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THE ATLANTA WEEKLY SUN, FOB THE WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 25, 1872
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TH li ATI,ANTA "UN
BMrgU Palitlei.
Manipulating Qmventions.—Col. D. 8.
Printup publishes ecard iu tiie Borne
Courier that in the Primary ejection in
Floyd county for delegatee to the Con
gressional Convention which nominated
Gen. Young at Cartersville, the delegates
in his favor bad a clear of the votes in
the county Over the delegatee in favor of
Hon. Dunlap Scott, and they were to re
turned by the Managers ; but that three
(ont of fifteen] of the Executive Commit
tee took it upon themselves to cast ont
205 votes polled for him (Printup) in the
Borne district, bt>cease, as they alleged,
they were negroes and white Radicals,
without a particle of testimony that they
were Radicals or not Democrats; but did
not apply the same rule to the other dis
tricts in the county where they were in
formed a large number of negro and 1
Radical votes had been cast for delegates
favoring hfit opponent, Mr. Scott.
On Ttiursoay, the 9th inst., CharlesO.
Kiobee was nominated at Hawkinsville
for re-election to the State Senate from
the 14th District ‘f/J* *,1 V*
M. V. McKibben has been nominated
'or the House of Representatives of the
- Georgia LegislatureinButts county/,.
A Congressional Convention—For
the 3d District assembles at Macon to
morrow (the 18th inst.) The Savannah
Republican urges the nominatipn of Gen,
PhiLCook.
The First Congressional District.—
At a Convention of delegates^ in the
First Congressional District of Georgia,
held at Blackshear on Friday the 13th
inst., Hon. Morgan Rawls, of Effingham
a member of the House of Reproresen
tatives, Georgia Legislature, was nomi
nated for Congress on the 39th ballot
. over Alplieus M: Rogers, of Burke; W.
W. Payne, of Chatham; J. Lawton Sin
gleton, of Screven; J. Camp,'of Ethan
uel; R. W. Phillips, of Echolls; John C.
Nicholls, of Pierce; R. S. Baker, of
Pierce; j. R. Sneed of Chatham; J. R.
Black, of ; W. T. Thompson, of
Chatham, and Col. Gignilleat, of Darien
Convention and Anti-ConvbntkJn.—
On Monday (9th. inst.) a county Conven
tion met at Blakely, Early county, and
nominated R. O. Dunlap as a candidate
for the Legislature. Dr. J. F. Shackle
ford publishes a card in which he says
the delegates to the Convention were not
chosen in the usual way —at elections held
by the people of the different Militia dis
tricts; that the order of the Executive
Committee was not complied with, and
the party not fairly represented in three
ont of the six districts. He, therefore, de
clines to recognize “the decision of the
so-called Democratic Convention,” and
continues iu the field as a Democratic
candidate.
Gen. G. J. Wright was nominated for
Gongress in the Second District over
Messrs. Flaming, McIntyre, Harper,
Clark and Munnerlyn, on the eighth bal
let.
A Senatorial Dead Look.—A Con
vention to nominate a candidate for
the State Senator from the 18th Senato
rial District, composed of the counties
of Richmond, Jefferson and Glasscock
met in Augusta on Thursday, the 12th.
It continued in session that day and the
day following, and adjourned without
making a nomination. The delegates
from Jefferson and Glassoock thought
the nominee should be taken from one
of those counties because Richmond had
enjoyed the continuous representation of
the District since 1861. Finding that a
nominationwould not be acceptable to the
Richmond delegates unless the nominee
resided in that county, they withdrew
from the Convention and nominated
James G. Cain, of Jefferson.
The Augusta delegates nominated
Glaiborn Snead, of Augusta; and so the
matter now stands.
The votes in the Convention while in
session were six for Snead and six for
Cain.
“George Clemens”Sayawhat be has t*
Say.
