Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-02-22
A BRUTAL MURDER.
An Old Negro Man and Wife shot 10
Death, while asleep. by
Negro Man whom They Had FED and
SbeIiered-The Murderer Story.

Negro Man whom They Had Fed and
SbeIiered-The Murderer Story.
One of the most revolving crimes perpe-
trated in this county for long time oc-
Cured early yesterday morning on Ensley's
plantation, about nine miles south OF Mem
phla, the victims being an old colored man
and his wife. The crime was OF the most
uuprovoked character, and the murderer can
escape under no plea save that OF insanity,
and of course thai plea will be made by hls
lawyers. On Ensley's plantation lived an
old colored farmer, Daniel Townsend, his
vile, Minerva, and two dsughters-one aged
sixteen, the other ten. Three or Jour days
ago Alex Hill, vigorous young negro, went
to Towngend's and asked for work. he was
bsrefeoted at the time. Townsend took him
in kindly, and seeing that be was without
shoes bought him pair at Ensley's store.
All day Tuesday Hill was out hunting. He
came back at nightfsll with his gun, ate his
supper, and retired with the rest oil the lam
lily. He was put in the came room with
Townsend and wife, occupying single led. |
The two girls went to bed in room ad-
joining.
TWO DEADLY SHOTS.
A short time before daybreak the two |
girls heard two shots, and, hastily getting |
IN, they ran for the room of their |
father and neither. According to their |
statements they discovered Hill rum |
ming out the other door in his un- |
dergarments and with the shotgun in his |
hand. Their parents were both found shot |
in the head with squirrel shot and dying |
when they came in. They hurriedly alarmed
their friends. In the meantime Hill ran
rapidly from the scene of the murder, |
and secured pair OF pants from a negro in
the neighborhood. He then called at the
house OF colored farmer named Tom Hin
sell, exchanged his shotgun for six-shooter
and continued his fight. Among those who
were notified OF the killing was a white man
named j. NJ. Byrd, who
SET OUT IN PURSUIT.
Hill was overtaken by Byrd, who brought
him back and took him before Justice Spen-
Ger Dayie, before whom a warrant for double
murder was sworn out. Byrd was made
special baiif to bring Hill TO Memphis and
put him in Jail. He carried out his commits
sion and lodged Hill with Jailer Boyd yes-
terday afternoon.
To Mr.. Byrd, Hill confessed that he had
killed the cid man and woman, shooting
them in the head. He said that devilish
spirit had come over him. He also told
Byrd that before he had killed the old peo-
pie he had criminal intercourse with their
eldest daughter. He made a clean breast
of it.
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE MURDERER.
About dark an APPEAL reporter repaired
| to the Jail, and was allowed by Jsiler Boyd
| 10 see the murderer. Hill was sleeping in
| his cell when the reporter went through the
corridor He was aroused from his slumbers,
came out, and, in the presence OF number
of gaping darkiss, he told his story to the
I rerovier II was follows.
| ba
Dickson county, Tenn TO come snd see me.
| Tell him I'm in Jail; that / killed man
| and woman, and that i am in bad hx.
| Jeff Hill ia my father. l wish you would
alec tell Floyd Hill and Harry Hill, my
brothers, TO come and meet me IN court. L
| say. boss, you don't think they will send me
| to the penitentiary for life, do your"
swell, couldn't exactly cay about that"
quoth the reporter. I'll Id possible yo9 may
| be shipped to Paradise. What made you
| kill TowuseudP --- -
WHY HE DID IT.
"Townsend threatened my life. l was
| drunk, too, boss"
| "Did you make any improper advances to
| any of the womep?'
mo, sir; was just counting the sixteen
year.old gill"
aWas that as far as it wenl?"
eyes, sir.n
aDid YOU try TO Outrage Townsend's wiie?"
"No, cir; ] never done nothing TO any oil
Them"
"How long had you been working for
Townsend"
aAbout two days. He bought me pair
of shoes when commenced"
!. HOW HE DID IT.
allow did you Kill them?"
81 got up about o'clock 10 the morning.
said the murderer, as coolly as il he were
narrating hunting adventure, land got my
: GUN. The old man and the old woman were
sleeping quietly. shot the old man first
in the head, tearing off all his chin. OF
course th at walked the old woman, VINO SAID
l | s.For Gods sake don't kill my husband"
| then shot her while she was in The bed, tht
I | load OF shot striking her jaw. After l hsd
wounded them both OF them got up. The
t old man walked around the room anC
| crawled into bed and died there. The wo
man sat in chair by the hearth for min
| ute or two and then fell on the floor dead.
s SLEPT ALL RIGHT.
aDid you sleep any that night?"
"Yes, sir; 1 slept till about o'clock, whe
!. | / woke up"
e "Did yeu have any idea of committing tn
; murder when you went to bed?"
"No, sir"
"Well, what made you do it?"
. 81 got crazy spell on me and couldn'
help it. have been to the asylum two Q
= three times, but always managed 10 get on
! get orszy sometimes. Ny brother Floy
killed man in the door some time ago."
FAMILY TRAIT.
: "It's family failing, then~ said the r.
porter SIS your brothers. health all right
? "Yea, sir; he is out of jail. They couldn
t. do snything with him."
% "When did the old man threaten to Xxi
: your"
a ga good while ago."
y "How long have you been in the county
aust few days."
: "Where did you come FROM"
~ dickson county, Tenn"
'e "Did you come direct from there%
q ayes, air."
" "How do you feel about the killing now
or SORRY FOR IT.
: swell, / feel sort of bad about it, aud a
j. sorry done it,"
: This was said without the slightest possib
trace OF feeling. There are only two thsorl
possible concerning this bloody crime. III
one Is the insanity of the murderer, and Il
other is that the negro attempted to rape OF
of the women. TIE latter theory is SON
what plausible 1t is very likely that Id
ed got up, and in his efforts to accomplish b
= design caused noise which awol
in old man Townsend. In the settl
= ment of the difficulty it Is possib
% that Hill killed both the old people. III
conflicting statements made by Hill to n
of Byrd snd the APPEAL reporter lend color
the latter theory. Hill is about TWEEN