Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-06-14
MAURY COUNTY TRAGEDIES.
To the Chronicles:

To the Chronicle:
Maury County, in which my
present pastoral charge is situated
and which is known to be the best
county in the state, is getting up a
little reputation for wanton ruffian-
ism. Having lived many years
West of the Mississippi river, am
prepared to testify that in the re-
gion with which / was acquainted,
meanness never assumed the enOr-
NOUS proportions that it often does
In our older sections east of the
river. / have seen a great deal of
the "knock down and drag out"
performance in the newer settle
ments, but it was done on manly
principles.
Last winter Thos. Digger, mem
Der OF Mt. Olivet church, in my
charge, got drunk on deputy Sher-
iff Green's whisky, and went to
VoIney Cyrus house, another mem
Der of Mt. Olivet church, to shoot
him about COW getting in the
field. In the confusion Of things
negro man, Bill Pigg, who came
along with Digger to help drive his
COW home, caught the bullet in his
head, and was instantly killed.
Deputy Sheriff Green was out the
next day trying to capture the man
whom his whisky had prepared for
the murder
Not long since Mr.. Harrington.
of Hickman county, came with his
brother to Columbia on business.
After night he went to hunt his
brother, who had gone to Il bad part
of the town. Finding a man nam
ed Mcdonald, he looked him in the
face, surprising him TO be his broth
er. This insulted Mcdonald, and
although Harrington made ell nee
essaTy explanations and apologies,
Mcdonald drew his pistol, and shot
him dead as he turned TO walk off.
l learn that the jury declared him
guilty Saturday last of murder in
the first degree.
But the most shocking tragedy
that has lately been enacted was
that of Walter Daniel trying to muir
der Hardy and AUNT Polly" Har-
Olson, his great uncle and aunt, last
Sunday morning week, at the hour
of church services, while the neigh
bors generally were at church. Evi
IDENTIFY Walter, who was eighteen
years old last March, thought his
uncle was at church, and did not
learn his mistake until he had
knocked his aunt in the head with
q club. Her fall on the floor awoke
his uncle, who was taking nap in
the adjoining room. He jumped to
his feet instantly, and rushed furi-
ously at Daniel, but got a severe |
blow on the head from Daniels club |
as he approached him. The old |
man who was just then more than Il
match for his nephew, succeeded
after a brief Scutlie in getting the |
club into his own hands, and struck
n blow at the young man as he
made his escape from tho room
which would have left no head on
his shoulders, had not the Intel of
the door been struck by the club.
AS he ran off the old man put his
dogs on him, and turned back into
the room to get his gun and pistol !
ready, not knowing how many
more rufliians might be at hand,
and to do what he could for his wife
who still lay senseless on the floor.
Aunt Polly" is most benevolent
matron of seventy years,
and very frail. She met Walter at
he door, invited him in, and turn
ID to get chair for him. As soon
as her back was turned, the great
club, which was prepared
or the business, came down upon
he back OF her head, and sent her
orehead against the floor with such
orce as to raise an enormous knot
On that. All over her face are
bIood-spots of considerable size.
strange to say she revived, and
Gems TO be out of danger. The
oy, who had been reading up in
he James Brothers literature,
meant to rob the house, and he was
Wiling to thus brutally murder his
Id aunt to do so. Blood is spatter-
d thickly on all parts Of the floor.
But the Daniel family,the parents
nd sisters OF Walter, are the worse
rushed people ! ever saw, They
ever dreamed that Walter possess
d a spirit of this kind. Last iail
,e was sent to Lexington, ky-' toa !