Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1894-07-27
A JUSTIFIABLE RULING.
Mr.. Ber D, Moore Takes the Lite oi
Jim Mossen, a Bad Negro.
full AND .coRReor DETAILS,

Church Hill, shot and killed Jim
Mosseu, a negro bully, about
o'clock Tuesday evening.
Mossen lived at Dir. Riley's, near
New stead, where be had wife and
child. For some time he had been
hanging around.M Moore's aud in
terrupting his hands in their work,
About 3 o'clock Tuesday evening Mr..
Moore saw him with his hands, who
were near the house, and going out
told him to quit interfering with his
work and do his visiting at night or
on Sundays.
The negro replied in an insolent
way and Mr.. Moore ordered him to
get off his place and stay of The
negro moved off, but it transpired
that instead OF leaving the place he
went to the servants quarters
and spent the afternoon with the
women there. Mr.. Moore went to
the back part OF his farm TO water
some, stock and returned about 8
O'Clock. He was sitting in front OF
his door reading newspaper when
the negro came around the house aud
crossed over the lawn in front Of Mr.
Moore, almost treadiDg. on his feet.
This was not the accustomed route
for the servants to take 10 get to their
quarters aud Mr.. Moore told the ne
gro to go back around the house
that there was no path that way. He
replied insolently "Nobody's bother
ing you, sir" using an oath. Mr..
Moore sgain ordered him 10 go back
and leave the place. He stepped in
side the house and picked up an old
pistol that had not been fred off for
/ years and returning told Mossen he
didn't want any trouble with him,
but wanted him to get off his
premises and stay off,
Mossen was defiant and evidently |
trying to provoke fight. He turned
around and advanced threatenlngly |
upon Mr. Moore, being about ten
steps from him. Mr.. Moore picked
10 piece OF rotten flooring plank
n 'ar the porch aud as Mossen came
close enough struck at him. The
negro lodged and the plank flew out
of Mr.. Moors's hand AL this time
he held the pistol in bis left hand
| When the plank was dropped Mossen
at once seized Mr.. Moore by the
throat with his left hand and begau
10 beat him over the head with his
IiG ht fist, at the same time back.
ing him towards the house, distance
of IL feet. Reaching the house he
, j4mmed his head up against the wall
! aud was rapidly choking and beating
him into iusensibility when Mr
Moore managed to cock aud fire he
. weapon with his left baud, as the ne
a gro's body WAS pressed cl ,ss to his
own The bullet weut tho Ugh his
!, heart and without a word he fell
. dead. Mr. Moore was 50 nearly un-
: conscious that he did not know when
be fired the pistol. The negro's
grasp on bis throat relaxsd and ht
. dropped dead with scowl On
!, his face. The ouly witnesses were d
n colored bou seboy whD corroborate'
. Mr.. Moore's statements aud tive
. color, d women, Who ran Uh hen ih,
trouble began aud lid not see all o
it.
Mr.. Moore, after starting man 4
ro'ify Mossen's father, came to towr
Il aud surrendered tie returned th'
next day and waving examination
!. was placed uudar bond OF $1,000
4 with his son-in.law, Mr., f. @. Ciardy
.l as surety. He has retained Petree 4
q Downer 10 defend him, il indeed any
Indictment should be- found, which i
not likely. II was clearly case o.
self defense and the mistake Mr.
Moore made was in not shooting be
fore the man got his hands on him.
Mr.. Moore is a small man, weigh
, ing only 1875 rounds and is not strong
phy sically. Mossen was a bnrly bul
ly weighing l75 pounds. He wa
about % years old and has had sew
eral rows with white men aud wa'
known as a negro of very bad char
acter
ESQ. Crenshaw arrived at 8 o'clock
and held an inquest over the remains
and had the body taken in Moore's
wagon to the DegTo's homo at MIR.
Riley's,
The pistol used was formerly the
property of Prof. Fitzhugh. II was
not a self cocker and was old and
cloggsd with rust. IL is a mystery
how il was ever fred just in the nick
of time. A moment longer aud Mr.
Moore would have been choked to
death in his own doorway. He
lives alone at his home near Church
Hill. His only daughter is the wife
OF Mr.. +, q, Clsrdy, whose farm ad-
joins Mr.. Moore's,