The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1883-04-25
ANDY TAYLOR.
History of His Flight and Cap
tIIrA
From the EmpOri. CKansas) News.

| 1u0 NcUS uoutI0uou yesterday
that man named Taylor, who had
been working for T. n. Dixon, near
Plymouth, in this county, while un-
der the influence of liquor, had
made confession that he was one
of the murderers of the sheriff and
deputy sheriff in Tennessee some
time last season, while these officers
were on their way to the penitenti-
ary with one of Taylor's brothers.
This story told by the young man
now lying in our county Jail is one
full of remorse, privation, suffering
and adventure. He gives his name
as Andy, Al. and Alf Taylor, and
he is only twenty years old.
The circumstances under which
Taylor made the confession to Mr..
L. N. Dixon on Tuesday did not at
first impress that gentleman as be-
j ing worthy of much confidence. It
seems that he made his appearance
in this vicinity about six weeks ago,
and hired out as farm laborer to
Mr.. Dixon under the name Of John
Presnall. On Tuesday last he came
to the city with his employer and
while here imbibed freely of liquor,
so that when Mr.. D. got ready to
go home in his wagon Presnall de-
clined TO accompany him, or &C
count of the ladies in tho wagon,
but said he would go to Plymouth
on the train. He had with him a
bottle of whisky at the time, and
seems to have partaken literally of
! the inebriating fluid on the road.
He had some difficulty with the
conductor, and on his arrival at Ply
mouth went through that village
shooting off his revolver and Great
ing something of a sensation. When
Mr.. Dixon returned home he found
Taylor, alias Presnall, in a drunken
stupor, lying upon some oat sacks,
and that he had attempted, or pre-
tended to attempt, to shoot himself
Arriving at the house Taylor sent
for Mrs. Dixon, saying he wanted to
talk to her. She sent word that she
did not have time to talk to him. 1t
was then he fired four shots at his
head, two Of which cut holes in the
crown of his hat. J. A. Dixon,
bother Of +. N, succeeded, after
some trouble, in getting the revol-
yer away from Taylor. Taylor was
evidently stunned by the shots, for
he labored under the impression for
some minutes that he had killed
himself and commenced to pray.
! He called for Mr.. Dixon's mother
and told her he was going to die,
and that he had been a hard case
that the name of Presnall, under
which he had been going, was an
assumed one; that his real name
was Andy or AL. Taylor; that he
was one Of the Taylor boys who had
some months before murdered the
sheriff and deputy sheriff of Hamil-
ton county, Tennessee, on train Of
cars while these officers were con
veying one of his brothers to the
Supreme Court; that he wanted
Mr.. Dixon to procure the reward
offered for his arrest and give hal
of it to his mother in Roane county
Tennessee; that he would give 81 ,
100000 if he had it to sec his ole
mother once more. When Dixol
came Taylor made the same .confes
sion to him and wanted his revolve
to kill himself He made the sam.
request of Mr.. D. in regard to tn,
disposition Of the reward money
He wanted Mr. d. to arrest him
Soon after Taylor became quiet an,
Dixon went to Stafford and sent
telegram to the Governor of Ten
nessee, asking for information an,
a description Of Taylor, being stil
impressed that the latter's comics
sion was not genuine.
By Wednesday morning Taylo
had become sober. He took Nh
Dixon to the barn and reiterate,
his story of the night before, max
ing a full confession of the murder
He said he had had no peace sine
his hand had become dyed in tn
blood of the innocent officers; tina
the crime had haunted him day an
night; that life was q burden t
him. He plead in extenuation q
the act that he was young and wa
persuaded into its commission b,
his brothers After the escape @
the murderers they spent five week
-. on Lookout mountain roamin,
abaut and keeping out of sight Q
: the officers or others who might be
f tray them and with nothing to ca
but raw meat. They were pursue'
, by bIoodheunds. The brothers thel
separated, the one now under ar
rest going to Kentucky, Alabama
and afterward to Arkansas and Mis-
. souri,. He and his brother John al
J terward came together in Missouri
, In region uninhabited, swampy
, and twenty-five miles from tn
: nearest physician John died of flu:
: amid suffering and misery Al
} made the coffin for his brother an,
t buried him alone. About tw
5 weeks before Johns death the othe
brother, Robert, bad been killed a
Lebanon, Missouri, by the sheril
) while resisting arrest. They ha'
/ all suffered much from the conse
) quences ftheir unprovoked crime
and it was no wonder that AL care
little to live longer.
!, After making this confession o.
Wednesday merning, Taylor said t
Mr.. Dixon that if he would pay hin
J what was due for work he woul,
, leave and take one more chance q
life, remarking to Mr.. Dixon, "Yol
can give me away if you want to;
r do not care much. Mr.. Dixol
{ gave him his money and told hin