to the recorders office and take out
a warrant for Lusby. This the
Mabrys did. In the court room were
Moses Lusby, father of Don, Gen
Mabry, Joe Mabry, the prisoner anC
at least dozen other men. Some
one suggested that Don Lusby b.
disarmed before the trial com
menced, and the policemen present
attempted to do it. In the scuffit
and general melee both the Lusby'l
were instantly killed by the Mabryi
and not a person in the room saw {
single shot. A few days ago the
Mabrys were cleared by a jury, anC
hardly before the father and SON
who had killed father and son lesl
than two months ago-could fee
themselves forever done with crime
and bloodshed, they were both gasp
ing with dying breath at the same
time and together. Thus ends al
old and highly respected family
Gen. Mabry once owned large landed
estates, but lost most all his property
by horse racing, cabling and drink
ing. Will Mabry was more after
the order of his father, while Joe
was of a quieter nature. He was
recently elected magistrate in Knox.
vile, and was considered shrewd
young lawyer. He drank some but
not to excess. The whole family
was as fearless as the savage lion
that roams the fores4 Gen. Mabry
leaves a wife, three daughter and
two sons, the latter aged respective
ly fourteen and eleven years. who
will be sorrowed almost to the
grave by the continued calamities
that have befallen the family within
the past year.
Mai. O'Conner was a gentleman
who was known all over his native
State, and not only here but all over
the entire country. He was born in
Virginia and lived there until the
death of his father, which occurred
when he was Is years of age. He
then left Virginia and came to Ten
nessee. He settled down in Knox
vile and commenced working at his
trade, the saddle and harness bust
ness. He remained there, working
himself at the bench until the COM
of the war when he en-
listed under the stars and bars en-
tering Capt. Kain's company of ar
tillery as First Lieutenant. This
battery was stationed at Cumber-
land Gap, where Maj. O'Conner was
and taken to Johnson's Is
land where he was confined for some
time. At the conclusion of the war
he went to Atlanta, where he took
up his old business, the harness and
saddle trade. Here, by his close in
he accumulated some money
and he returned to Knoxville and
opened wholesale harness and
leather establishment. In 1871 he
came to Nashville and obtained the
first lease of the penitentiary. He
also obtained an interest in the sec
ond lease and was also interested in
the present lease of that institution.
At the time of his death, Major
O'Conner held an interest in various
business enterprises, the extent of
which were simply enormous. He
was a director and large stakeholder
in the Nashville, Chattanooga & st.
Louis Railway and also in the Ten
nessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Com
pany; he held an interest in the
present lease of the penitentiary,
was a member of the firm of Cher
~ O'Cnner & Co., was President of
the Mechanics National Bank of
Knoxville; and, in conjunction with
Fletcher 4 Wessenberg, was inter-
ested in several large contracts for
building railroad lines in Louisiana
and other parts of the Southern
States. He was also engaged in
building two large blast furnaces,
,ne at Gadsden, Ala, and the other
1t Birmingham, Ala. He was also
engaged in mining and selling ore
It Gadsden, to a large extent, and
vas also carrying on a large farm
lear Knoxville.
Maj. O'Conner was, without doubt,
me of the richest men in Tenu essee,
md with his interests so widely
it would be mere specula-
ion, based on no intelligent idea, to
Ittempt an estimate of his wealth.
lie was noble, brave, and generous
o a fault, and when he gave to
haritable purposes he never gave
neagerly. His generosity was pro-
-erbial, and there are many who
an attest what substantial donor
10 was.
Gen. Joseph A. Mabry was born
an. 26, 1926, fourteen miles west
t Knoxville, on farm known as
he old Mabry place. He was a man
f finest energy and business tact.
'ince the war he has been known
r.IoIr~