The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-04-19
A STARTLING STORY.
4 Wholesale Poisoning Case With Some
Strange Revelations.

Somervile, April 8 A strange
story of crime has just come out ia
this community. Some time in June,
1870. family living few miles
from town named Bul4y wera all
poisoned. 1t seems that Harris Bti
ley was coming home and found ID
the road bottle nicely sealed aud
wrapped up. Upon breaking the
seal aud removing the cork, he imag,
ined it to he fine whiskey, aud being
slightly intoxicated thought it. must
be extra delicious from It's fancy la
bel. He carried it home with him.
His three little children came out To
meet him, and he gave each of them
Il drink. His wife and negro man
working with him also took ii drink
as well as himself.
In a few minutes the children We're
in commissions, aud all three died
shortly after with the symptoms of
strychnine prison. The old lady and
negro man did not swallow all they
took in their mouths, but managed to
get enough to make them fearfully
sick. The old man, in his maudin
condition, carried enough of the vile
stuff INTO his pouch to lay him up for
weeks. The contents Of the bottle
was anal wed by the attending ply
stefan, who pronounced it strychnine,
and enough in the liquor to kill
dozen men.
Ali this occurred fourteen years ago,
and caused great deal Of talk at that
time. Speculation was rife as to the
person who prepared the bottle. and
his object in doing so. Now, after
the lapse of years, the story has come
forth into the light of day, and the
author and his motive are held up
for the gaze of all indignant people.
These developments have come about
in the following manner: Young Mac
Thompson, IA man of about thirty three
years of age, whose father, j. ID.
Thompson, was a near neighbor of old
Harris Bailey, has, it is stated, con-
fessed the whole crime. Young
Thompson has heen dissipated and in
bad health, having epilepic fits for
several years. A few nights since he
was taken with them worse than usu.
al, and was assured by the physician
that he would certainly die; that
there was no hope for him, and that
he ought to make his peace with his
God. 1t is stated that Thompson
then called several of his friends TO
him and told them he was going to
tell shem who killed old Harris Bai>
ley's children in 1870. He then pro-
ceeded to tell that he placed the bot,
tie 10 the road for the cid man; that
his father prepared it with strychnine
and informed him that if he did not
put it where his victim could get it
he would kill him. He was afraid to
disobey his father, being then lad of
only eighteen or nineteen years of
age. lie narrated the details with
sickening minuteness. He went to
point on the road where he could see
for some distance, SO as to see when
Bailey would come along,as he wanted
to be certain of his man.
He put the bottle in the road and
hid in the bushes, but lady came
along and he rushed out aud took it
up. After waiting sometime, he saw
Bailey coming along. He then, "a
,ooon1 ~ ,,a ,,lanaA rho hnttl. -, ,ho
road, and from the bushes he saw him
get off his horse and take it up. He
posted off aud told his father, who
threatened to kill hila if he ever told
it. Old man Thompson went over To
Bailey's when he heard the children
were dying and SAW them.
Young Thompson aud his father
are now in Jail. The old man, when
the officers came for him, made n
show OF resistance, but soon came to
time. Great Indignation prevails in
the community at the cold blooded
atrocity with which the crime was
conceived and executed
Young Thompson now, since he
finds he is not 50 close to deaths door
as he thought, says he was crazy, aud
out of his head. when he made the
confession. 1t will probably go very
hard with him. Old Harris Bailey
has been dead ten years, and the war.
rants for the arrest of the alleged poi
soners were sued out by his son.
NOTICE: In aDother column will
10 fnunn nn nrtinln -, NJ IL =. Ii