To the Editors of the Sun—I see by the
article injyour paper signed “Bostwick,”
that the Editors oi the Constitution have
caught it at last. The great wonder is
how gentlemen of their sense, and poss
essing the most moderate allowance of
delicacy, could have continued to outr
rage the inbred modesty of men by such
gross self-flattery as their published com
pliments to themselves implied.
These gentlemen are paid by their
party and the community, to publish a
newspaper and a political sheet devoted
to the Democracy and its candidates.
But if you leave out Mr. Stephens,
you may take up almost any number of
the Constitution for weeks past, and see
only the scantiest notice of the men se
lected by the party the Ct/nstUuiion is
supposed to support as its standard-
bearers; but many numbers of the paper
in the same time contain high-sounding
eulogies on the Editor-in-Chief, or the
Editor that is not in Chief, or that other
Editor who is some distance from Chief.
We, the patrons of that journal, are
weaned with this. Let ns hope the past
will suffioe, and that the little ring of
mutual admirers will now be dissolved;
and that henceforth they will devote
themselves to their proper business, if
they have any vocation for it. Let the
Constitution close the biography oi its
editors right where it stands, at the last
and devote a little time—at
after the eleotisn—to (those
*>ode8t men, Horace Greeley
In Vermeil'
the first W<
day. fi
*V-
Pelitleal Wot**.
A correspondent of the New {York
Tribune, writing from Atlanta the 4th of
September, says the Greeley party, or ae
he sails it, the “Liberal-Democratic”
Party, had commeoeed the canvass in
earnest
He says the moat influential and tell
ing Greeley advocate is Gen. Gordon ;
that Gov. Brown leads the [Republican
element of the Liberal movement, with
such men as Joshua Hill, James John
son, B. L. McWhorter, E. Halbert and
othere, to support him. (It was cruel on
the part of Mr. Hill to disappoint the
hopes of the “party.”) All these, he
says were influential in securing the
30,000 white voteAwhich were cast for
Bullock.
He further says the programme is to
secure the eleotiop „of the very best men
to Congress, and that great care will be
taken to have only “strong Greeley and
Brown men” nominated, and remarks:
“It is not a hazardous thing to say
that the whole nine Liberal candidates
have as good chances for election by
handsome majorities as they could de
sire.”
He classes General DuBose as among
one of these “strong Greeley men” likely
to }>e.nominated in the 8th district, (our
read,i^a4)ave,seen the General’s position,
defined by himself—a Straight of the
straightest,) and names CoL I. W. Avery
as prominent for the nomination in the
Ex-President Mahan, of Oberlin Col
lege, Ohio) (which for a quarter of a cen
tury has been a nest of Radical ^deas) a
fanatic of the first water, is advocating
the election of Greeley from a religions
standpoint, giving “Christian and moral
reasons for supporting Mr. Greeley.”
He says the party advocating Greeley is
moving on the line of a policy really god
like and Christian, therefore he goes for
him; while there is nothing truly God
like in the Grant party.
Savannah News Items.
The remains of a murdered woman
(supposed to be white,) were found in a
ditch, two and a half miles from Savan
nah on the 12th instant. There was a
large fracture on the left side of the
sknll. She could not be identified. The
body was in an advanced stage of decom
position. It is supposed she had been
outraged and murdered.
Two countrymen with their carts, re
turning home, from Savannah where
they had been to do some marketing,
met a negro man in the road carrying a
ladder. This firightend the foremost
conntayman’s horse, who requested the
negro to stand aside till they could pass
him safely. Instead of this he contin
ued to advance and* more seriously
frighten the horse, till the coun
tryman was so provoked that he as
saulted and struck the negro. This
caused a crowd of from 50 to 75 negroes
quickly to assemble, who followed the
countrymen, and were very noisy and
abusive, throwing rooks and other mis
siles at them, declaring that they in
tended to have satisfaction out of the
d—d crackers. A Constable from the
city, who happened to come along, suc
ceeded in dispersing the mob.
