The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1889-06-20
THE HISTORY OF A HOR-
RIBLE TRAGEDY.
\ Summary of the Testimony a:'
Developed Before the
Court.
The State Makes Out u Strong
Case Against the Defendant,
But the Jury Bring in Verdict
of "NOt Guilty"


cases in the annals of Mississippi
criminal jurisprudence, is now in.
A great many witnesses were exam
med on each side and some tall
swearing was fairly INDUCED in.
CAPT. ;. II. wHITwORTH,
the leader of the conspiracy, accord
ing to the theory of the State, is we'll
known as daring and determined
man, and when aroused, desperate
one. He is about 40 years of age,
large, dark complexioned, with look
that indicates will of iron. The
captain made dashing Confederate
soldier, and since the war has figured
in scenes where the Winchester and
six shooter were chief sprokesmen.
His father was Rev. S. J. Whitworth,
founder of the celebrated WhitwOrth
Female College.
IKE HOsKINS,
a defendant, is a son of Capt. Jas.
A HOskins, of BrOokhaven. He is 80
years old, and to physiogOnomist,
he appears to have more cunningness
than courage. but ready to do bloody
work, when backed and encouraged
by il man of sand and grit.
DAN Milan
has nothing striking in his appear
ace. On the contrary, he looks to be
weak and easily influenced. He is a
brother-in-law of Hoskins.
The prosecution developed the fol-
lowing state of facts. WhitwOrth
owned ferry across the Yazoo River
at Rising Sun and for a while the 3
stores at that place patronized his
ferry. Some trouble having arisen.
the McCarty brothers, Rutledge and
Scruggs, the other merchants of the
village, started ferry of their own
for the convenience of their custom
ers. Whitworth ordered this ferry
discontinued and made threats from
time to time that if it did not stop
there would be blood shed. About
two months previous to the fatal
affray, he had some difference with
Ben McCarty in Scruggs' saloon and
after McCarty left, Whitworth called
IN old hound to him and patting her
on the head said: cold julie, you'll
live to lick the blood of the Cd
son of b yet 1t was also shown
! that III about 80 minutes after the
| killing, this same dog came up to
where Whitworth was and he repeated
the above remark to the dog, saying,
"didn't tell you," etc. On the even
| inm Of fhni, hn toln o,>l i
for Ike Hosklns to come at once, and
told the operator there had to be a
settlement of that matter and nothing
but blood would settle it. Various
threats of WhitwOrth were proven.
! Friday before the killing on the next
| day there was another quarrel be-
tween Ben McCarty and WhitwOrth
about the ferry and just before Whit
worth raised the fuss, he sent for Nc
Lean to come down there with his
shot gun. He came with the gun and
sat where he could get the drop on
McCarty while Whitworth was abus-
ing him. On this occasion, Whit
worth told McCarty if that ferry ran
the next day, it would be Lis death
warrant. The morning of the killing
.Whitworth was in Rising Sun early in
the day and made threats against the
McCartys is language which cannot be
published. About - o'clock he was
there again for his mail, and repeated
almost the same threat. At ~ o'clock
Mclean took the train for Greenwood
where llOskins was. They returned
at about 3; went to Whitworth's
house, shot Il great many times and
shortly after were back at Nc
Carty's store-Whitworth with a
shotgun and Al calibre six-shOOter,
Mclean with a shotgun and Hoskins
with Il Winchester and six-shooter.
WhitwOrth walked down toward the
Office and called to Ben McCarty.
HOskins posted himself near the rear
door whore he could "cOver' the
office from the rear, Mclean stopping
a little in front of the Office so he
could cover it from the front. Whit
worth told Ben McCarty he wanted
to settle the ferry matter. McCarty
told him to wait until he could call
in Rutledge and Scruggs as they were
equally interested in 1t. Whitworth
replied, "No, by Cd you go no
where" and caught him by the arm,
at the same time telling Henry Me-
Carly who was seated at the office
desk to face about. Ben McCarty
jerked loose from Whitworth and
Whitworth shot him in the left arm,
the ball lodging up about the shout
der blade. just as Whitworth shot
Ben McCarty, Henry sprang from his
stool and received a shot from Hos
kins Winchester through the feshy
part of the left nipple, and at the
same instant was shot through
the left arm with a load
of buck shot from McLean's gun.
He ran toward HOskins who cou idn't
eject the shell from his Winches ter
and leveled his pistol but the wounds
in the arm (he having in the mean
time received shot through his right
army kept him from pulling the trig-
ger. HOskins dropped his gun and
fell to the floor, pulled his pistol and
shot at mccarthy as he ran through the
door. In the mean time Mclean had
shot Aston with the other barrel as
he ran into the bed room, scattering
his brains all over the door. Ivey
who had just stepped / in the back
door as the scuffle begun, was shot by
WhitwOrth as he ran after Ben Nc
Carly. After getting out the back
door Whitworth fired one shot each
at Ben and Henry Nee arty as they