The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-12-18
A GEORGIA TRAGEDY.

| A Wealthy Stock-Raiser and Two Members
OF His Family BrutaIly Murdered BY
Eegroes-Pursuit and Capture of the MUIR.
derers-A Confession-Saved for the Law
to Deal With.
COLUMBUS, GA, December 10.
On Wednesday, one week ago, Stephen
Goodwin, a wealthy stock-raiser, was found
dead on his bed with his head crushed.
Mrs. Gregory, his hOusekeeper, was lying
dead on another bed with a fracture in
her temple, and Dick Gregory, her son,
was found lying dead from a similar
wound. There were no signs of robbery.
There was but one clue, and that was to
follow some buggy wheel tracks which
led along the banks of the Flint River
southwark. A DR.. Fairchild, who had
been out professionally during the night,
declared that he had met buggy, and
that its occupants were Moses Keaton,
his wife and child.
THE PURSUING PARTY,
aided by dogs to keep the scent, pushed
the chase through swamp and morass
along the Georgia line and through F1ori-
da and back again, until just outside of
this city the hounds suddenly came to
stand, and colored woman, babe in
arms,
STOOD TERRIFIED
and unable to move. A little way into a
clump of bushes, was seen a colored
man who was recognized as Moses Kea-
ton, the murderer, on the return trip.
Keaton has fully confessed the crime He
duplicates several others, and says rob-
berry was the cause of the horrible deed.
KEAToN's WIFE CONFEssEs.
A confession made by the wife of Moses
KeatOn, alias Bill Jackson is as follows:
About eleven O'Clock on the night of
December I'd, Moses Keaton and wife, and
another negro named Pete, went to Ed
wins house for the purpose of robbing
him. The woman protested, but her hus-
band drew a knife and told her if she did
not stand at the gate of the front yard
and give warning of any ap-
pro2Lh he would kill her. The
men then attempt to force an entrance,
but alarmed Goodwin, who called to know
who it was. He was answered by Moses,
who SAID: cts me, Mr. Goodwin, me and
Pete. Wa's been out 'possum huntin'
and got cold, and thought we would come
by and see if your fire had gone out"
Goodwin opened the door and let them in-
to the room to the fire and went to bed
again, but instead of remaining awake to
let them out again he went to sleep, and
by his own fire they
PLOIIED HIS MI RIDER.
A knife and an axe were used to do the
execution. Goodwin was dispatched first
and then young Richard Gregory, and
both were murdered while asleep, but
when the negroes came to Mrs. Gregory
she awoke and a struggle ensued. Mrs.
Gregory begged for life, but finding the
ficnds remorseless she fought for it. Her
struggles were useless however, and soon
she was mangled corpse at the feet of
the murderers. Her body was SO bruised
and hacked with knife and axe as to be
almost beyond recognition. The mur-
derers searched for booty, but no mon
ey being found they left the house
COVERED WITH BLOOD,
to Join the woman outside, and went to
the woods with a horse and buggy,
Moses remarking that there would be
''a-time" in the morning when the bod
ies were discovered. When remon-
strated with by his wife he ordered her
to De silent and said he would do the
same thing over again. Moses accom-
plice, Pete, is still at large, and Moses
is not aware that his wife has made
confession. He is a young black negro,
aged twenty, and an ordinary field
hand. He manifests Indifference, but
when he arrives at the scene of his
crime it is not probable he will be al
lowed much time for repentance.
ALBANY, GA, December II.
When Sheriff Benkett arrived here with
Keaton and wife, the Mitchell County
murderers, information reached him tha$
they would certainly be lynched if taken
back to the scene of their crimes. In