Serious Shooting Affair.—On Friday
night, Martin J. Grogan was shot by
John Nolan in the lower part of the ab
domen near the left side. The wound is
serious if not fatal. A few moments be
fore the shooting took place, Nolan was
heard to say damn me if Zdont have
satisfaction. The cause of the difficulty
is unknown.
P. S.—The News of Monday morning
states that Grogan died about 11 p’clook
Saturday night. An inqueBt was held
over his body on Sunday. Several wit
nesses were examined, and the testimony
elicited very unsatisfactory and conflict
ing. The jury rendered the following
verdict: " “
That Martin J. Grogan came to his
death from a gun-shot wound inflicted at
the hands of John H. Nolan, and that it
was not in self-defense, and that -Thos.
H. Kelly is accessory to the homicide.
The News says his remains would be
sent North, Monday, to his relatives.
An effort was made to get np a duel on
Thursday night. A young Virginian
became offended at a hotel - clerk, sent
him a challenge which was aocepted,
and arrangements made to fight Satur
day morning. At half past two o’clock
the friends of the Virginian apologized,
and the two popped a few champagne
corks over the affair.
N e w Ruling u to Letters Weighing
Over Half an Ounce.
The following circular letter has been
forwarded from the Post Office Depart
ment at Washington, as instructions to
the various postmasters throughout the
country relative to letters weighing over
the half ounce regulation, in which it
will be seen that all letters weighing more
than the above quantity to be charged
and marked as due doable rates (six
cents,) instead of due three cents, as
heretofore. As a matter, of great inter
est to onr business men we annex the
letter:
Post Office Department, 1
Appointment Office, >
Washington, D. C., Aug. 24,1872. )
Postmaster at :
Sib: The postmaster at reports
the receipt of a letter weighing over hall
an ounce, mailed at your prepaid
three oents and charged due three cents.
Your attention is called to this beoaose
the Department roles (wider the new
Code, seotion 152) that the nwpafd post
age on all matter on whioh prepayment is
required should be detblaa and collected
on delivery. Plaeee observe this rnling
iu future. Jam 1L Bt—,
Aet Aas*t Feetmaetor GcaenL
BILLY FORRESTER, THE ALLEGED
NATHAN MURDERER, IN
GEORGIA.
ArrtiMl *» lavaaaah an* Sllp*TIJJo’
tht IHagere of the Mayor an* Police
of tUat city
It was year before last that Mr. Na
than, a wealthy Jewish banker of New
York, was murdered in his own house in
the night. It created a great excitement
throughout the whole country. It was
shrouded in the darkest mystery. Some
members of his family were suspected,
bat nothing could be substantiated
against them. Finally, after the police
and detectivea had worked at the ease
a long time, they became satisfied that
Forrester was the man, and they were
after him in every direction; bat have
not been able, till very recently, to Cap
ture him. They traced him to New Or
leans, and from there to Memphis, where
he very narrowly escaped being arrested,
by coming into Georgia. He, however,
was arrested in Savannah by the authori
ties there. He says:
•«Yes, they took me up there, but I turned overall
the stuff, and they let me go. That was the narrow
est hole 1 got into since you were down In New Or
leans There'4 been some heavy work going on
round there for some time."
GEORGIA LAWS.
The Mayor came to me an prom sed
me that if I turned over the stuff there'a
be no more about it, and so did the Mag
istrate, the Chief of Police and the Gov
ernor. They all gave me their words
, that I should get out of it, and so I re
turned the stuff They have fine laws in
that State—yes, sir, the finest laws of
any State, in America. When anything
like that occurs the man’s obliged to
leave the State and not come back to it
again. aoig"
ONE MAN SUSPECTED HE WAS FORRESTER,
some fellow there, had one of those pic
tures of me that was sent round with a
description attached to it. He showed
it to me and asked me if I knew who
that was. I said, ‘yes; that’s Billy For
rester. ’ ‘Yon look mighty like him, says
he. ‘You ain’t got a good eye for like
nesses,’ says I, .‘or you haven’t read that
description very carefully.’ The Chief
Police was standing there in the office,
and i. saw by his eye he had a suspicion
of me. I new then if I dropped a trick
in the game the rubber was lost, and I
stuck to it.
