The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1884-08-20
HORRIBLE BUTCHERY.
A Mormon Congregation Attack
ed by Masked Meh i'm
Lewis County.
Three Elders Riddled with Buck
Shot and Two Other Men
Probably Killed.

Col. W. M. Johnson, formerly of
Hickman county, but now of this
city, arrived from Centerville last
night. bringing news of one of the
bloodiest and most extensive trage-
dies ever enacted in this State.
For several years there has been
an organization of Mormons in
Lewis county, who have lately been
located on the east prong of Cave
creek. There is, and has been for
some time, a very bitter feeling
against these Latter Day Saints
among the citizens of the neighbor-
hood, but until Sunday, no forcible
measures were used to get rid of
them. Mr.. DePrest, the mail car
rier, who arrived in Centerville
from Ivy Mills, in Lewis county,
near where the horrible scene was
enacted yesterday, and was seen by
Col. Johnson, gave him the follow
ing partial particulars of the affair:
AT about 10 O clock Sunday morn.
ing three Mormon Elders held
meeting at the house of man
named Conder, on Cane creek.
While the meeting was in progress
ten or twelve men in grotesque dis
guise suddenly entered the house
and ordered a yeung man of the
neighborhood named Huts1n and
Conder's son to surrender They
showed fight, when one of the
masked men knocked young Con-
der down with a club and crushed
his skull, killing him instantly.
Hutson, who was armed, fired and
killed one of the disguised men, who
afterward proved to be Dave Hin
son, respectable citizen of Hicl1-
man county, who lives on Brush
Fork Of Beaver Dam. The attack
ing party then fired upon the eld-
ers, killing two of the three. One
of them had taken refuge behind
Mrs. Conder, whose leg was broken
by the buckshot from the double.
barreled shot-guns used by the dis
guised men. The third elder fled
to the woods, followed by several of
the raiders.
Firing was heard in the woods
from the direction in which they
ran, and it is supposed that this ell
der was also slain. A subsequent
rumor reached CentervilIe to the
effect that he had been seen mak-
ing tracks across the country. One
of the elders was named Gibbs.
The names of the others could not
be ascertained
On their way to Conder's house
the band of masked men found an
other leading Mormon elder at the
house of man named Garrett, not
far dis9A He was placed under
arrest aEaAeft in charge Of two of
the party. As shots were soon
heard from this quarter, and the
elder has not since been seen, there
is every reason to believe that he
shared the fate of his fellow saints
at Conder's house. Four persons
were killed outright at the latter
place, which makes, counting the
two missing elders, six persons who
lost their lives in this bloody en-
counter.
The first news received in Center
vile concerning the matter was
from man who rode in to get bur-
ial clothes for Dave Hinson. He
was very reticent, about the affair,
and, it is suspected, knew more than
be thought it we'll to tell. The
widest excitement exists in both
Hickman and Lewis counties con-
corning the affair Capt Lafayette
Bates, of Centerville, in company
with several other men, yesterday
rode over to Cane creek to find out
more of the matter.
There has for ten years been a
Mormon organization at Shady
Grove, Hickman county, and there
is a growing feeling against them.
lff -