The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1897-11-22
TAIRBURN TRAGEDY A MYSTERY
Appearances Seem To Be That Moon
sinners Did 1t.

Falrburn. Ga, November 15,-Special.-
There have been no new developments in
the mysterious triple tragedy, except that
Governor Atkinson has offered a reward OF
$500 for the arrest Of the criminals.
The place where the killing occurred IS
about two ana a half miles east Of Fair
burn. and is reached by a winding little
road leading off about half a mile from
the public road. 1t is Just so situated as to
make It favor BILE for the preparation oil
the crime and afford an escape for the muir
derer it being small clearing entirely
surrounded by dense forests. The three
unfortunate negroes were killed within
hundred yards Of their house and from the
respective positions in which they We're
found, it is easy TO conclude the manner in
which they met their death The man
was blowing up potatoes, and had just
turned around at one end of the row ana
advanced ten PAGES when he was shot from
behind and fell dead with his hands still on
MS pillow stock his horse having stopped
and stood still until the crime was dis
covered The wife was following her hus-
band, picking up the potatoes, ana when
found had q bucket half filled with pota-
toes on her arm. She was shot in the face
and fell in The furroW right behind her nus
band, indicating that she had turned to
look when the first shot, which killed her
husband. was fred. The third victim, the
negro girl was near the opposite end Of the
row from the others. Us shown by hef
tracks and 4 half filled basket OF potatoes
which she was handling, and when the
shots which killed the others attracted her
attention she fed toward the woods. ana
at the edge Of which she rs 0Verlaken
aud killed by the assassin. She was also
shot in tnc race evidently having turned u
look back at her pursG,eo'r Her throat was
buckshot. as shown by post mortem exam
nation on The bodies by the coroner today.
The coroner's jury he$an It's examination
and then adjourned until IuoShaN al WnlCh
time il is 10 be hoped some light may be
thrown upon the terrible tragedy
People living in the neighborhood OF the
killing heard three reports Of guns about
10 o'rIork yesterday-the first two in rapid
succession and the last one minute al
,I,ha~o are MANY theories advanced as to
the cause of the killing. One IS that the
l,irUng ~ the work of Illicit dstillers. whom
Il Is Suggested may have fonnd the negro
troublesome to their business: ahotner y
fba+ 4 WAS done for the purpose or roD-
herv as II is said that trunk supposed 10
contain money Is missing from the house,
and stu another Is that 1t was dohe oy
former husband of the wife; she haN!h6
rnarried again after quitting her first hus-
hand some years ago at Jonesboro'
Whether either Of these Theories IS t the
correct one may never be known. as the
crime is now shrouded in mystery.
No Trace of the Criminal.
r,o,r,rrr ca November 16.-(Special)-
rrba coroner's Jury closed its investigation
hove today Of the mysterious murder OF
tho three negroes last Saturday and rem
dered a verdict that the killing was done
bv party or parties unknown 10 'he Jui
No light was thrown on the my 9l'I9 "I'i'i.
would authorize the arrest or uetehtloH Oh
any one. and the prospect IS that the per
nefrator will not be known in a long tlhe'
,r1,a evidence disclosed the fact that the