HOW HE THREW THEM OFF AND GOT
AWAY.
With the Chief watching me, I took
the likeness out of his hand. ‘See here,
says I, ‘that man’s thirty-five years of
age; I ain’t twenty-eight. We’re about
the same heighth and build—oh, he’s
very like me; in fact, we’ve often been
taken for each other. This man weighs
140 pounds, and I’m nearly 150 pounds.
He’s got black eyes and I haven’t. His
eyes have a wild expression in them—
now look at mine; there’s nothing wild
in them, is there? Forrester’s gotstraight
black haiir; my hair ain’t black. Forres
ter’s got a small, narrow foot,
and wears a two and a half—I wear a
six. He’s got a bracelet in India
ink on his left wrist —look here
I’ve got ’em on both wrists.* That stag
gered him and he said: * Well, it ain’t
you, that’s plain; but there’s a powerful
resemblance.’ *1 know that,’ says I,
I’ve been told that before, more than
once.’ I was watching the Chief of Po
lice all the time, and saw he was not sat
isfied; he had a doubt about me still.
Just about that point in the conversation
the Mayor came in, and said everything
was all right; they would send me out of
the State, and asked me where I would
go. He said he would send me to New
York or Baltimore or New Orleans.
I knew the Chief was waiting to
hear me say where I was going to, and if
I didn’t say New York, he would pounce
upon me. ‘Well,’ says the Mayor, ‘where
are you going ? You must be off at once. ’
‘New York,’ says I, ‘if I can get there
straight.’ This threw the Chief off. He
turned his back and walked to the other
end of the room. So they put me aboard
the steamer and started me away for New
York. Before I left, the Chief said to
me, ‘You are going straight to town;
mind, no getting off’ I promised him I
wouldn’t—that I’d go straight to town,
and I went.”
“On to New York ?”
“Yes, on the steamship Magnolia; and
may be I didn’t look out for that police
boat Seneca when we got to the Hook.—
I was frightened. The Chief of Police
at Savannah, who is the handsomest man
in the business in America, would be
telegraphing on here before me, though
he promised me wouldn’t. But we got
in all right, and the Seneca after me.—
We came rigiht up to the wharf and
landed.”
Rome as a Cotton Market.—The
Courier of the 14th instant tries to make
it appear that Rome is a most favorable
market for planters to sell their cotton.
On the 12th, cotton sold there at 18 j
cents—low middlings. At Atlanta, 18};
Augusta, middlings 18}—low middlings
17}; Savannah, the same price, Charles
ton, } of a cent higher than Savannah
(} cent lower than Rome); Nashville, low
middlings 18}—being } cent lower than
Rome; and at New York same day 20},
and tending down; therefore Rome is a
superior cotton market.
e«MMl D. H. Hill.
This distinguished officer, as well as
scholar, it is known, is now editing a
Journal at Charlotte, North Carolina.
In a lata issue of his paper he thus
speaks of Mr. Stephens’School History:
BISTORT OF THE UNITED BTATNS—BT A. H.
STEPHENS—B. J. KALB A SON, PUBLISH
ERS, 17 HUBBAT STREET, NEW YOBJC.
Mr. Hale has dona a good thing for
the cause of truth and tue vindication of
Southern history, in publishing this ad
mirable school book of Mr. Stephans’.
It ought to be Adopted by all Southern
teachers. We, however, flnu that Mr.
Stephans has laUen into the common
error of ovajr-estuaatiiig the strength
of the Confederate armies on the field.
Thus at Sharpsburg, he estimates our
forces at 60,000. We know' as certainly
as we can know any fact that the Confed
erate infantry did net exceed 27,000.
Even General Lae and Dr. Dabney,
misled by this reported force, have put it
too high; Our calculation was made on
the field from the numbers actually pres
ent, and we lael confident that no mis
take vtts made.
