The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-05
HALLS HORSE PISTOL.
ANOTHER BLOODY CRIME COMMIT.
TED ON THE PIGEoN-RoosT ROAD.
Mat Exum Shot Down at His Own Door
by Abe Hall-The Would BE Murderer
Captured After an Exciting Chase Of
Three Miles.


Captured After an Exciting Chase Of
Three Miles.
III has been some months since the
public were treated to "Pigeon Roost
road horror" but the silence was broken
by most brutal and probably fatal at
tempt at murder yesterday evening. 1t
was about $50 O'Clock, on Woodward
avenue, two miles or more from the city,
and at a locality better known us "Bloody
Hollow" on account Of its having been
the scene OF so many OF those revolving
murders, which have made the beautiful
turnpike leading from the city notorious
in the annals of crime. Not far from the
road on Woodward avenue, lives Mattison
Excl or Exum, colored man, who is a
cart driver for Jack Green, the contractor.
over on Madison avenue lives Abe Hall,
also colored, who works at fuckers brick
yard, farms TO n small extent, and keeps
gravel cart which he ienis toany one who
VIII pay him 20 cents day Tor it. Exum
mas rented the cart several times, and
such good friends have he and Hall
been, that ii mattercd not whether
| Hall was at home or not. IL
Exum wanted the cart he went over and
took Il without asking for 1t. The under
standing between the parties was that il
the cart was broken at any time while in
tho service OF Exum he was to let Hall
know OF II and being somewhat OF n
blacksmith he would fix il and charge
Exum for it, thus cheating some regular
blacksmith out of small fec.
On last Saturday Exum borrowed the
cart and up to yesterday had not returned
IL. About O'Clock in the afternoon Hall
got on his old blind plug OF horse and
rode over to Exum's TO see about his cart
and collect the hire OF it for the time it
had been gone from his service. Arriving
at Exum's he was told that the cart had
been sent 10 a neighboring shop to have
one OF the wheel bands frightened or
mended, This made Hall mad, in view OF
their former understanding, and quarrel
began about the cart and the amount
of hire due him. Finally Exum,
according TO Halls story ordered
him out OF his yard, applying
u vile epithet 10 him, whereupon Hall
jumped oil his horse TO resent the insult.
when Exum stepped back, picked up a
hatcbet and threatened TO strike him.
| Hall seized the Ratchet and took 1t from
him and was in the act of using il, when
Exum's wife, with an uplifted ax and his
grown son with drawn knife, came to the
rescue and told Hall II he struck that they
would Kill him. Discretion being the better
part Of yalor in Halls mind, he dcsistcd, got
ON his horse aud left lie states that he
then went TO the blacksmith shop to find
his cart, but failed TO do so. About $50
O'Clock he returned to Exum's, and, follow
ing his own account, again demanded his
rent for the cart, and that II be returned in
as good repair US when taken. He saws
that Exum again ordered him out OF his
yard, and told him that he did not want
him TO come there cursing and raising such
row again. Oaths were freely passed,
and Exum, who was standing near his
door, advanced toward Hall, who was sit
ting on his horse. Hall states that Exum
had no weapon Of any kind in his hands at
the timc.) Az he got almost beside him,
Hall drew an old fashioned army, single
barrel pistol and fired, the ball entering
Exum's right side, knocking him down.
As the shot WIS fired Capt. Cmsar
Weatheriord was close 10 the parties, driv-
| ing home in his buggy; Hall put the whip
1
| out Dunlap street M fast as he could, pnr-
sued by Capt. Wcatherford, who, luckily,
was driving one Of his fast horses, and ms
the race continued he steadily gained on
| the fleeing murderer. For three miles the
race lasted, going over Dunlap, out Brink
| ley avenue and on 10 the New Raleigh
road. The negro whipped and spurrcd, but
MIR Wcatheriord kept within n few Yards
Of him, aud as the negro paid no heed 10
the demand 10 halt Mr. Wcathcrfonl
pulled his pistol and fired nj him several
times, none OF the shots taking effect, how
ever. by this time the negro was within
a few yards OF the brick church, In Chel.
sea, fully three miles from where the shoot.
inc had taken place. Seeing that othen.
had joined In the chase, and that Mr..
Wcalherford would certainly oyertake or
shoot him. he sprang OIL the hon.c, and
attempted to pas over n wirc fence into a
field and thus escape, but he got caught in
the fence, and the poor wrcich's clothes
and hide along his right leg and arms
wcr torn into shreds, and he presented n
pitiablc sight M Mr.. Weatherford and n
gentleman 10y the name Of Mahon pulled
him bleeding from the iron thongs. Ills
capion turned him over 10 Deputy Sheriff
John Strain, who was fastening from his
house 10 the scene, and he, with &. r..
Lynn, brought the prisoner 10 the police
station, where he was locked up on the
charge Of shooting Ia kill. The weapon
used II a fcarfully big, murdcrous looking
one nnd ball from itmcans death. Hall
IL twcnty-Eix yean old and married. but
has no children, while Exum Il about
fifty years Of age and has largc family.
lie was taken 10 the city hospital.
On examination Of Exums wounds by
the hospital physicians, Il was found that
the pistol, instead Of being loaded with
one ball, was loaded with ''slugs' short,
square pieces Of lead and that one Of these
"slugs" had penetrated the wounded
mans head on the right side, though not
iracluring the skull, while another had
penetrated the right arm, and still another
had entered the side. The 'slugs" were
extracted, and the physicians, at q late
hour las, night. were OF the opinion that
none Of the wounds were necessarily fatal.
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