The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1897-01-13
A SHOCKING PATRICIDE.
Al hoy OF Thirteen Kills Ills Fstl@r Near
The Gravel PR.

The Gravel PR.
Yesterday morning sheriff MeNair
Tecei' red a message from the /. G. r. r.
grave I pit, s miles east of town, in
foImi ng him that Bracey Campbell, a
boy some 10 years of age, had shot and
XII led his own father, VIM. Campbell,
an d requesting. tho sheriff 20 come to
thc scene and bring the coroner. Dep
uty Sheriff r. w. McNair responded to
the summons promptly carrying with
him Coroner Phillips and number of
9th err persons from town. On arriving
upon the scene they found the dead
man lying on the floor of an ill-fur-
nislled home, weltering in his own
blood, just as he had fallen, with
ghastly gun-shot wound in the neck,
just below the jaw. The gun was an
ordinary shot gun and the whole
charge of bird-shot, with which it was
loaded had entered in a wad, tearing
through one of the jugular veins, pro-
ducing instant death.
The principal witnesses. examined
we're Mrs. Campbell and two daughters,
whose testimony, as recorded by the
Coroner, is given below
Campbell was a man of 80 or So, and
bore a rather unsavory reputation.
Some of his neighbors think he had
shown marks of insanity for some time
past. Be this as it may, surely he
brought upon himself and family a
bitter experience,
Mrs. Campbell, being sworn, testi-
fed:
lie woke up in night, seemed to be
angry with me. | asked him what
had done. He accused me of being
out. | told him couldn't see why he
suspected me- | told him ] had pray
ed for him. He got up and made fire.
He said get up Miss Amanda, and lots
90 to court. j told him didn't threaten
him with court. Lydia spoke to him,
said was lady and clear of what he
accused me of. lie struck her two or
three times. Bracy took hold of him
then and he struck him. Bracy ran
out in side room and got gun. /
tried to save him but was 200 late.
Bracy shot him. | was afraid of him.
He threatened to kill me often. /
think he would have hurt Lydia Sc
riously if Bracy hadn't shot him.
Bracy was trying TO protect myself and
Lydia and had to kill him to do SO.
Lydia Campbell, being sworn, testi-
fed:
When woke, Papa and Mamma were
quarreling. He told Mama he would
cut her throat He got up and made a
fire. He set up then and quarreled
and cursed on. lie then turned to hit
me with his fist. Mama caught him
and brother also caught him by the
arm. | tried to get loose from him.
He said he would kill me. After that
time brother entered with the gun.
lie shot father just as he started to
enter the room door where brother
was. ! don't know whether he saw
Bracy with the Gun or not Bracy said
nothing after going after the gun. |
didn't hear father say he would get the
gun. | think father intended to kill
me and mother: and believe he would
have killed us If brother hadn't saved
US, ne Was iiNd9o bSolJCi'Oo " li-A
mad. lie has been abusing his family
for long time.
Miss Carrie Campbell, being sworn.
testified:
| was walked this morning by fuss
between father and mother. | heard
him say, will cut your d-n throat
speaking to mother). lie then got up
4 and made a fire, and made mother act
up. and said we will settle the quarrel.
I asked father what's the matter with
you and mama. Lydia got up and
went and set by the fire. He cursed
her, Bracy caught him by the arm,
and.he said he intended to kill her and
grabbed her hand and hit her finger.
1 He also struck Lydia in the face with
his fist aId attempted to hit mother,
but she got out Of the way. At this
time Bracy shot him. We were al
afraid of father He had threatened
to kill us all. He had been very
abusive tQ his family.
After hearing the aboye testimony,
the Coroner's jury returned the fol
lowing verdict;
We, the jury, have fully investigated
and declare that he, VIM. Campbell,
came to his death from a gun shot in
the hands of Bracy Campbell, and we,
the jury, declare he was justiiiable in
defending his mother aud sisters.
| (Signed: