The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-07-20

1IuSuCcftlAS, lulc COuuIt anu a HcSIS,
named Henry Thatcher, met, when a
few hot words passed between them,
after which Mullens pulled two revol-
vers, one in each hand, and COM
menoed shooting at the negro and
succeeded in pntting six bullets into
the body of bis victim.
CAUSE OF THE ARRAY.
1t seems that Thatcher leased some
land from Mullens and put in a crop
of oats. Mullens says that it was one
Of the conditions of the contract that
if he thought that Thatcher was not
taking care of the crop as he thought
best that he (Mullens) could take pos
session of it and handle it as he
thought best 10 make it successful. 1t
was about this that the shooting &C.
Cured.
There was one eye witness to the
tragedy besides the participants,
I. n. HUGHES,
who testified as follows before the
.coroner's jury:
1.-THE ARRAY occurred about fifty
yards from where the body was found
on Mullins farm. Mullins fired eight
or nine shots while Thatcher was run
ming. He used two selfacting re-
volvers. Thatcher first drew a club on
Mullins. / was near the gate Null
Inns was between the branch and the
gate. Mullins asked deceased about
some oats Thatcher replied, dam
yoa and the oats, you are no white
man no how and picked up a club.
Mullins commenced shooting and
Thatcher started off staggering. Do
not know whose revolver Mullins
had. He bad pistol in each hand.
Mullins was about four feet from
Thatcher. About nine or ten shots
were fired. Do net know whether
Mullins fired after Thatcher fell or
not"
THE WIFE OF TIE MURDERED MAN,
Maria Thatcher, was The next witness
and testified as follows:
"My husband went out to work early
this morning. / followed him until
lost in the brush, when / heard re-
peated firing, as 1 thought, by two
persons. ran to the place where |
saw two men emerge from the brush.
/ went to the brush and found my
husband lying on his face. after
wards saw the same men and asked
(which of you killed my husband ?
They replied I'VE fixed him.
i heard one of the men, Tom Null
Inns, threaten to kill my husband, sew
eral times"
THE NURDERER's STATEMENT.
Mullens was next placed upon the
stand and his testimony was as fol-
lows:
81 came out early this morning to
water my horses and met Henry |
Thatcher near the gate. | asked |
Thatcher when he was going to cut
those oats. Thatcher said, damn you
and the oats, there is no white man
man about you.' Thatcher picked up
q club and started towards me. | drew
my revolvers andIfred upon him eight
or nine times. After the first shot
Thatcher started to run.
81 was told by E. w. Hughes to
look out that Thatcher had threatened
my life and upon such information |
armed myself with two revolvers, one
a Smith q Wesson and the other a
British make.
VERDICT OF THE CoRoNER's JURY.
After listening to the foregoing
evidence the coroners jury, summon
moned by Justice Samuel Sruben,
rendered a verdict to the effect that
Henry Thatcher came to his death by
six pistol shots fired by I. T. Mullens.
RECEIPT OF THE NEWS IN sEDALIA.
About 10 o'clock Yesterday morn
ing information was received In this
city that Tom Mullins, a farmer re-
siding near Hughesville, had killed a |
colored man by the name of Henry ]
but no details of the TRACE 1
1y were obtainable. I
The murdered man formerly resided I
in this city, and quite little ripple
Of excitement was created by the re- ,
ceipt of the news. 1t was reported 1
that Mullens had started to this city to
give himself up, and a BAzoo reporter !,
waited eagerly for his arrival, II
but learned during the afternoon that
Mullens had surrendered himself to
he constable at Hughesville. 6
County Attorney Lamm at once I
lrew up an information based upon q
Iuch evidence as he could secure, {