We make one extract, whioh alone is
worth tbe priee of the book, and should
be left as a legacy in the hands of our
.vhfldrun;..^« ioban joA -o“
In conclusionja tor eommant* only will be’odded.
One ot the most striking feature* of the war was the
great disparity between the numbere on the oppos-
ite aides. From ite beginning to lie end, near, if
not quite, two millions mere of Federals were
broagbt into the field than the entire forces of the
Confedeiate*. he Federal record shows that
they had from first to lost two million air
hundred thousand men in the service;
while the Confederates oi' told, in like manner, bad,
but little over six hundred thousand. The aggre ■
gate Federal population at its commencement was
about'twenty millions ;that of the Confederates, woe
less than ten, near four millions of these being Ne
gro slaves, and constituting no part of the aems-
bearing portion ef their population. Of ’ Federal
prisoners during the war, the Confederates took in
round numbers 370,000; while the whole number of
Confederates captured, and held in priBonB
by the Federal* was in like round num
bers 220,000. In reference to the treat
ment of prisoners on the respective sides, about
which much was said at the time, two facts are
worthy of note; one is, that the Confederates were
ever anxious fora speedy exenange, which the Fed
erate would not agree to; the other is, that of the
270,008 Federal prisoners taken, 22,676 died in
Comederate hands; mnd of the 220,000 Con
federates taken by the Federals, 26,136 died
in their hands; the mortuary tables thus
hiblting a large per cent, in favor of Confederate
humanity/ The entire loss on both aides, includ
ing those who were permanently disabled, at
well as those killed in battle, and who died from
wounds received and diseases contracted in
the service, amounted upon a reasonable estimate
“to the stupendous aggregate of one million of
men.'* Both sides during the struggle relied for
meens to support it upon the issue of paper money,
and upon lodus secured by bonds. An enormous
public debt was thus craated by each, and the ag-
gredate of money thus expended on both sides, In
cluding the loss and sacrifice of property, could not
hare been less than eight thousand million of dol
lars—a sum fully equal to three-fourths of the as
sessed value of the taxable property of all the States
together when it commenced
Test of Cotton Gins at the Georgia State
fair.
-[
2- )
Georgia State Ag. Societt,
Seot’y’s Office, Atlanta, Ga.
. Sept. 17th, 1872,
Ehe following will be among the points
and tests observed in jfch e trial of Gms,
and judging their relative merits, to
wit:
1. Relative lightness in running, or
the power necessary. •
2. Rapidity of work.
3. Quality of sample.
4. Cleanness of picking.
5. Means of avoiding choking.
6. Arrangement of the journals and
points to be oiled.
7. Durability of workmanship.
8. Simplicity.
9. Ease of keeping in order.
10. Safety from fire. ti.
11. Liability to wear and tear.
A given,quantity of seed cotton will be
supplied for each gin, and the test will
be as thorough as possible, so that a cer
tificate will be justly valuable.
Sam’l. Barnett,- Secretary.
I. O. O. F.—Grand Lodge or the
United States.—The R. W. Grand
Lodge of the United States, L O. O. F.,
will convene in annual session at Odd
Fellows’ Hall, in Baltimore, at noon, on
the 16th instant. Representatives from
every State in the Union will be present,
and a grand reunion of prominent mem
bers of the Order will occur auring the
session, which, it is expected, will last
several days. The R. W. Grand Secre
tary of the Grand Lodge of the United
States, F. D. Stewart, Esq., of Washing
ton, has in charge the., arrangements for
the proper entertainment of the mem
bers as they arrive.
! *-»-« .
The “Agricultural and Mechanical
Fair Association oi! Cherokee, Georgia
and Alabama,” hold their Fair at Rome
on the 8th October.
<
Mr. Adkins Oglesby, one of the old
est and best oitizens of Elbert county,
died of canoer of tha stomach last Sun-
dal- t t t
Robert Hester, Esq., of Elbert county,
has been nominated by the Democrats
of Elbert, Madison, and Oglethorpe
oounties, as their oandidate for the State
Senate.
