The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1888-08-23
How Loftin was Captured.
OAk YAtr, MIS-. Aug. 2Oth

Editor Brookhaven LcadcI:
There are 81 many erroneous re-
ports about the arrest of Joseph +.
Luftin. the escaped convict, that |
concluded that | would make u true
statement and ask you to publish it.
About ten months ago Loftin COM
mcnced to lie around my place and
make threats that he intended to kill
me and five Others; also threatened
that our wives should not bury us ;
that he intended to see that the buzz
yards should eat us. Some negroes
that had employed on my place saw
Loftin get up out of blind that he
had made to shoot me out of. The
whole settlement became terrOrized by
the threats and stealing that he was
doing, or credited with doing. We
stood this as long as we could, and
our Sheriff. Mr.. -. VI. Lee, made no
effort to arrest him. then went to
the Sheriff and got him to deputize me
tn arrest Loftin and he told me that he
would render any assistance that |
would need in the way of men or any
thing else that should need. With
this assurance | commenced to hunt
him with the assistance of y. NJ. Bran
ton and three eighteen year old boys,
and we hunted for him about three
months and all the time we were hunt
ing we could hear of his threats and
stealing. On the 11th day of August,
1888, VIC found him at VIII Russers
house on the Monticello and Column
bia Ridge Road, ten and half miles
from Monticello. | sent BrantOn and
two boys around on the backside of
the house, while and the other boy
went up in front of the house. AS we
were going up the run of the branch in
the direction of the house we scared
up a drove of chickens that ran up to
the house and that attracted the at
tention of Mrs. Russell and she came
out of the house and looked around
and went back, and then Mr.. Russell
came out and looked around and went
back in a hurry. In about one min
ute Loftin came out with a gun in
each hand and took advantage of
some vines so that we could not see
him any more until he got in about
eighty yards of us. Then he had his
gun leveled on the boy that was with
me, and | fired on LOftin through
some vines and broke his right arm.
Then Loftin run few steps and got
behind Il well curb and laid his gun
on the curb and fired both barrels
at us. One shot struck the boy three
or four inches above the knee and
went through his leg, and one cut
through his hat and one shot cut my
shirt on my left shoulder; one cut my
shirt under my left arm and another my
hat. Then | followed to him to lay
down his arms and he told me to
"shOot, God dam YOU" | tried to
shoot him and my gum missed fire and
! followed to Branton and his boys to
close up and then Loftin ran in the
direction of the house, but | could not
see him until he got to the gate. As
he went into the gate | fired on him
again and he staggered and would
have fallen but he caught to the gate
for support. At this time the boy
told me that he was shot, | looked at
him and saw that he was bleeding so
rapidly that he would have to have
assistance. then placed sentinel
there to see that LOftin could not be
moved and went five miles to get a
horse to carry off the boy, and before
| could get the boy off and get back
Loftin had sent after the Sheriff (who
happened to be at church four and a
half miles Off and he had got there
and taken Loftin in buggy and car
ried him to Monticello and put him in
jail. B. b. SrRrNGEE.