The log cabin Democrat., 1922-01-13

At this time he saw the Johnsons lead ing Mrs. Hopkins from the house and heard her begging for her life "You've shot George-please don't kill me Wright says he heard the woman pleading. In some way Mrs. Hop. kins seems to have eluded the John sons, he stated and returned to the house, followed shortly afterwards by them.
 Hopkins in the meantime, as is shown by a trail of his blood, had left the house, passed through the barn and returned to crawl under the floor of the porch. Here he was discovered by the Johnsons, one of whom fired a revolver at Hopkins. A heavy keg, however, intercepted the bullet and probably saved the mans life for few minutes. The Johnsons, accord ing to Wright, again turned their at tention to Mrs. Hopkins, who fled to- ward a woods on a hill nearby pur- sued by the men. As soon as they got out of sight Wright says he went to the house and callel Hopkins, who feebly answered him from under the floor. I'm cut and shot all to pieces and am bleeding to death; go get Jim Gwatney," Wright says Hopkins told him.
 Wright says after carrying Hop kins into the house he caught a horse and started toward Guatney's house. As he passed down the road he heard about 200 yards distant the screams of Mrs. Hopkins, who was again beg gng the men to spare her life. He also heard the voices of the Johnsons, he said, but could rot distinguish their words. With Guatney, who lives about mile away, he returned short ly after midnight They found Hop kins, dead, his body still lying on the cot on which Wright had placed him, but this time the back of his skull was completely crushed and stick of firewood lying close by indicated that the Johnsons had returned to the house while Wright was away and made sure of their deadly work by pulverizing the head of their first victim. Deputy Summers said the second attack was proved by the fact that it would have been impossible for Hopkins to have been conscious or talked to Wright with his head in the condition it was found.
 It was not until nearly noon yester- day, practically 12 hours after she had been killed, that the body of Mrs. Hopkins was discovered and until then it was believed she had escaped Her head was horribly crushed and blood-spattered stone to which mat ted strands of the wolnan's hair still adhered bore mute testimony of the ferocious brutality with which she had been slain. Not shot had been fired into her body and it appeared as if one of the men must have held her prone on the ground while the other viciously pounded her forehead almost into pulp with the rock. The blows were inflicted with such force that the back of her head was driven deep into the ground and evidently in her dying convulsions she had par tially raised her head from the de. precision.
 Hopkins body was even more brutally mutilated. Twelve gaping knife wounds were counted in the body. one bullet hole through the shoulders and chest and two others through the back of the neck and head were found and the back of his skull was pounded to pieces. His clothing was literally torn to shreds.
 Marion Wright's statement that it was the Johnsons who were respon- sible for the double murder was sub stantiated by the officers, who dis covered in Hopkins house a cap and