GEORGIA NEWS.
The Agricultural Society of Stewart
county metat Lumpkin on thelOthinst.,
and resolved not to have any horse trot
ting and climbing of greased poles or
other such amusements at their approach
ing fair, because they encourage gambling.
The Lumpkin Telegraph wants -th® said
amusements, refers to the adage “no
fool, no fun,” and thinks that as most
persons now-a-days are fools to the ex
tent of liking fun, that if the fun part
is cut off they will get bnt a small crowd.
The Wat to Keep Off Loafers.—
The manager of the Telegraph office at
Macon has the following posted upon
his door:
“Section 2188 of the new charter:
Any person or persons who shall be guilty
of loafing around this Telegraph office
shall be made to eat dirt and vote for
Grant for thirty days.”
He says it has a splendid effect on
those who did loaf there, and the office
is now free from that class of people.
Henry R. DnBignon, a prominent cit
izen of Brunswick, having a very exten
sive relationship in Georgia, died in that
city on the 12th inst., of Apoplexy. The
Appeal says:
Seldom are newspapers called upon to
chronicje a death, which causes more
universal regret and heartfelt sympathy,
than that which we to-day anuounoe.
Young, vigorous, manly, and full of
promise for a long and happy future, he
was suddenly stricken from the walks of
life and called into the dark valley of
death. Universally beloved by every one
in the entire community, and adored by
wife, children, and a large familyiconnee-
tion his loss is most seriously lelt.
A little negro girl in Barnesville killed
her sister a few days ago with a rock.—
They quarreled about a cotton handker
chief worth 15 cents.
A negro man has been in jail in Thom-
aston for some time. A few days ago
some one carried his dinner to him, and
while spreading it before him gave him
the chance to escape, which he did, and
is at large.
“Tell Tbb to tbe Marian!”
The Macon Telegraph, announces that
CoL Herbert Fielder went down there,
and re ported that the great Greeley Mam
State Convention, attempted to be held
here on Tuesday, was a “decided sue-
cess,” and that the arbor was “filled by
an enthusiastic audience.”
The Telegraph ought not to be de
taining CoL Fielder. It la too bad to
jmy that he toULaaeb a tala to “aasriaee» M
] or anybody aim.
Tbe or Banking u»der th.PrM-
•“* Notional Bank Sjrntem.
Before a National Bank can com-
menee operations it must deposit with
the U. S. Treasurer >100,000 as security
for the holders of the notes ot the Bank.
Upon this the Bank is allowed to issue
a circulation of $90,000.
The Bonds thus deposited draw 6 per
eent. interest in gold, whioh is equiva
lent to, say 6} per cent, in currency.
Most of the banks realize in their
business from 20 to 30 per cent, profit
on their circulation; but put it at a low
figure. Suppose the bank in its opera
tions realizes only a profit of one per
cent, per month, or 12 per cent, per
annum, which, on $90,000, would be
equal to ten and eight-tenths per cent,
on the stock, or 17} per cent, on the $100,-
000 in bonds.
L. Then these bonds are exempt from tax
ation of all kinds, whether by the Gen
eral Government, the State, county, or
city, whioh is at least equal to a profit of
2} per cent.—thus making a clear profit
of 20 per cent, in the investment.
Then, when we remember that these
glod bonds were purchased with Green
backs at par, when the Greenbacks were
from 15 to 40 per cent, below par, we
further Bee the enormous profits made by
the bond-holders, bankers, and money
changers.
Then when we further consider that
the profits on the circulation of the
Banks is more commonly 25 to 30 per
cent., and even 40 or more, we further
see what tribute those who toil and pro
duce something pays to the capitalists of
the country.
A scrap 1 of history just at this point
will be interesting.
