The Brookhaven leader., 1885-02-05

Particulars of the Murder of Moses
Loftin in Lawrence County
Last August.

htS ofothef Joseph r.. In Lawrence
county last August, the particulars
OF which were given us by several Of
his neighbors on our recent trip to
Monticello, was one Of the most un-
natural, dastardly and cruel, ever
perpclratcd ia this or any other
State.
The Loftins, as we were informed,
consisting Of q widowed mother and
four sous aud three daughters, lived
in the Southeastern portion OF Law
renee, on Green's creek. The family
were well.to-do. and all, with the ex
ception of Joseph f., the second son,
were respected and held by their
neighbors in high esteem. Against
Moses, the eldest and murdered
brother, no one, only his brother
Joe was known to entertain aught
Of i'll will. Mother and children
(all save Joseph E. Loftin, who was
married, } lived together on the old
homestead. He and his family
lived u short distance away on an
other portion Of his mothers plauta
tion. The murder and the facts and
circumstances which fix the crime
upon him, are substantially as fol-
lows:
He was known to have been de
tected in divers dishonest acts by
his brother Moses, and on this ac-
count constantly dreaded public ex
posure and cordially hated him.
On the evening of the murder
Moses had ridden horse back down
to the store of DR.. Goss, about a
mile from home, and was returning
in the same manner, having failed
to obtain q buggy for which he
went. Failing to reach home in
due time, and dark coming on, his
mother, brothers and sisters al
home began TO grow uneasy. After
awhile his horse came up rideress.
His brothers then thoroughly alarm
ed, secured torches and started in
the direction of Goss's store in
search OF him, and about midway
the distance in the creek swamp,
they suddenly came in hearing OF
groans and heavy breathing. They
advanced still further, and soon
came upon Moses PROSTATE in the
middle of the road. A rifle ball had
entered his left side just above the
hip bone, a pistol shot had PASS
ed through an arm, deep and
ghastly knife wound was in hi,
throat, and the back and top Of his
head con taincd several other bloody
cuts. The wonder was that st
much as a spark of life remained
He was taken home, and that night
about 8 o'clock expired without ever
having opened his eyes or spoken 8
word.
Owing to the popularity and higl
respect in which the murdered mar
was he'll, as we'll as the dastsrdly
character oi the crime itself, the en-
tire community was aroused. NexV
day. which was Saturday, a Justice
of the Peace held an inquest. II
was discovered that the murdered
man had been shot by an unknown
party with a rifle from behind q
tree on the roadside; that he had
fallen and been dragged a short dis
tance by his horse, and that his
murderer had followed him up and
finished his work with pistol and
knife after his victim was down
Suspicion at once attached to his
brother Joe, and he was arrested and
tried Saturday evening by the same
justice who had held the inquest,
but he had already taken the pre-
caution to threaten and intimidate
the principal witnesses against him,
and for lack of evidence, was ac-
quilted. Next day Sunday after
being thus narrowly vIndicated, he
appeared at the neighborhood
church where the murder was still
the one and all-important topic OF
thought and conversation, and
where, as the suspicion of his guilt
grew momentarily stronger. there
were many disposed to take the
murderer in hand and make short
work of him. He soon took in the
situation, hurried home made prep
aration, and that night sold flock
of sheep TO the country store h, eper
for enough cash to bear his expenses
to Texas, for which State he at once
fnnE HE IaNo l.