Year: 1870




On Sunday morning last the citizens of the
quiet little village of Hillsborough. in the ad
Joining county of Orange. were horror
stricken by the discovery of 4 fendish and
astrocous murder, which for its barbariy
has scarcely an equal in the annals of rimr.
The victim was a man named Martin Y
Blalock, who kept the bar of the liquor room
of Utley & Blalock, to which was also attach
ed restaurant or eating room. He had
retired the night previous, rs usual, the last
time he was seen alive by his friends and
relatives, and with no apprehension Of the
terrible fate that was in store for him.
Early on that Sabbath morning 4 negro boy.
who had been in the habit of waiting on
Blalock, while on his way to light the fires
and bring water, was met by two other negroes
who told him that something was wrong At
the barroom, as they had looked into the
back window and Mr.. Blalock was lying on
the floor surrounded by a pool of either
blood or water, they could not tell which.
Doubling the truth of the statement, the boy
went himself, and, pushing open the shut
tiers Of the window, became satisfied OF the
fact and rushing to the house of his old
master, Squire Murdoch, he exclaimed.
Get up on your feet, boss MI. Blalock is ly-


ing on de floor, dead,' With all possible
haste Mr. Murdock reached the scene. and
50 Mortified was he that without loss Of time
he rang the town bell to alarm the citizens.
which soon brought surprised crowd to the
spot


ABARBAROUS AND BLOODY DEED.


Upon entering the back room of the store


in which Blalock slept, . CHASTITY and inhu-
man spectacle met the gaze of the citizens
Living on his back near the centre of the
room, with the left leg across and resting up
on the right and his arms extended, was the
corpse of Martin Blalock. Stuffed in his
mouth, as If to stife his dying cries, was
pillow case. half of which protlTded from the
extended jaws, now rigid in death The
throat was severed from side to side by two
deep and Jagged gashes, as if the instrument
bv which they were made dull and uneven. \
rope was tied round his neck which would
give the impression that the murdcrcrS at
first attempted strangulation, and not sue
cceding in this they resorted to other and
more effective means of despatching their
victim A blow of some heavy weapon had
entirely crushed in the left temple there Were
about fifteen wounds of various kinds in the
features; the eyes were matted with clotS OF
CONCEALED black blood, and with the half
bloody pillow case sticking up from the
mouth and the brain oozing from the trnl-
pie, a more shocking and sickening sight
could scarcely be imagined. IN the store 0r
front room, behind the counter. one of the
instruments of death was discovered. ltwas
small cog-whecl, weighing about one and a
half pounds, through which a rope had been
tied, and, Judging from the indcntations M
the murdered mans forehead, this had been
used as a slungshot with terrible effect.
PLUMBER


was evidently the object of the murdercrS,
who had gained an entrance by knocking at
the door, waking their victim up under the
plea of getting drink and then completing
their bloody work. The watch-chan, knitr
and other articles, besides small amount
of money belonging to Blalock, We're gone,
and the till or tin box in which were kept the
receipts of the store was also missing. About
800 in money and few articles of small
value were all the murderers obtained Ia
compensate them for the commission of this
tragedy,


THE ALLEGED MURDERERS


| Ever since the discovery of the crime the
entire community at Hillsborough has been III
a teverish state of excitement. and the cIllzthS
are unusually earnest in their cndeavorS 1"
| bring the murderers to light An inquest
was held. before with Il large number OF
witnesses were summoned, but though I'M
able to fasten guilt upon anybody. suspicion
at once fell upon a negro named Bob Gum
and two others. called respectively Young and
Lutterloh Gum was arrested here few
days since and was conveyed by the Sheriff
of Orange to Jail at Hillsborough, where he
is now safely lodged Young was also ar
rested near iillsborough, and the capture of
Lutterloh was effected at Asheborough, in
Randolph county, so all three are now in a
safe way to pay the penalty of the law.
THEIR GUILT


is now established, though arrested only on
suspicion created by strong chain Of cir
cumstances. Young and Bob Gum spent
the greater, portion OF Saturday and that night
together, and left their lodging shortly after
midnight. Where they We're joined by the
Other Lutterloh, is not known: but as two
of them have partly confessed the deed, and
as portion of the money has been found on
the person of Young, and the till of Blalock
has been discovered, it is clear they are the


guilty parties. Gum says he was forced 70


90 with the other two that Young leaped in
at the back window and did the killing while


he and Lutterloh held the body. Young,


however, denies that he had anything to do


with the murder; that he kept watch while
the other two perpetrated the bloody deed