Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-10-21

one TO recover from the Hoodys $2,-
600 it was alleged thsy I'D carried
away from the house Of O. man Tolli-
yer at the time Of his de{h. II was
claimed the old man bad lhal amount
concealed in his bed at lie time he
was killed. After two q three trials
a verdict was finally rendered i'm favor
of the Moodys. BY ths time Law
renee County was divided into two
factions. Among the ldRer and dis
orderly element Jones ws "a autocrat.
He was bold, detsrninsd man. ready
to engage in anything D rrsak his
vengeance upon . real 81 supposed
snsmy Tue pe0pIs xtfs xsraid Of
him, and many took sides with him
out of fear. By this means he was
able for a while to defy the law and
defeat all attempts to punish him.
/ The Moodys lived in an oli-fash-
ioned house on their farm, the wild
owed sister acting as housekeeper for
her brothers. One night the house
was attacked. and jugs filled VITA gas.
oline, and hand-grenades loaded with
slugs, screws, bolts, and nails were
thrown in through the windows. A
terrible explosion followed, and the
house was literally torn to pieces.
The ceiling, walls, aud beds were rid
died with the nails, bolts, etc. For
tunately the gasoline jug did not ex-
plode, and file was not added to the
terror of the night. All the Moodys
were terribly wounded, but none
killed. In his terror Tom Moody ran
ont of the house, and was shot in the
back by concealed foe. He ran into
brierpatch, and hid himself, his enemies
making determined search for him,
but in vain. This desperate attempt
at murder awakened the most intense
excitement throughout the entire state.
The Moodys all recovered, but were
afraid longer to live on their farm, so
they abandoned their home, and re-
moved to Orleans in Orange County.
Jones and the Tollivers were indicted,
but the state failed to secure a con-
viction. This result it was openly
charged was brought about by the aid
of money. One night the sawmill OF
Jones was destroyed by fire, and it
was laid at the door of the Moodys.
After this quiet reignsd for some time,
and the people began to hope that the
feud was at an end. Not so; for one
night as he was walking along the
streets OF Orleans, Tom Moody was
shot in the back. He ran home and
died at his own doorstep. Everybody
believed that this crime was commit,
ted by the Tollivers, or through their
contrivance. In fact, the day after
the murder Jones and one on the
Tollivers appeared on the streets Of
Orleans, and with fendish glee ex-
pressed their qualification that their
enemy was dead, declaring that they
intended "to get his hide to make belt
for their sawmill."
The Moodys employed detectives
and Systematically set about hunting
down the murderers Of their brother.
After some time indictments were
found against Burton Jones, Lee
Jones, his brother, Tom Tolliver.
Park Tolliver, and Eli Loury, who
were all arrested At the time OF his
arrest Jones was trustee Of Mitchell
township, and was taken from his
Office to the Jail. Notwithstanding
his many known crimes, such was the
terror he excited that he controlled
political affairs in that section. When
the indictments were returned Loury
was living in Illinois, but was arrested
and brought back. He was placed in
a cell by himself, and after some time
made confession duplicating all the
others. When the term of court came
around, aud the cases called for trial,
Loury put in a plea of guilty, aud
was sentenced to the penitentiary for
life. For some reason the trial Of the
others was postponed. One night the
Jail was attacked by a mob Of furious
citizens, but it was so ably defended
by the officers that the mob did not
reach the objects of their vengeance;
but during the struggle several shots
were fred into the Jail, and one or
two of the prisoners were wounded.
After a time a change of venue was
taken, and the cases sent to Monroe
County. the people of Lawrence and
Orange Counties following them, in
dulging freely in threats Of resorting
to lynch law if the prisoners were re-
leased. A heightened and exciting
trial followed. The two Jones broth
ers were found guilty and sentenced