The Forrest City times., 1904-08-26
Emotions of Sorrow and Indigna- nation Fill the Hearts of Every Good Citizen-Death of Negro Quiets a Quickly Gathering Posse-Saloons Closed
 grief Written in the
 Face of the Entire
 Population. Funeral of Dead Officers the Larg- est Ever Seen in Forrest City All Business Suspended Dur ing the Service and In-
 torment.

teTnlent.
 \ tragedy which shook this city from ccuter to circumference, and cast back pail Of gloom over the heart of every human being within It's confines, Was enacted upon the highways last Saturday evening about 6:45 o'clock, when John Williams. a ueglo ex-con- Niot aud desperate character of this county, shot and killed Chief Deputy Sheriff Wm Murphree aud City Mar shal W. W. Raihbolt, and was himself ridded with bullets from the revolvers of Swan, Raiubolt and other officers.
 l, was almost If not quite | o'clock when SIX piatol stotNrang out upon the otherwise qu'et alt of the etv. Many of the business people of the town were q their homes partaking of the even ing meal No one dreamed of the true significance of tloSe shots. The lirst impression conveyed to their minds was that there was 4 tire, but the alarm bell dsi not Seune, and men and boys and A few women and children -ho hap pened on tue streets at the time, gath -rtd by seoIes af the scene of the shoot ing and at once learned that Deputy Sheltf Wm. Murphree had been prob atlY fatally wounded by d pstnl shot Al the hal ds ot ,ohn Wi,hams. ne- gro.
 .'Aere are many conflicting reports of ths minor de K of the trugedy. but ,he best ot oGr lnfOimat on il haF- p-urd about as [ lows;
 Some lime ag,, John Williams, mean, desi ietdt., quarrelsomc negro, who lived on the Louis Pugh place, south of town, had had trouble with some of the other negroes on the place, and almcS st created apanic among them by threats and hIaudishng an ugly looking pistol He was terror to the negroes, and II lS ,ald that at picnics cf othet gather nes If negroes where he might b. pi espl he neal ll always had trouble and broke il up iu d row Mr. Hugh had ordered the negro to leave the place,
 MT. Pugh came to town on business Saturday and informed Deputy Swan of the negro carlylug d pistol and try ing 10 run hIs hands away, and that if He should undertake 10 arrest him, he should be very careful. as le was known to have d pietol and to be bad negro.
 swan reported the matter to Mur- rhrer, who was chief deputy, aud after looking around for Williams and not being abe to lCcate him, the officers supposed he had gone home.
 While they were sitting upon the pile of stone near J w. Beck's corner, negIo woman came up to them, and after surveying them closely, sad to hr. Swan "AIc you an officer ?' He replied ih the affirmative, aud asked her To slate hertrouble. She sand that negro had just siapped her Tn the face add abused her by ealing her had names, aud she wanted him arrested Swan told hel to "comc and show him to me aud will get him.n Swan start ed off and Murphrte followed second el two later, oyertakirg him d the back door ot Beck X Co., and they went down the alley between the two saloons, down as far as the negro Ne- sou S restaurant or store. where the ne gro that had slapped the woman Was supposed to be.
 swan suggest sd that Murphree wait al the back door while he would % around and come through from the front, but MurphIee did not think that necessary and they both went to the front.
 They failed to find the man they were looking for but as they proceeded along R SScr street Murphree saw Williams sitting on wagon Tn front of Woods Bl os'. restaurant, with five or six ne- groes around bun. Murphree said to swan "there k John Williams now wait untll l step into the restaurant ! and get gun, and We will get him. 7 swan kept on loe king around for the ! other negro, and locking back toward | the Wagon noticed that Williams was gone, and saw lie and another negro .Ns king west esi Front street. Swan