Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-12-07
BY APAIR OF SOCKS.
A SkiIIful Sherif's Novel Mode
of Discovering u MUIR
derers

The skillful manner in which Sheriff
Haskins, OF Mississippi county, ferreted
out the murderers Of Dempsey TAYLOR.
who was assassinated last month, is graph
ieally described by the Osceola Times.
Taylor was sitting by the bedside Of his
sick wife, when shot fired through an
open window killed him instantly. The
Times says:
As sisted in our last issue, the coroner's
jury failed TO get clue TO the perpetra-
tor, or perpetrators, Of this villainous and
cowardly deed. The jury was in session
nearly the entire day Friday.
Sheriff Haskins determined 10 leave no
stone unturned to unravel the mystery
which seemed TO envelop the affair. He
discovered that Just one year ago 10 a
day one John Hickman had been bru-
tally murdered in Tsylor's yard BY Ed
DELPHI, who is now serving term in the
penitentiary. Dempsey Taylor had taken
an active part and figured conspicuously
in this killing, but through some techni-
cality OF law had evaded punishment.
Hickman's widow was still living in the
immediate vicinity, and was engaged 10
be married TO George Rozzell, 4 rather
suspicious character, whom Haskins has
had under surveillance for some time. A
track bearing marks of stocking feet was
discovered leading through cotton
patch toward Widow Hickman's cabin.
furnished him clue. Late in the even
ing Of Friday, while the coroners Jury
was yet in session and Just before their
dismissal, Rozzell came 10 Taylor's house,
where Hasklns met him, and taking him
to one side, commenced talking to him
about the Nervousness of the crime perpe-
trated, and told him that it was generally
believed that he (Rozzell). was the man
who had killed Taylor. This he strenu-
ously denied. Reaching the Hickman
cabin, Haskins peremptOrily wanted to
know what had been done with the pair of
muddy socks worn the night before A
little girl spoke up quickly and said, "Da's
under de bed! Here was discoveryl
and the womsn's subsequent exclamation
of hush chile. you don't know what yu's
talkin' abOutl' didn't throw him of the
scent. The muddy socks were fshed out
Of their hiding place. On being pressed
with further questionings, George Rozzell
made the following declaration: II did
not kill Dempsey Taylor, but I'll
tell you who did. Henry Rose dit it. He
came here late last night Thursday
night and followed, waking me up,
and called me 10 the door where he was
standing with gun in his hand, he said
TO me, George, what do you reckon I've
donef | answered that / didn't know.
Well said he, I've killed Dempsey
Taylor deader' hell, and if you whimper
word about IL, I'll do you the same way
and send you to hell. He repeated TO
Mr.. Morrow that he had killed Dempsey
Taylor doader'n hell, and added that he
had done it for his (Merrow's) sake,
whereupon Morrow remarked, while pat
ting him on the shoulder, You are a
good boy; come, let's have something to
drink"
With this information Sheriff Haskins
went to work, sBilfully managing to keep
these men apart, and by carefully noting
their actions and Weighing every word
and expression, wove such chain of
circumstantial evidence as to leave little
or no doubt as TO the completely Of the
trio in the murder of Taylor, and who at
different times, severally admitted the
killing and the manner and knowledge of
the killing. They were all Of course ar
rested and put in Jail.