A National Bank in this State which
commenced operations soon after the
war, paid its stockholders semi-annual
dividends of 10 per cent, or 20 per cent,
per annum. The profits of the bank
were much larger, but the Directors
would not deolaTe a greater dividend
than 10 per cent semi-annually. Finally
the profits became so large that the\ wa
tered their stock—100 percent—doubled
it—-without the payment of anymore mo-
neybythe stockholders, and upon this
doubled stock deolared a dividend of 10
per cent, semi-annually, and have contin
ued to cio so till this day—thus giving
the stock-holders 40 per cent, profit an
nually upon their paid in stock.
This is a heavy tax for the producer
to pay to the capitalist for the use of his
money.
Cel. Glenn’s Appointments.
We are authorized to announce that
Col. L. J. Glenn, the Democratic candi
date for Gongress in the 5thCongression-
al District, will address the people at the
following times and places :
Griffin, Spalding county, Friday even
ing, September 20.
Zebulon, Pike county, Saturday, Sep
tember 21.
Barnesville, Pike county, Saturday
evening, September 21.
Decatur, DeKalb county, Tuesday,
September 24.
Thomaston, Upson county, Thursday,
September 26.
Perry, Houston county, Friday, Sep
tember 27.
He will make appointments for the
other counties in the District at an early
day.
A MOST {ASTOUNDING CASE*
CHEATING AND DEFRAUDING
THE GOVERNMENT AND
OTHER PARTIES.
An Attempt to Escape Punishment by a.
Bogus Murder and Burial—A Tale
of Highway Murder, Burning
the Dead Body, 'Burial,
Disinterment* &c.
The New York Herald has a long let
ter, written from Knoxville tha 12th inst.,
giving a genuine East Tennessee sensa
tion, a mysterious disappearance, and a
horrible murder that was no murder at
all.
One Thomas G. Boyd, a native of
Sweetwater, 35 years of age, good look
ing, pleasant manners and address, fluent
talker, vast amount of assurance and
cunning, who has followed the business
of a Claim Agent against the general
Government since the war, by which he
has made much money—some say dis
honestly, either. by presenting and col
lecting fraudulent claims, or by retain
ing the lion’s share of honest claims—is
the hero of this remarkable story.
He was indicted in the Federal court
upon these charges, and twenty-two true
bills found against him. At the last term
of the court one of these cases was tried,
the result of which was a drawn battle—
the jury failing to agree.
Boyd then conceived the idea of get
ting out of his troubles by Presidential
interference : so on the 28th May he
wrote a letter to President Grant, telling
his case at length, asserting his inno-
oence, calling Grant’s attention to the
approaching Presidential canvass, the
probability that the Baltimore Conven
tion would make no nomination, and h
and Greeley would be tne only eandi-
d&tes, complimented Grant as being
biave and gallant, and his administration
honest and economical; that the South
would hold the balance of power; that
the State of Tennessee, "if properly cul
tivated,” could be carried for him, and
boldly proposed that if the Government
would dismiss the suits against him, he
would take up the cause of the Philadel
phia nominees and canvass the State,and
from his position could do much toward
defeating Greeley. He said:
I will rood hit inorS and history from tray
■tamp in tkaStato. Ini also bring* henry tnflgtWfr*
to to* front on tha aid*.
lederau^prWUe^n 1661*a!id , *n b ^ft nnlu « u «»0*n.
the Spring of 1866 u MiJ^r of lo y °Mir
bellov« the »uiu oooinot m.
“iff 4 by fa. ,nd ^
could not benefit the government
United State.; bJt SUBSET**
prosecute me. and it will m,f^to
thus take from my family the hard .i def,Dd| *hd
oueoew and Anal vindtcStiom lh£ld an
eno. oampromto. the standing of any offlcUn^S
I accept it upon uy to™. ‘
of Justice. I assure you I have butt tot
r£ht 8lle 2 f0r aol »8 0>*t which
right and ever my duty to do. to bt
Having now briefly stated, I truot the Mm
be ooneiderod, and that I may be idrUe^"^
lir * jour*, moot obediently, a ' 1 *»,
. Tno*- <1- Botd. Sweetwater, Ten*.
Ims epistle was duly received by Ge«
Grant. He referred it to the Attorney!
