The Rugbeian. (Rugby, Morgan Co., Tenn.) 1881-1882, 1882-03-18
A TENNESSEE REVENUE
OFFICER ASShESINATED.
THRILLING ADVENTURES OF A
BRAVE MAN.

Deputy U. S. Collector Davis, the
celebrated raider of Illicit distillers of
whiskey, was waylaid and killed on
Tuesday last at 2-30p.m, about three
miles from McMinnville, Warren
County, in this State.
Thomas Vickers, who was with
Davis as prisoner, says there where
twenty men in the gang who did the
shooting, and the assassins were con-
cealed behind an embankment of logs
covered with fresh cut cedar boughs,
and were armed with shotguns and
pistols He was riding by Davis side !;
Campbell and the others were following
quarter of a mile back. When Davis
was shot off his horse, he, Vickers,
galloped back to the others of the
revenue party. Campbell and party
coming up, saw one of the assassins run
out from the brush, pat his pistol to
Davis head and shoot. Oyster cans
we're found behind the ambuscade,
freshly opened. They had been pur-
chased in McMinnyille, at Martins
store. Davis brains were shot out, and
over thirty bullet-holes were found in
his body
The body of Davis was taken to Nc
Minnville, in the evening, after the
inquest, and forwarded on to Fayette-
vile, for interment.
A strong force of men will scour the
country until the Williams are hunted
down and brought to justice. A reward
of 5000 each for the arrest of the men
engaged in the assassination has been
offered, and Collector Wooicock has
been authorized to expend $500 for the
discovery of the names of the con-
spirators. 1t is believed that clues to
the perpetrators are sufficient to get on
the assassins trail.
The killing of Captain James NJ
Davis, Deputy United States Revenue
Collector, terminates the career of one
of the most remarkable men employed
i'll the detective service during the war.
He was born in Lincoln County and at
the time of his death was about 80
years old. He was in the Confederate
Army, and afterwards showed such
superior ability as detective that the
Revenue officials werenot longin finding
him out and employing him in their
service. At that time he could not
read nor write his own name, but he
acquired both as he found the necessity
for it in his business. In woodcraft he
had no superiors in knowledge, the turn
of broken blade of grass, bush
thrust aside, or broken twig, gave him
a clue to his prey, and it was generally
an unerring one. During his career he
arrested over 5000 persons, and broke
up nearly 700 distilleries, and did more
than anyone else ever did to break up
, moonshine distillation in Tennessee.
OF the desperate encounters, and
hairbreadth escapes of Davis, volume
could be written. He has killed several
men and in time his name grew odiouS
) to large class Of law-breakers who
vowed to revenge themselves sooner OF
;, later.
He once arrested a man in the midst
of the forest who had sworn never to bt
taken. He was seated on log writing
5 a letter, with double barrel shotgun
and two large revolvers by his side
o Davis approached him from behind
covered him with his gun, and sale
quietly, jim, you are my prisoner.
Jim, seeing it was all up with him, sur
t rendered, and was sentenced to twent,
years in the penitentiary.
= On one occasion he attempted tn,
arrest of a man named Hampton, wh'
. lived near Winchester, not greatly re
t mote from the spot that has now beer
/ Davis death scene. He went to th'
: house long before break of day ant
waited with another officer, any sign
of life at the farm house, where Hamp
I, ton lived. The latter soon came to tn,
t door. Davis appeared to him, and {
0 desperate fight ensued. Hampton wa
killed, and Davis had doublet which
folded on his shoulder, cut in seventeen
places by buckshot.
Davis and his men were besieged 70
two days at Peaks house, in Putnam
S County, by one hundred moonshiners
While the men hated Davis and vowe,
# vengeance on him, the women for tn
e most part were ready and willing t
+ help him in breaking up moonshin
concerns.
k Davis made a narrow escape with hi
t life some months ago at Tracy City
t where he had killed man name
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