Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-09-15
MURDERED ON A TRAIN.
A Terrible Tragedy in Tennessee.

CHATTANOOGA, September 14.-The Sheriff
and his deputy of this county were shot and
killed to-day while en- route to Knoxville
with prisoner, John Taylor, who two years
ago killed Captain Fletcher on the Tennes-
see river. He escaped, but was finally cap
tured and brought here. He had several
trials, and at the last term of court was SEN
terced to ten years at hard labor In the
penitentisry. He appealed to the Supreme
Court, which IS in session at Knoxville, and
his case was to have come up to-day at noon,
Sheriff Cate and Deputy Conway took
the East Tennessee train with Taylor,
who was handcuffed. Several men boarded
the train at Sweetwater or Philadelphia.
about seventy-fve miles from here, and
while the train was between there and Lou
don deliberately shot Cate and Conway dead
and wounded another man. They then re-
leased the prisoner and took charge of the
train, running 1t through Loudon. At Le-
notr's station John Taylor and his brothers
Bob and Andy got off and forcibly taking
some horses, left for the mountains. John
Taylor was wounded Ia the arm.
This city is In intense excitement. A
posse OF thirtY-tive men with Springfield
rifles left on special train on the Cincinnati
Southern for Kingston. Another posse will
leave here overland. A posse has already
left Kingston. and another Loudon. Cate
was Sheriff only two weeks. He was one Of
the most popular men In the city. He was
about 90 years old and leaves a large family
Conway was about 30 and was prominent
In local politics. Such excitement has not
been seen in Chattanooga since the war. A
special train will bring the bodies of the
victims here tonight. The shooting took
place about O'Clock.
Five thousand dollars reward is offered
for the arrest of the Taylors. The sum will
be increased. A company of colored militia
have left here for Kingston. One Of the
Taylors has served a term in the peniten-
tiary, and is wanted in Texas for murder.
WARRINGTON, September IA "A dispatch
from Knoxville. Tenn, gives the following
account Of the murder of Sheriff Cate and
his Deputy: The officers had in custody
three prisoners. Two Of the prisoners, John
Taylor and Sam Carter, were under sentence
for murder and were chained together. The
other prisoner, Nell, negro, was chained
to a seat. When the train stopped at
sWeetwater three men entered the car. One
was brother OF Taylor, and entered the
car from the rear, while the other
two entered from the front.
Taylor's brother approached Deputy
Conway from behind, placed a pistol
to the back Of his head and blew Conway's
brains out. He then took the KEYS from
Conway's pocket and released the prisoner
Taylor, and the latter secured the Deputy's
pistol. At this instant Sheriff Cate rushed
at the men, firing at them and the prisoners.
As he fired the prisoner Taylor shot him
through the bowels, and the other two men
shot him through the breast. The Sheriff
fell dead. The prisoner Taylor was slightly
wounded In the arm. Carter was slightly
wounded in the leg. The three
rescuers were not hurt, and with Taylor
they jumped on the engine, aud with pls-
tol at the engineers head, compelled him
to pull out and Immediately to put on more
steam. They ran twenty miles, up to
Lenoir's, running through three towns
without stopping. At Lenoir's the four
men jumped from the engine and secured
horses, which were waiting for them, and
all escaped.
The prisoner Carter and the negro came
to Knoxville without a guard, and surren-
dered to the Sheriff of Knox county. Con-
ways dead body was brought to Knoxville.
Gates body was thrown from the car plat
form at Sweetwater by the rescuers.