The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1885-03-26
Compromising Crime in Lawrence.

moses LOItln Dy MS oTothcT Ooseph |
+. LOftin on Green's Creek In Law.
renee county, of his fight to Texas
and his subsequent capture and re-
turn and Incarceration in the Co
piah Jail for safe keeping to await
the action OF the Lawrence Circuit
Court. 1t will also be remembered
that 1t was stated in that account
that two negroes were the princip al
witnesses against Jos. Loftin, on
whose testimony he could easily be
convicted. Now comes a report
from that county of an attempt on
the part of J. +. Loftin's sympathiz-
ers to "remove" these important
witnesses and thus effectually de-
feat the ends ofjustice-an attempt,
by the way, which has seldom been
equaled for it's audacity and bold
ness of conception, and which is
only paralelled by the foul act
which sent Moses Loftin to his last
long home. A correspondent at
Monticello writes us the following
particulars
In compliance with your request,
| give you what Information l have
about the shooting of two Of the
State witnesses in the J. +. Lortin
case. On the night of the 1st Of
March while Marion Martin, one
OF the witnesses, was sitting Dv the
fire at his fathers with the family,
he was shot through a small hole in
the chimney corner, from the out
side of the house, with pistol, in
ficting severe wound just under
the left ribs. The ball was taken
out above the hip. The tracks OF
two persons were found the next
morning on the outside from where
the shooting was done. This wit
ness is said to be getting well. The
second witness, Tom Martin, was
shot from a blind made of pine
brush, while blowing on j. ID. Bur
kits place on the 18th Of March.
with large rifle, the ball entering
the body under the right shoulder,
passing upwards and coming on,
under the collar bone on the right
side. This witness is getting well,
although it seemed To be very
dangerous wound. There is no trace
leading to the guilty parties further
than tracks and some slight suspic-
ion resting on parties on account OF
their action in connection with this
matter heretofore. The people are
very much excited over the matter
and are making strong efforts to
find out the gniltv party. These
are the facts as have them from
those who were on the premises at
the time Of the shooting at both
places.
ANOTHER STATEMENT.
Another correspondent sends the
following:
An attempt has been made to
assassinate the two principal wit
nesses against Joe LoftiD, who was
indicted at the last term Of Circuit
Court here for the murder of his
brother, and it is feared that unless
they are protected, their lives will
yet be taken. Other witnesses are
said to be in great apprehension
and have armed themselves and
taken to the woods for safety. Gen
eral alarm and great exc tement pre-
vail in the immediate neighborhood
Of the killing, and no good citizen
feels safe. A more deliberate and
dastardly attempt could not have
been made. The wOnld-bc assassin
is liend in human shane.
The witnesses are colored BOYS,
aged respectively, fifteen and nine
teen years. The younger was shot
on or about the lst inst, he was
just recovering from an attack OF
measles and was kept in his room
by his nurses, and that he might
sometimes sec what was going on
outside he enlarged q knot,hole in
the side of the house. An ash bar
'el was just beneath this knot-hole,
enabling the assassin bv standing
upon it, TO fire through at his
victim, as he lay on his bed. This
was done about eleven o'clock at
night. The ball passed through
the boys abdomen, lodged under
the skin on his back, and was cut
ont by his physician.
The other witness was blowing
in the field on the 18th inst, and
was shot in the back. A large rifle
ball struck him below the shoulder
blade and passed diagonally through
his body wounding the lungs.
Cool and deliberate shots, by one
who knew where to strike a vital
part, but strange to say, the intend
ed victims are yet alive, with fair
prospect of recovering. Nothing
definite is known, as to who did the
shooting. But suspicion strongly
points TO certain man, who wears
No. 8 shoe, and is large, broad
shouldered and a good shot.
This last victim, was warned by
his employer to be on his guard or
he would be killed, and that he had
better leave, but the boy said he
was not afraid of being shot. A man
was seen lurking about the field the