The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-07
FLORIDA TRAGEDIES.
The Facts In the Cases of the Killing
of nud Stevenson and John Odum.

The Facts In the Cases of the Killing
of bud Stevenson and John Odum.
Tampa. Fla, Feb. 6.--The killing Of Bud
Stevenson, while blowing in his field, near
Anclote on Thursday, a brief account of
which has already been published in the
Morning News, is the latest chapter in
tie StevensonIWhitehurs feud of Pasco
and Hilisborough counties. The origlna-
ton of the trouble dates back to 1878,
when Walton Whitehurst prosecuted Con-
stantine. better known as Bud" and
Henry Stevenson, for stealing bull. The
hide of the animal was found in a deal
ers hands in Tampa. and he testified that
he had bought it from these men. Henry
Stevenson was first tried and acquitted
but the following day Bud was tried and
convicted. The SteVcnsons a the time
threatened the jury, and went so far as
10 invite the foreman of that body into
the woods, where they proposed to Fix"
Nun. Ever since that time these two fam
Hes have been attempting to create trou-
bic Wlth each other. On the 4th of July
lS95, street encounter occurred in Tarpon
Springs, in which Winchester rifles figur-
ed prominently; When the smoke of bat
was found dead and Bud Stevenson was
charged with having killed him, but he so
eftectually hid himself that the authorities
were unable to catch him for about q
month, when representatives of the two
families again met In Tarpon Springs, and
another encounter ensued. Osteen, a cou-
engagement, and Bud was seriously
wounded Before he had sufficiently re-
covered the officers had him and placed
IN Jail where he remained for more than
a year. lie was tried and convicted for
the murder of Rat Whitehurst He OBJ
tanned new trial at which he was ac-
quilted. AT that time the threats against
his life We're very plentiful, so much so
that he and his wife asked the sheriff to
give him a guard to escort him home This
the sheriff refused, but permitted them
to remain In jail in this city until about
midnight, when they left. Since that time
stevenson has realized that he was LA
pie PIE to be Killed any day. So great was
this dread that one of the parties who
was tried with Stevenson for the murder
OF Whitehurst left his home In Pasco
county and went to another part of the
state, where he could live in peace The
news that has reached this city about the
] Killing of Stevenson states that he was
plowing when men from ambush fired
| upon him; although wounded, he jumped
| behind his horse, and was not killed until
| after hVe shots had been fired. Both OF
| the families are composed of desperate
| people, and more deaths are likely to oc.
| cur from this old trouble.
| Nathaniel e. Moody, who shot and kill.
ed John Odum, his brother-in-law, al
| Turkey Creek, near this city, on the 2Gth
ut, was given a hearing before County
| Judge Harrison yesterday and set free as
all the circumstances pointed to the justi-
4
Odum and Moody had some business re-
lauons which We're not satisfactory, and
| over which Odum became highly incensed
| threatening to kill Moody If he did not
settle to suit him (Odum) AZ one time
| Odum waylaid Moody with the intention
| of killing him, but fortunately Moody s
! two daughters, who attended school at
| Plant City, arrived that evening and went
| home with their father who Is station
! agent for the Florida Central and PENN
| sular railroad at Turkey Creek. The next
| day Odum told n friend that he would
| have fixed him the night before IL Il had
| not been for the girls and added that IL
| was only matter of time when he should
finish the job. Moody knowing of all this,
| and as Odum had the reputation of haV-
| ing killed two men before, he took his
| shotgun down TO the station with him.
| On the day in question Odum sent word
| down to Moody that he was coming down
| to settle the difficulty, and when he rode
| up and tied his horse, Moody, who was
| standing In the door, told him not to ad-
| vance, but Odum paid no attention 10
| him. When he came TO within about
| twenty yards of the station Moody fired
| the entire charge of buckshot entering
| Odums neck and chest. He fell and his
death was almost Instantaneous.
| A coroner's jury was impanelled, and
! when they came In with a verdict in
/ which they stated that Moody's act was
| justihable, the justice OF the peace made
| them return and bring in another verdict
| in which they held Moody who was then
! put under 5000 bond. The justice also
| censured the sheriff for arresting Moody
| without having first obtained warrant.