The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-03-15
FIVE PERSONS MURDERED.
Husband, wife. and Three Chilercn the Vic
tins Details OF a Terrible Crime.

Husband, wife. ana Ihref tniicrc" 'no Wv
tims-Details OF Terrible Crime.
A Louisville Ky.) special Of the 18th
saws: Details OF a terrible crime and OF
swift and terrible rctribution come from
Robertson county, Tenn. Twenty-Five
miles from Springfield, near the Kentucky
line. lived John Martin, his wife. and three
children-two OF them grown young wo-
| men, the other a boy OF twelve. Martin
was in his SEVENTEEN year, and has lived
in the neighborhood nearly his entire
! life. He has eked out moderate living
ON his farm. quietly doing his work, and
having the respect OF every one. fester-
day he returned from Nashville. where he
went 10 secure the final settlement OF his
pension claim, having been wounded in
| The late war. IL Is presumed that certain
rough characters living near Martins resi-
dence learned OF his trip to Nashville, ana
that they planned and executed most
horrible crime. Martins log house was
situated quarter OF mile from the
Springfield road. A heavy growth OF
cedars and underbrush hides the house
from the view Of the travellers on the main
road. This isolation prevented the tragedy
from being discovered until yesterday
afternoon. A peddler who came 10 the
house gave the first alarm, and the whole
neighborhood was aroused. The door was
broken in as If struck violently with an
axe. This door led into the main bed
room, where Martin and his wife slept
The scene upon entering the room beg
CARS description. Martin was dead upon
the floor. his gray HAIR matted and soaked
| i'm a pool of blood. The head was split
open in two places by blows from an axe.
The forehead was crushed, and the eyes
were forced from their sockets. Upon
every side were evidences OF the frightful
struggle that must have taken place. The
walls and floor were be5pattered with
| blood. Mrs. Martin must have been killed
as she started from the bed. Her arms
were broken and her face horribly mangled
by the blows of the axe. The bed was
pool OF blood. The most pitiable
sight was the little boy who occu-
pied trundle-bed in this room. Evil
IDENTIFY he had been taken by one OF
the murderers during the struggle with
the others and choked TO death. In the
next room, where the girls slept, everv-
thing indicated q most desperate struggle
for life. The assassins crushed the skulls
Of the two girls with the axe, which was
found upon the floor smeared with blood.
1t was a sickenIng sight, aud every eye
that witnessed the sad spectacle was full OF
tears. The house had been ransacked from
one end to the other, and tables and chairs
were overturned.
The entire neighborhood was shocked at
the fearful sacrifice of human life. A con-
fusion OF footprints was found leading
away from the house into the neighboring
woods. Search parties were formed, and
the country for miles around was secured
for a trace OF the murderers. About
O'Clock this afternoon Farmland named
George French was arrested by one Of the
county constables upon suspicion. Blood
was found upon his shoes and clothing.
He told a very lame story of his where
abouts the night before. 1t was plain that
he was in some way connected with the
murder. A crowd gathered. and soon
swelled into mob of irenZied
men. His contradictory replies convinced
them that be was guilty. A rope
was brought and placed about his neck,
and the mob swung him up to the nearest
tree. He was let down half insensible, and
upon coming to confessed that he and jim
and Doc. Carter. two negroes, workmen
upon the farm OF Squire Davis, had plan
ned the murder. He gave slckening de-
tails OF the murders, and confessed that all
three of them were guilty. They found
81, 200 in money and divided it between
them. He had hardly finished lis story
when he was ierked up and strangled to
death. Twenty shots were fired into his
body. The mob then made break for
Dayis's farm. where the two negroes were
found. Although both Of them protested
their innocence. the mob hanged them to
the same tree and shot them while they
strangled.