Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-19
sgrEFlELp's ASSASSINATION.
. Thrilling story OF ano"rT'
Wealth and Disgrace.

Thrilling Stc'9
Wealth and Disgrace.
A, Arlington. Ga, few days ago.
80 sssbo-n Sheffield, one OF the
-.Itbias, citizens OF Southwest Georgia,
sirriug at his table counting his
.,@rsv. the loud report Of shotgun was
roord followed by still another. 1t was
- late hour IN the evening. Tom
~,o,,rv colored boy, who WAS asleep In
49, room. was awakened by the shots,
hon horrible sight presented Itself TO
t;seves. There, by the table, upon which
as sitting a Pickering lamp, sat the
.rad man, his head dropped upon the Ia
NJ and his bleod flowing in pools over the
Snnt hills which he was IN the act OF
oonntipg. The bullets had shattered the
lamp shade, and passed through Ihe neau
II shoulders of the dying man. w bile
~ offrighted negro was taking in the
tn l.,,otion he heard the sound Of retreat
o. noofs. and BY the time he reached the
saor The riders were too far gone to dis
..inouish them. In few minutes Ben
ToiiarerrO and Rufus Lawrence, the sons
low of the murdered man, together
lin their wives, were on the spot. Inc
I'm was spread rapidly through the
unity. but there seemed to be but little
y sire TO hunt down the assassIns.
Mr.. Sheffield was the son OF one OF the
orilinaI ploneers of Calhoun county,
U,T,nT been reared in boyhood among the
Tndians. His father was notable man,
"a accumulated quite fortune. His
s%i,dren were Seaborn and three sisters.
o,na sisters married men who have be-
= me prominent and well to do, rearing
Iorge families. Seaborn, however, lived
ah3chelor all his life, thoroughly irrelig-
;ons and only enjoying his passions and
formulating lands and cattle. He had
q, the time of his death l5,0OO acres OF
the hest land In the county; 1,O0O mead OF
cattle. besides other important interests,
which made him very rlcn man lor Inls
section of the country.
Tbis mans amours in white and black
have been the scandal of the community
for forty wears. He lived alonein rather
sbabby house, where he carried on life
winch would shame Turk, In his
vounrer DAYS he confined himself princ-
nslIy to white conquesis, the Illicit re-
sults Of which were three daughters.
These girls he finally took to his home,
and for a time il looked as If the parental
instinct would save him. He appeared to
love the children, took great pleasure in
their company, and finally, when they
grew lArge elOuRDs ut Ncnb GnCuu iOl SCN-
eral terms to female college, where they
became quite accomplished and returned
home charming young ladies. 1t was
then that they were shocked by the dis
coyery that their father had installed in
the house, as their brother, a mulatto
named John Sheffield. The old man in
sisted upon keeping his Variegated family
under the same roof, while he still con
finued his disgraceful career with the
abandoned women of the neighoorhOod.
OuarIels ensued in which the fatDer in
variably clung to the cause Of his black
son. The girls finally married respecta-
bic Young farmers, and leaving home
John sheffield became the exclusive Idol
OF bis iather's heart.
Shelf Id, on taking his daughters to his
home, had formally adop ed hem as his
own. He opposed their marriages violent
", and never became recOnciled 10 his
sons-in-law, while they, ia turn, had but
little respect for the shameless Mormon.
John sheffield, holding such a warm
place in his fathers aft ctions, gained
certain amount of respect from those who
honOred the old mans gold. He openly
married white woman, though it was
avlolation of the law which prohibits the
union of whites and blacks. This mar
rage met with his fathers full approval,
and ever after the old man was on the
warmest terms with his mulattO son and
grandchildren.
II was then that John, seeing the COM
plete mastery be had over his father, be-
came carried away his importance, and
fell under the displeasure Of the whole
community. Frequent raids would be
made on Mr.. Shetfield's herds by cattle
thieves. John would lay the blame first
on one neighbor and then on another.
Many OF them were thus arrested and
taken to court, only to be acquitted alter
much loss OF time and the payment of
lawyers lees. These continual raids. and
consequent arrests OF innocent parties,
aroused the people to the necessity OF
sell protection. 4 vigilance committee
was formed, which had but little difficulty
IN discovering that John himself was the
tnlel, stealing the cattle and selling them
In the Albany market. AS soon as he dis
covered that the people were on his trail,
JOnn Skipped out, and found refuge in
ALABAMA. Seaborn Shefield grew furious
over what he regarded as ISLANDERS upon
MS sons fair name. He secured the
country 10 find the thief. finally bringing
nlm Oack TO the paternal root. He did not
10 TINS, however, until be had spent
asout $1,000 disposing OF the charges
against mis- son.
oeso0rn Sheffield had reached his Goth
year, and was very feeble. He claimed
t1st inc persecution of his son john, as
ne called II. was instigated by his
daughters, who wished to get him out OF
Ihe way, SO that they might get all his
property During the first week in Sep
lemOer he was heard to declare that he
would Will his property TO his negro son,
sld cut on mis- white daughters alto
gether.
=, On the day before the assassination
M. enef1eld received, through the post
Inlce, tne following letter, which was
found on his dead body:
HEADQUARTERS X. X.
4. tou' Seaborn Sheffield, are hereby nntifed
. ssat your case has been duly Considered, ana
,ue Iact mat you nave, or intend giving YOUR
property 10 John Sheffield, duly con ,idered
80 nov unless you make, a good and lawful
80, ~ Iu 'he next thirty days, giving your en-
tHe property 10 your white daughters il has
oeeL Iuiiy decided thai. he Ween two suns.
!Ou shaH De riddled with buckshot and
i Oul uesraded soul sent 10 the nell where Il
By order of the captain.
"a hint, ETC."
,u- BLOODY BONES.
nav HEAD. Sec'y and First Sergt.
his was written on the envelopes;
II. II not delivered in ten days, return TO Raw
Heau aud b oody Bones"
~ ne letter was written in a plain. legi-
~ business handwriting, was pune
iiu@tsu as above and the writer apparent.
attempted TO disguise his chirography
" writing Oackhand.
q