Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1884-08-02
Bloody Murder.
Jeff. vii son Kills his Mistress.

JexZs Sou Hi
Our city was considerably shocked Thurs
day morning by the report that Jeff. Wilson,
the well known cOlOrcd cook at the Laclcde
hotel, had shot and killed Jennie Sanford. his
colored mistress. The colored people were
particularly interested, and many curses
were hcaped on the head of jeff, who was,
bv some, pronounced 4 cold -blooded murder
err. The Intclligcncer reporter started to the
scene. and though he knew nothing of the
location, he followed the crowd, and soon
found the place.
The house is a two-story frame, with a
brick basement, locatedOn Vine street, ut the
intersection of South street. The two upper
stories are occupied by the family of Mr..
Gracndorf. and the hasemen by the family Of
Nelson Davis, Il cOlored man who drives
Shacklett's delivery wagon. In a SINAI room
in the basement we saw the lifeless form of
the victim. She WAS a bright mulatto, and
was much finer featured and better looking
than the majority of her race. There was
some blood Oh her, but it seem ed Il small
quantity when we looked ut the murLlerous
wounds on her person.
One wound, evidently the first one inflicted,
showed powder burns on the right cheek,
and that the bullet had touched the point of
the jaw, cutting the skin for All inch, then
skipped the neck and entered just at The base
of the neck. in front, and ranged down and
back, aud had lodged under the skin, about
three inches below the left shoulder blade.
As the woman was in bed when the first
shot was fired, it is evident thai she was sit
ting up. and ~ the pistol was pointed ut her.
she bowed herself forward, thus bringing
her face nearer the weapon. How she could
escape past the man, run through the house,
and jump over n paling fence, after receiving
such u wound, is Il mystery. One shot grazed
the fieshy part of the right thumb, then en-
tered the wrist u couple of inches from the
joint, and passing under the flesh lodged in
the elbow. The third entered the back, be
tween the seventh and eighth ribs, passing
down toward the pelvis. DIR. Russell says
that either of the body shots would have pro-
duced death.
DR.. Russell, the coroner, summoned the fol-
lowing jury:-Jas. Peak, Jacob A. Price,
Jos. t.. Shelby, j. f. Bascom, Thos. F.. Aus
tin, VIM. NJ. Mills. Mr.. Bascom was made
foreman. The following evidence was taken:
Matte Jones sworn says:-''I am acquaint-
ell with Jennie Sanford; she lived with her
aunt, Irene Sanford; for awhile she staid
here; she staid here all night last
night; Jennie was not married; l
live in this house; am married; my
husband Is in Jail now; 1 have known jeff.
Wilson for five or six years; l was sitting at
the door when Jeff. first shot; Jennie called
to Rosa johnson; that was about 1880 O'Clock
this morning; early;Jeff. inquired for Jennie;
l told him she was in her room; he went into
her room and closed the door. He said TO
her, "Get up and go up town." She said she
would not. He said snow Cd d-n you, L
have got it in for yOu. Now l am going to do
you up" She called to Rosa before the firing.
Firing Immediately after; did not hear any
other conversation. Jennie came out on the
porch; she came first; she ran by me; don't
know where she went; did not see any blood
on her; jeff. followed right after her; don't
know what he had in his hand; he shot two
shots out of doors; I was sitting on the porch
at the side of the door; Jennie has been here
about a week; jeff. did not say what he want
ed; l had just gone out, and saw her lying in
bed; jeff. had been in her room fully half an
hour before Jennie ran out; heard no hard
names; saw him wiping the barrel of a pistol
oh his coat or handkerchief; SAW pistol plain
ly in his hand; he shot three times; l saw
him shoot on the porch; he shot twice on the
porch she screamed; saw her body lying out
side.
Rosa Johnson sworn:-I live here; was
here last night and this morning; saw jeff.
come this morning. He said, "Whcre Is.
jane" lie calls her Jane; the door was open
to Jennie's room; he Went in and pulled the
door SO l could not see; he said Jane, get
up" She said, 81 won't do it," This was
repeated three times; he sad I'D d-n
you, l amt going to tell you any more," then
he shut the door; afterward he old her
he would fix her, and put his hand
in his pocket and pulled out Il pistol, and
jennie hallooed for me, and said sob, Sis;'
he pushed the door to and held it till he shot
her; after he shot / ran out, and Jennie was
running right after me; he shot her again;
after he shot the third time I went around
the house did not hear him say anything;
did not see him take hold of her; l slept in
the same bed with her last night; did not see
her have any arms; don't know how she got
over the fence; Jennie had been staying at
Jeff's room; he was keeping her; dom know
how long he had kept her; she had been here
three weeks; jeff. seemed angry when he
came; she told me last night that she and
jeff. had Il fuss and Il fight; she said Jeff.
told her he WAS going to kill her. l said ~
reckon not" She said, "Yes, he said he was
going to kill me-"
Irene Sanford swOrn:-I know and raised
the deceased; she is my sisters child ; heard
report of pistol; in a few moments heard it
again, and again; l saw jeff; he walked off,
and came back; lie did so twice; | saw her
lying outside; / came over to her; she drew q
couple of breathS after l came, but did not
speak; Jeff. caused her TO leave my house; |
could not control her after he began coming.
JEFF. insulted me ut the opera house; she told
me Jeff. had threatened her life half n dozen
times. The body is that of Jennie Sanford.
The jury returned a verdict to the effect
that deceased had come to her death by vlo-
lence ut the hands of Jefferson Wilson.
Immediately after the shooting, Jeff. cane
to the Jail and gave himself up, stopping II
couple of times on the road, and telling diff
ferent ones what he had done.
In the afternoon he was arraingned before
Esquire Hale, who set next Friday the Sth,
rs Il time for the preliminary examination.
We went to the Jail and had Il talk with
jeff. lie said he had been keeping Jennie
since Christmas; last night she was ut nv
room over the waterwOrks store, but l was
not there; l saw her come down stairs, but
there were Il number of people on the street,
and ! did not hail her, but followed her to the
opera house and hailed her. She said she
WAS going to Nelson Davis, and | offered TO
go with her; she said she did not want COM |
pahy, and Then said for me to come along. AT
the Groves house we saw pers0ns-twO
men-whO said ''hellO, Jennie, this is hot
what you promised us. We have been wait |
ing here Il long time" She answered them. |
l said eff | am not wanted | will go back"
She said, swell go back, you black s-n of "A
b-ch." Then | slapped her, and one of the
men, (bOth of them were white) pulled Il
pistol on me and said. You can't do that"
l answered that | was unarmed. She asked
the man for the pistol, saying she would '.do
me up" One of the meu told her he had
$500 IN the bank, and if she was arrested she
could Use it to defend herself. Then one of
the men put his arm around her and they
went of; the other man talked to me awhile,
and then he followed, and l followed him.