Year: 1876

"lOhSCo w uAAO hO1AAo OANl
citizen, who was somewhere near
and he informed the Confederate off
GERS of the occurrence, but they took
no notice of the fact Word got to
Tucker that he had been informed
upon, and by some means he discov-
cred who the informant was, where
upon he rode to his house and called
the old gent eman out. He came,
and with him his two daughters
Tucker passed the compliments of
the day with them, and then re-
marked that he owed the old gentle
man little debt, and had called to
pay it, and Immediately drew his re-
volver and in cool blood shot the old
man dead, while standing between
his daughters!


For this last horrible deed Tucker
was arrested and sent to Canton,
Mississippi, and confined in the same
room with our Union prisoners.
This brings me back to Canton, and
I will now proceed to relate some of
my personal experience with Tucker.


The bucket of water 1 had brought
was soon used up, as there were about
twenty-five prisoners and guards to
drink it. The boys called for another
bucketfull, and the guards finally
consented to go with one of them for
the last bucketfull for that night. 1t
was about bed time, and, before the
water came, about a dozen of our
boys, myself with the rest, had laid
down on the floor around the stove.
When the water was passed in at the
door Tucker was the first to get the
bucket and take n drink, remarking,
Tucker first, and Yankees after
wards. AS soon as he was satisfied
he took the bucket and came toward
where we we're lying, and threw the
water all over us. There was but
little said. The guards laughed in
a way which convinced us that they
expected to encourage Tucker in
anything he might undertake.


1t was cold, chilly night, and we
had but little fire, and no more fuel.
We got, out of our wet nests, shook
all the water off our clothes that we
could, and collected around the stove
to shiver and dry. Tucker now ap-
preached the stove with the bucket
in his hand, and commenced to tap
it on top of the stove, saying that
when he counted twenty he would
strike the nearest man on top of the
head. When he got to twenty we
were all out of his reach. We soon
collected around the stove a second
time, and the same tapping and
counting was repeated by Tucker.
At the last tap-Henry Fry being
nearest to Tucker-the bucket was
swung aloft and descended with
lightning rapidity on top OF Fry's
head. 1t was tin bucket, and the
rim cut a cash about three inches
long. Fry was fearless little
fellow, and pitched at Tucker for
fight. Tucker backed toward one of
the guards, and received from him
revolver, cooked and leveled it at
Fry, and said, IF you move I will
shoot you dead. I am under arrest,
and I will kill some of you before I
leave, if Z can get you to show grit
enough to fight"


The guards then took Tucker to
another room to sleep, and poor Fry
stood there with the blood running
from his wound. He was completely
cowed down, and gave way to his
feelings by crying. He said if he
ever got an even chance he would |
have revenge.


The next morning Tucker was back
in our room, and called for Fry. He
told Fry he must go with him and
sweep his room, black his boots, chop
him some stove wood, and be his
"pigger." Fry asked him what au-
thority he had for taking him out of
the room. Tucker stepped up to a
guard and got his revolver, and,
leveling it at Fry, said, "This is my
authority"


To be c0ntinued