The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-01-27
"The Patton Spring."
Rev. ". T. Dale, D. D.

Miss Nellie Dale, Miss Ada Moore ant
I decided that we would ascend Cum
berland Mountain and visit the spring
known here as "The Patton Spring
forever consecrated by the pure life o
Mr.. William Patton of Abbeville Dis
trio, S. q.
have often heard my father, Pete
Alexander Dale, who was also born ir
Abbeville District in the bounds o
Long Cane and Cedar Springs con
gregation, speak, when I was boy
Of his friend and old neighbor, Mr.
VIM. Patton. who was murdered or
Cumberland Mountain by Bennet
Dooley.
The facts, as I gather them from
the oldest citizens of Jasper, Tenn, -
miles from the scene of the murder
are as follows:
He was on his lay from South Car.
olina to Middle or West Tennessee
with view of purchasing land. AS
this was in 1888, before the railroads
were in operation, he was travelling on
horse back. At Dahlonega, Ga.,. he
fell in with Bennett Dooley, who was
also on horseback. They came on to
gether until they crossed the Tennes.
see River and spent Sabbath night
June 9th, 1883, at Col, Oates at Oates
landing.
On Monday morning they came on
and when near Jasper, took the John.
son road which led up Cumberland
Mountain. Near the top of the noun
tain they came to spring on the
uora khax, fo rot
water. And as they had no other
means of drinking, they lay down.
And while Mr.. Patton was lying
down drinking Dooley struck him in
the back of the head with a loaded
whip. Whether one blow was sufd'
cient or not, I am not informed. But
after he was dead Dooley dragged him
some fifty to seventy-five yards dow n
below the spring over a kind of bluff
and buried him beneath stones and
brush. Dooley then took Mr.. Patton's
horse and saddle and saddle bags,
leaving his own horse and saddle and
went on to his home at Pelham in
Franklin county. He was very rest
less that night, 80 his wife afterward
stated, and would get up and 60 to
the door and listen, and when asked
why he did 80, answered that he
heard horses feet, when it was only
the laundering of q guilty conscience.
Next morning he left home with a
piece of gold which he told some one
was worth $100 and which was after
wards identified by Col. Gates as Mr..
Patton's. He made bis way over into
Georgia, and one day was Standing in
the door of cabin where Mr.. Pryant
lived near Lafayette, Ca, when Mr..
Elijah Rice passed along. Dooley
hailed him and wanted to know
where he was going, and when told
that be was going to Jasper, he tod
him to hold on and he would 60 with
him. Dooley was quite talkative, and
asked great many questions, asking
Mr.. Rice his name, and said his name
was Dooley--Bennett Dooley.
At the very mention of Bennett
Dooley, Mr.. Rice knew that he was
the man who was wanted for the
murder of Mr.. Patton, but he did not
80 much as have pocket knife to ar.
rest him with.
So they ro6s on together till they
got to Rossvi..e Ca, near Chattanoo-
ga, Tenn, and Mr.. Rice asked Dooley
to hold his hof.s chat he knew the
blacksmith there and wanted to speak
to him. Dooley did 80, and when Mr..
Rice went into the shop, he asked the
blacksmith if he had a pistol. He
was answered in the affirmative and
then he said, "that man, Dooley out
there is wanted for the murder of Mr..
Patton at Jasper" and asked the
blacksmith to help to arrest him.
So Mr.. Rice took the pistol and con-
cealed it under his coat-the black
smith following him with a hammer
in his hand, and Rice made as if he
was going to take his own horse, but
took hold of Dooley's horse, and drew
his pistol on him and told him that
he was wanted for the murder of Mr..
Patton at Jasper and that they were
going to take him. Dooley finding
himself over powered had to surren-
der. They took him into the shop
and made hand cuffs and put on him
and shackled bis legs and then the
two men took him on to Jasper and
turned him over to the proper author.
| tiles.
| A hundred men or more carried him
up to the scene of his crime and made
him tell where he threw Mr.. Patton's
hat, and he showed them the bluff.
The boys went down under the bluff
and found his hat and satchel or reti.
cule, which contained his papers. He
afterwards got Mr.. Patton's watch
which he had hidden under a rock.
When court met, they could not
make up a jury in Marion county-all
men having either expressed them.
selves or formed an opinion as to his
guilt, 81 the case was removed tC
Sparta, White county, where he was
tried, convicted and hanged.
And though this was 70 years ago II
is fresh in the minds of the older peo
pie here, and is even talked about by
the younger people. No murder evel
committed in this county has pro
duced such deep and lasting impres
sion. L have talked with one man
Mai. Hicks, of Inman, who was /;
years old at the time of the murder
and remembers seeing Dooley brought
into the court house here to be tried.
Mr.. Patton was buried in the Gem
etery in Jasper, and an old fashioned
tomb marks his last resting place
The slab on top contains a very full
account of the murder.
The Patton Spring is now dry, ow
ing to the long continued drought
this fall, and would not have beer
able to locate it, but for the fact tha
my young friend Jas. o. Hoge cam
along and pointed out the place t.
me.
The tomb needs to be straightene'
up. Otherwise it is in very good con
difinn uia nroua chnnl6 ha locke,