The Russellville Democrat., 1891-06-04
FULL PARTiculARs
or tho Terrible Tragedy at . Country Gem
 stsry in Faulkner County.

Of the Terrible Tragedy at q Country Gem.
 stsry in Faulkner County.
 The current issue of The FauIkner County Wheel contains 6 graphic ac- count Of the tragedy enacted at Mount Olive Cemetery, near Con- way, last Friday. The full particu lars are that the people of that usu ally quiet neighborhood had set apart the day to clean of the cemetery and decorate the graves of their departed loved ones, and had gathered there in large numbers from the surround ing country. The grounds had been properly cleaDed off, and 8 process sion of men, women and children, all carrying flowers, had formed in front of the church, and were march ing into the cemetery when dispute arose be- tween A. V. Cox and Uncle Jack Hopkins, both citizens of that neighborhood. The word "thiei' was used by one, the other retorted your & d---d liar, which was fol- lowed by a knock down, when friends inteIfered and separated the combAtants. The procession then moved on and decoration services were performed, but in the mean time some one had notified Mr. T. J. Cox, constable of Palarm town ship, who appeared on the ground and declared his intention of arresting Mir. Hopkins, but was persuaded to desist until the services were over.
 THE SHOOTING.
 At the conclusion of the services, Hopkins walked out of the gate and started home when Cox confronted him, pistol in hand, and with an oath informed him that he was 8 prisoner. To this Hopkins replied, also with an oath, that he would not be taken by him, and asked Cox to go away and let him alone. Here reports conflict, some claiming that Hopkins drew his knife and started to advance on Cox, while others claim that she turned and started to go away, but all agree that, without another word, Cox commenced firing at him, shooting three times. The first shot was aimed little too high, but struck the top of his head, tear ing away the crown of his hat and the hair and hide of his cranium. The second, which came in quick succession, was not so well aimed as tho first and only struck the skirt of his coat, but the third was aimed with a steadier hand and struck ill the neck, the ball ranging downward and lodging in the back of the neck above the coupling of the shoulders, inflicting very painful if not fatal wound.
 At this juncture, Charley Hopkins, an 18-year-old son, came up, and seeing the danger of his father, drew 8 barlow knife and made for Cox, who in turn wheeled and fired two shots at the boy, one taking effect in the arm and the other striking Look in his breast pocket, passing through it and burying itself beneath the skin. Young Hopkins, not the least daunted by the reception given bin, pressed forward and grappled with his fath- er's assailant, using his knife with wonderful dexterity, and had it not been that he was several times ierked back by the cooler headed men of the crowd who had gathered around and were trying to quell the row, would have carved him into sausage meat. As it was he gave him six severe cuts before he could be taken away, one or two of which may prove fatal.
 The affray created regular pan demonium among the women and children, who ran in all directions and whose screams could be heard 8 mile away, and one very aged lady, Mrs. Simmons, was so overcome with the excitement that she fainted upon the spot, was carried to house near by, where she died in few minutes.
 ORIGIN OF THE TROUBLE.
 Bad blood has existed between Hopkins and Cox for some time, and Cox had once before attempted to arrest Hopkins, but the latter re- fused 10 be taken by him. Hopkins is supposed to be the leading spirit in working up and bring to justice the famous Anderson gang, of which three of Cox's brothers were members, and frequent threats were made against the life of him and others who officisted in that notable event, and great many people be- lieve that it was pre-arr nged plan between the Coxes to raise difficulty with Hopkins in order that Constable Cox might have an excuse to kill him. Whiie Tue Wheel does not attach much credit to this opinion, it is creditably in formed that the citizens of Palarm township, only two nights before, had notified his boDdsmen to come off his bond, and that he had gotten very mad about it, had bought a supply of ammunition, and had swore that he would get some of the d--d sons of b..
 EDITORIAL TALK.
 The T. r. A. excursion must be