Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-06

ocx,re hon thirteen gun-sho, wounds. Be.
sides this, the opposite wall was pep2cred
,sish shot. Tt was believed nv ,ls,eners that
two shots had been fired. In about ten
minutes Tom Mitchell, a step-son OF the
diving woman, came running In, eagerly In
auir;pc what was the matter. IA jnaucst
was held. which resulted In the d;scharg.
81 coiorcd man who was suspected OF the
deed. Then suspicion fell upon Tom Mitch
eli. the step-fou, who appeared upon The
scene so carly on The night OF the tragedy.
These suspicious arose from the recollectisn
Of A tragedy OF years ago. one in which the
Mitchell family was mixed IN.
In 1878 Million strlnger, son Of ID. NJ.
stripger, worthy citizen Of this city. had
occasion to visit Walnut Grove, in Walton
county. One night a number 81 natives
met. Il II said, at q crossroads grocery.
uoug those present were James Allen
and yoing Stringer. The stranger was
subiected TO some indignities, which he re-
senied. This was answered by a shower
Of bullets from the men present, and
sfrincer fell dead. The next day the
coroner was given notice OF the murder.
Prominent among those who urged the
prosecution was Captain j. #. Mitchell.
when this inquest was held IL soon
became evident that Mitchell was fix
,pg the guilt upon james Allen,
who YVES bis brother-in-lsw. Another
Of the guilty parties was the hus-
hand OF Aliens other sister, who had been
Miss Lizzie Allen. This development az
founded him and created necessity OF
finding some way ont of the trouble. Tint
night. while the coroner's jury was In re-
cess, a number Of pers )us assembled, and,
with tin pans and other noise-m1king To-
struments surrounded the house where
Alien was confined with his br0ther-in-
law, and, taking the two men ou.. marched
them away, giving them one hour to leave
the country. II was soon ascertainsd that
these persons were men in the Disguise OF
women, who took this method OF getting
their friends out OF trouble. IL has Away.
been asserted that Captain Mitchell headed
this party, and that n majority OF the cor
oper's Jury formed the bulk OF the so-cilled
land Of women. Aliens sister then be-
came member of Captain MitehelPs
family.
Soon retribution began to come upon
the perpetrators OF the murder OF young
stringer. In a few months the vile OF
Captain Mitchell died. There were left OF
this marriage three sons, John. Philip, ana
Thomas Mitchell. In few months Cap.
tain Mitchell married the deserted wife OF
Allen, who was the sister OF his first wife.
Stories now told indicate that between the
children Of the first wife and the second
Nm. Mitchell, who WAS ut encc their
aunt ~ we'll ~ their step-mother, there
existed the bittereSt OF feeling. They
would 40 for months together without ex-
changing a word. In 1874 old Mr.. Allen,
the father OF the absent murderer, was
missing, but no excitement was caused
thereby. He had brocded over the crime
Of his son and the domestic infelicities OF
bIs children until he had become mono
raniac. The wood. were secured until
one day. attracted by flight OF buzz2rds,
the hunters found the h1ii.decayed body
Of the old man hanging 10 a hlckory-tree.
Later on two others, who were known 10
have been in the party OF mIrderers,
were convicted OF heniouS offences,
and are now in the 6 sorgia peniten-
tiary. The suicide OF JohL Mitchell,
i'm Copyers, in the carly part Of tue
month. renewed interest in the unhappy
relations OF the Mitchell family. lie was
found dead in bed from an overdose OF
rorphine. Under his head WAS Biole.
and clinched in his hand by his side was .
pistol. His body was taken to Walnut
Grove and was buried from the very room
in which, two weeks later. bis step-m)ther
was shot dead. It is said that Tom
Mitchell sympathizcd deeply with his
dead bro,hcr's feeling, and thl. is given as
cause why he sought the death OF the
woman whom they looked upon as the de-
stroyer Of their happiness.
Yet another theory is that the previous
husband OF Mrs. Mitchell. who had been a
fugitive in Texas With his brsther-in-law
AlICn, had only recently ascertained Thai
his wife had entered into new miritsi re-
laiions and had returned, and, finding d
ready confident in Tom Mitchell, these
were the two men who fired the double
shot which killed Captain Aitehelfs wife
The story is long and bitter one, upon
which the people are greatly divided, and
the full detail. OF which may never bt
Known. Yesterday the Governor offered
large reward for the arrest OF the muir
dqrers.