Year: 1867




Tragic Scene on a Country Road


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We clip the following from the Nashville
Union and Dispatch Of the 20th:


Another Of those terrible tragedies which
4 have followed upon the war, and one which
perhaps for the cold blooded system char
/ acterzinS It's execution, rivals anything ol
/ the kind vet recorded, occurred a few miles
/ south of ,Iohnsonville a few davs since


During the war, the farmers between Bic
I Bottom and Waverly suffered greatly bv the
/ depredations Of gurrillars loosing a large
number of horses, which were said to have
been stolen by Lon Porter a notorious bush
wbacker who infested that region at the
time. a brother of Lon was said to have
received and sold the stolen horses, the pro-
ceeds being divided between the two For
some time the life Of the latter has been
/ threatened. The man he most feared was
a desrerado named Bill Pierce, who lived
but short distance from him, and whose
reputation did not in any way serve to allay
the fears of Porter.


On the day of the murder, six horsemen
left Waverly together, armed with rifles
and shot guns, aud followed by number of
hounds, as If on q hunting excursion They
took the road leading to Biz Bottom, and
when part way they were hailed by farmer,
who inquired if they were out riding They
replied that they were going down to Big
Bottom, as they believed game to be plenty
there


Arriving at the house Of Bill Pierce, they
ascertained that Porter was at church. and
the whole party put up their horses and
took dinner, afterwards going to the house
of Porter, which was in sight and demand
ing to see him. Porter having returned.
came TO the door, when one OF them in
friendly way threw an arm about him, saw
ing, Porter, you must go along with US
we have business with YOU.


at this juncture, Porter's wife came to
the door and said to him, Y ou had better
not go with these fellows 1 know they
mean to kill you, and if you mUst die, you
might as well die here at home as in the
woods"


The horsemen returned that Porter's
brother, Lon, was under arrest at Johnson
vile, and that Porter was needed as a wit
ness.


To allay the fears of his wife, Porter then
said to her. GU need not fear, these
men all know me, and they know that never
had anything to do with Lon doings'


With this, he mounted his horse and
Joined the party, suspecting nothing what
ever, but that all was right They soon
reached the forks of the roads leading to
Johnsonville and Waverly but taking
neither, they started up an old and lonely
road, which had not been used for thirty
years. saying they had changed their minds
and would 60 on to Waverly.


This at once aroused Porter's suspicious,
and he declared they were taking him some
where that Bib Pierce might shoot him.
They quieted his fears, however, and all
moved on until about a half a mile from the
forks, when one of them gave a low whistle,
which was answered from a clump of bushes
near, and Bill Pierce stepped out, leveled a
gun, fred, and Porter dropped dead from his
saddle, the blood streaming from a CHASTITY
wound in his breast.


The body fell with heavy thug, and the
horse bounded away toward home, saddle
and skirt dripping with the hfe-current of
the murdered man. A little boy relative Of
Porter, who had presistentlv followed him,
and who had been whipped back by some of
the party, saw the smoke Of Pierce's gun,
and that Porter bad disappeared from the
saddle Realizing what had occurred, he
ran homeward as soon as possible, and both
the horse and boy being met by Clint and
John Winfreys, who lived not far from the
scene. the boy related to them what had
occurred. They at once hastened to the
spot, and on seeing the body of Porter
reused number Of neighbors, who shortly
after removed it.


Pierce and the balance of the party
were next day arrested, and a preliminary
examination was held before Justice Ellis
Subsequent to this, Pierce obtained per
mission to visit home, accompanied by
guards, from whom be managed to escape,
and is now at large. The others were sent
to Dresden where it was to be decided
whether they should be admitted to bail.