Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1916-06-30

Brantley went in and undreSsed
and crawled over on the back side
and was soon asleep, Dunlap oc,
cupying the front side and there
they slept until the station porter
(old Squire Hudson, a trusty old
darkey) came knocking at the
door, saying that it was then $3.50
and time to get up. Duvlap got
up Immediately, but Brantley
asked to let him sleep a few min
utes longer, which Dunlap did.
Opening up the station and walk
ing out to see if he could hear the
train coming, for the night was
unusually still, Dunlap espied a
strange looking fguIe restlessIy
promenading the platform Git was
Eskredge) and asking him what
ne wanted, he replied by asking
where a man by the name of
Brantley could be found, Dunlap
telling him that Brantley was
asleep in the depot bedroom, "a
fire had been made in the office
stove by the porter in the mean
time) and in a few seconds Esk
redge, with his Old slouch hat
pulled down over his eyes, walked
in to near the stove, DUNLAP
could see that he had something
under the shawl and after warm.
ing a little he told Dunlap to
wake BrantIey up and tell him q
man wanted to see him and when
Dunlap started in to awake
Brantley, EAlSyedge raised the
window looking south ana showed
the wooden blind back, and
walked out on the platform and
took his stand at this open win
dow and as Brantley emerged from
the bedroom and had gotten OPP
posite the stove, Eskredge pulled
the loaded sawed off gun he car
ried from under his shawl and
taking deliberate aim, fired, liter.
ally tearing Brantley's head off,
after which he fled to a water oak
= ee so yards back of the station
: where he had a big fue white
,lor5o hi, "a and -a53i5i cat al
town in an eastefly direction, the
noise of the gun having awakened
the citizens and they plainly hear
ing the noise the horse made with
his feet in getting out of town,
and in this way they knew the
direction the murderer went.
In ten minutes after the mur-
der the train arrived, going north
with Mrs. Brantley on board, in
the meantime the few at the sta
ton, brought there by the noise,
(none of them even dreaming that
Mrs. Brantley was a party to the
killing, this fact developed after
ward huriedly arranged as to
who would break the news to
Mrs. Brantley, they centering up.
on the Oldest man, Col. Thomas
Haynes, and he requesting her tC
go on to Macon as her dead hus.
band, mangled as he was, was in
no condition for her to see, and
for her to return on the daylight
train, 10 a. m. the next day,
which was done.
Daylight soon coming and Miss
Martha Ann Haynes having been
awakened by the gunshot, having
told that she saw a man on a spot.
less white horse pass their plac,
riding in an eaSterly direction al
breakneck speed, a posse wa,
hurriedly organized by sunup and
started out after the murderer
finding it easy to track him, Il,
all four of the horses feet were
freshly shod and the tracks show
ing that the horse was running
and after a ride Of eight miles The
posse came up on Eskride, finding
him asleep near the road and his
horse tied, they arresting him anC
bringing him back, his trial tax
ing place in the cid store house
first south of Dunlap residence
where be was committed to awai
the action OF the grand jury anC
sent to Macon, where the circui
court sentenced him to death, b
afterwards escaping and going t.
Texas, where he was discoyeret
by drummer, (old man Neyill
who included Shuqualak in hi
territory and was arrested ant
brought back and re sentenced
but before the execution, wa
pardoned by A. X. Davis,
negro, who was then lieutenant
governor, (acting as governor dun
ing the governors ABSENCE.
A month after Eskridge's frs
trial it developed that Mrs
Brantley was a party to the Kill
ing and she was arrested, trie
and sent to the Macon Jail 70
two years, which time she served
, Alas for mans duplicity an
Woman's wiles-BrantleY died III