The Russellville Democrat., 1883-09-06
ASSAs AsSlNATION.
Another Life stealthiIy Taken
 in Yell County.

mated hy one James N. Underwood, near the home of lhe former, five mirs sansii from Dar,ianclIc.
 Ii seems that Underwood worked for Feas!rrgrass, this season. and hecane ,nanored with the satter's wifv. having criminal intimacy with her, causing trouble between hus- bani amt wife. The woman gained n wonderful influence over Inaer- wood, ami used it to such length that he was induced to waylay Mr. Pendergrass and kill him. The story ol the terrible crime is best told in the following confession .ui- untarily made by Underwood alter his capture to several ci. ~sms of Dardanellr, who visited him in jaii, and published in the DardaicI.e Post extra:
 My iiainc is James M Underwood. 1 thInk all hc thirty years ni age next Noyembei. wcnt to work iur Mr. k. ;. Pr.n,iergrass @..o lives some five m'ios south os Dar..anclle last January, and lived with him until the crops were laid by this summer. During thls time 1 got on terms Of cTiminai intimacy with Pen deigfass' wife and more especially here lately since when have mel her about in the yard and other places at night for criminal purpos es some seySn or eight times. sus, pected that Pegdergrass had suspi- cions oi me for some tune. He had trouble with his wife about me, 1t least so l had been told. She said to him 1t one time in my presence that she liked me better than any man in the world, and he replied that fl she liked me better than him. to take me and go with ne. I alter wards was told that she had told her husband in one of their quarre.s that he Pendergrass would be killed if he
 
 Sometime in July Mrs. Fender grass commenced to mention to me about taking the life of Mir. Fender grass. She first spoke of doing the deed herself and wanted me to buy strychnine, but 1 told her that 1 had no money and never bought it. She then commenced on me to get me to kIiI him and insisted on my doing 50 every time she had all opportupi- ty. Sue would ask me if wasn't going to do what had said I would. had promised her that would kill him sometime, and when she would ask me about 1t l would tell her. lies don't be in hurry or some thing ot that kind" Here lately she has been getting very fractious and impatient about it, and told me that fl didn't kill him she would ruin me. have been working since last Monday, of and on al Mir. Joshua B. Toomer's who lives about quar- ter of mile from Pendergrass' but had been staying and living with John Phifer. who lives on the PendergrasS place. Yesterday morn ing abou. ten o'clock I went down lo Pentlergrass' house to tue well. to get some water, and this woman came to the well, where we bid each other good morning, took drink of water, and l took seat on log. Then she said Are you going to do what you said you would. I told her that it wouldn't do, it was all nonsense, too thin, that 1 had noth- ing to shoot with and was too sick to do anything then. She then said now Is your time,n If you don't do it now, when you have q chance 1 will use you up." knew that he
 Pendergrass had gone to town that morning. She insisted, and re- peated about having no gun and he ing sick and all that, but said that if she was going to do ne that way. that l would kill Pendergrass if dIed for it but that 1 had rather die than to do the like of that, that I thought heap of MT. Pendergrass and her too. She still insisted and l turned of to go. thel she said she wanted to kiss me and I turned about and kissed her. Then she said Remember do it today, if you miss today will ruin you." said tits getting mighty. warm and 1 am mighty sick and rather not do it to- day" She repeated 'if you don't do it to day will do just what said would" She had me caught, l didn't know what to do, told her that didn't have any money, and would he the one who would suffer in case 1t was done, and that I didn't want to tio the like. She then turned away and then went of to ironing and never saw anything more of her until the inquest yesterday. From tie well went on. and carried the wa1er up to Phlfer's, and then went over to Tooner's apple orchard aud got few anples.
 sat there ant studied what l would do. l was bothered nearly to death. knew that Toomer ha,l gun and was not at home. I went up to Toomer's house got the gun and went back down on the road he tween Tom Moon and Pendefgrass'