The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-05
HARMON MURRAY SLAIN.
THE TERROR OF A NRIdHBORHOOD
BITES THE DUST

About 20 Years of Age-His Body
Taken Into Gainesville Yesterday
Morning-stetement OF Bis Slayer.
Excitement Intense.
GAINESVILLE. FLA, Sept 4-This morn
ing early the rumor that Harmon Murrv
had been killed near Archer was circulated
in kind Of half-hearted way, but as the
morning went on it gathered more and
more credenoe until it eliminated in the
grand ehmacteric OF his body arriving on
the up train on the Florida Central and
Peninsular railway at 1915 O'Clock, and
with the body the parsonage next in i'm
portance, the slayer of Harmon Murray,
Alex Hardy, negro about 20 years of age.
Just before train time you could SEE the
people, black and white, by ones, twos and
threes, by fives, tens and twenties, vending
their way to tho Florida Central and Penin-
sular depot. When the train arrived and it
was positively known that it was in truth
the very mortal remains Of the once
famous aud much dreaded Harmon Murray
the shNts of the multitude rent the air as
If in exultation over a victory won on a
blooiy field for freedom.
The following is stenographic report of
an interview with Alexander Hardy, the
man who killed Murray at o'clock this
morning:
HARDY's ACCOUNT.
Murray came to my house at Lonr
Pond, three miles east of Archer, at o'clock
Thursday night. and asked me how was
everything. 1 said all right. He asked II
any crackers mad been hunting him since
he left. tod him no; that no one had been
looking for him since he left. He said:
Well, l have come to kill a nigger to-
night l asked him what for. He
said he had been hearing that
Tucker Barnes had been telling the white
folks that he was passing through Long
Pond. He asked me If l had a gun. He
asked what it was loaded with, aud told
him No. bird shot. Ho said that wasn't
worth a -; that be wanted something
better, and asked did know where could
get gun loaded heavier than mine. l told
him yes; that my brother had q gun he
always kept loaded with buckshot. He
said, We'll, let's 60 down and got it,, and
| went with him TO get it. Ny brother
didn't want me to have it till got chance
to whisper to him that would
try to steal q march on Murray
aud kill him. Then he gave me the gun.
Murray tried to make me go TO Archer
with him. He said there were some crack
ers about Archer he wanted to kill and if |
did not go with him he would kill me. I
said well, will have to co. he re-
piled: Well, you can do as you please,
either go with me or be killed. We left
and got out of the Big Archer road and
took little trail. When he came In the
little trail no said TO me: You go before
told him no, you go before; you have the
best gun and you are the best shot. So you
20 before When he passed before me l
dropped behind, and before he could look
back to see me / shot him, and that ended
Harmon Murray"
THE BODY AT GAINESVILLE.
The body Of Murray was laid In the court
| house plaza, and many hundreds of our
citizens, both white and black, passed by In
| file to view his remains.
He was shot with both barrels Of shot
gun, loaded with No. 80 buckshot. each on
the right side of the head, coming out
above the left eye, tearing the brain TO
pieces.
| His body has been disembowled and en-
balmed so that persons interested at
Fernandina and Starke may view the re-
mains. The little wiry black negro who
killed him was
THE HERO OF THE DAY,
and is tonight the owner Of the $4,000 re-
ward, which is fortune to him.
Murray left Gainesville yesterday and
went to kill some CRACKERS" near Archer,
and then he was to take the engine on this
mornings up train, loose it from the train,
and run up to Gainesville, possibly to Fer
| n1ndina.
The body was identified by many, among
them the NEWS correspondent, for whom he
worked on his farm. Therefore the public
can be assured that Harmon Murray is
| dead.
Murray had defied the authorities for
nearly year, and terrorized wide section
of the country. The excitement here is in
tense, as several lynchings of Murray's con-
fedsrates have occurred in the vicinity.
Murray had killed seven men within the
past few months, and was as fearless as he
was bloodthirsty.