The daily gazette., 1882-10-20
A TENNEssEE TRAGEDY.
A Father and Son just Acquitted OF
Murder Shot by Bank Presidsnt-The
Murderer Slain.


A Father and Son just Acquitted OF
Murder Shot by Bank Presidsnt-The
Murderer Slain.
Full particulars of the bloody affray in
Knoxville, Pa, which was reported by tele-
graph in yesterdays GAZETTE, are given,
as follows:
KNOXVILLE, TENN, Oct. 19.-This place
was thrown into the greatest state of excite
ment this morning by terrible tragedy
which occurred In the main street of the
town during the busiest hour of the day,
which resulted in the killing of Thomas
OConnor, one of the leading and most in
fuential residents of the place; the death
of General Joseph A. Mabry and
his son aud the wounding of two
or three spectators of the affray. The par
ticulars Of the affair are as follows: This
morning at few minutes after 10 O'Clock,
General Joseph A. Mabry, Major Thomas
O'Connor and Joseph A. Mabry, Jr., fought
to the death a three-cornered fight in the
main street, which began yesterday after
noon by General Mabry attacking Major
O'Conhor and threatening to kill him. This
was at the fair grounds, and O'Connor told
Mabry 1t was not the place to settle their
differences. Mabry then told O'Connor he
should not live. 1t seems that Mabry was
armed and O'Connor was not. The cause
of the difficulty was an old feud about the
transfer of some property from Mabry 10
O'Connor. Later in the afternoon Mabry
sent word to O'Connor that he would kill
him OH sight.
THE FIGHT COMMENCED.
This morning Major O'Connor was stand
ing in the door of the Merchants National
Bank, of which he was president. General
Mabry and another man walked down Gay
street, on the opposite side of the bank.
O'Connor stepped into the bank, procured a
shot gun, took deliberate aim at General
Mabry and fred. Mabry fell dead, being
shot in the left side. AS he fell O'Connor
fired again, the shot taking effect in Mabry's
thigh. 0'Connor then rushed into the bank
and got another shot gun.
About this time Joseph A. Mabry, Jr., son
of General Mabry, came rushing down the
street. He was not seen by O'Connor until
he was within 40 feet of him, when he fred
shot from pistol, the ball taking effect in
O'Connor's right breast, passing through
the body near the heart.
The instant Mabry fired, O'Connor turned
and discharged the shot gun at him, the load
taking effect in young Mabry's right breast
and side and he fell, pierced with 90 buck
shot, and almost instantly Major O'Connor
fell dead without struggle. Young Mabry
tried to rise but fell back dead.
THE DEADLf WORK Of TWO MINUTES
The whole tragedy occurred within two
minutes, and neither of the three spoke after
he was shot. General Mabry had about
thirty buckshot in his body. A bystander
was painfully wounded in the thigh with a
buckshot and another was wounded In the
arm. Four other men had their clothes
pierced by buckshot. The affair caused
great excitement, and Gay street was
thronged with people.
General Mabry and his son Joseph were
acquitted only few days ago of the murder
of Moses Lusby and Don Lusby, father and
son, whom they killed a few weeks since.
William Mabry was killed by Don Lusby
last Christmas. Major Thomas O'Connor
was president of the Mechanics National
bank here and was the wealthlest man In
the State. Colonel E. j. Sanford, the vice
president, takes immediate control of the
bank.