General, who referred it to the Distrio*.
Attorney at Knoxville, who handed it
over to a newspaper in Knoxville, w hosi
editor published it in full.
The publication of this letter con-
taining an insulting proposition to Gen
Grant, complicated his diffiulty; bat he
set his cunning brain to work and con-
trived a bold scheme to extricate himself
He contrived to have executed a floh!
tioua murder of himself, and under covet
of a supposed assassination escape from
the country, and in this way save his
property from paying the forfeit for hi*
not appearing at Court, and also relieve
his bondsmen. It was a daring game,
worthy of the most reckless and harden
ed criminal, with vast resources and ex
perience in artful dodges. It involved a
dead body aad a burial, with its identifi
cation as his, or an eye-witness to the as
sassination, and other things, but he un
dertook it.
On the 23rd August, a negro boy, for
merly a slave of the Boyd familj died,
For some reason not known, his remains
were carried nineteen miles to a church
to be buried. This seemed strange, but
excited no special comment at the time—
though finally it furnished the cine to
the whole scheme:
On Saturday, the 7th in»t., the quiet village of
Sweetwater was startled by the information that
Thomas G. Boyd had been foully and brutally
KUBDXBED
the day before, about one o’clock in the afternoon,
and that his remains had been horridly muti.
lated and burned. The news created a profomj
sensation. The locality at which the alleged murto
took place was near Laurel Hill, a small hamlot
some sixteen miles from MadisonviUe, the countj
seat of Monroe county. The nows was brought by
two men named Hensley and Began, friends of
Boyd, who stated that they were eye witnesses of
port of the atrocious
SEES Or BLOOD.
It is e. id that Boyd left Sweetwater on Wednes
day, the 4th instant, in company with Reagan and
Hensley, all on horseback, for the purpose of sum
moning witnesses to attend his trial before the
Federal Court in KnoxvUle. Before leaving, Boyd
procured from a livery stable a fleet horse, giving
as a reason for desiring such au animal the state
ment that he feared that some one might attempt
his aseassinat’on, as threats had been made upon
bis life, and that he wished to get such a horse that
he might escape if attacked iu the mountains. A
this point I will takf up the statement or Reagan
and Hensley, which is substantially as follows:—
When Boyd and themselves reached Laurel H1U, the
party stopped to get water at a Bpring, and as—bo
the story goes—Boyd was kneeling down drinking,
a party of
PIVB MASKED MSN,
armed with shotguns, debouched from, thick*
and summoned them to surrender. Being surprised
and outnumbered they, doubtless considering dis
cretion the better part of valor under circumstances
of so embarrassing a nature, complied with the de
mand, with the best grace possible, and were all
seized, bound and blindfolded. Two of the masked
men they said, went with Boyd, and the remainder
watched the road and guarded Reagan and Henslea
The whole affair was dispatched quickly, systematt
cally and quietly, but few words being spoken on
either side. A few moments after the parties wort
separated the solemn silence of the forest was bro
ken by the report of a fire-arm of some sort, and
Reagan and Hensley turned their heads involunta
rily in the airectioni whence it, came, and Hensley’s
bandage having slipped he waa'enabled to see a little.
Boyd had been taken just beyond a small rise, and
the upper part of his body was visible. Another
shot was fired, and then another, and at the third
BOTD PELL TO THE GROUND.
Reagan and Hensley were then hurried off some dll-
tance and their money taken from them.
The two men wero left tied in the forest, and In a
few moments after their departure 1
TWO MOBE SHOTS
were heard iu the direction where Boyd was Jut
seen. ' But they saw and heard nothing for six
dreadful hours. Some time after dark their captors
reappeared, and loosening their bonds, told them lb,
leave that vicinity as soon as possible—that they had
settled with Boyd, but had nothing against them. >>
These men further related that Boyd’s
body was thrown on a brash heap and
burned. The news was made known to
his friends, who searched and found the
remains of a burned and mutilated hit
man being, beyond all recognition, which
was carried to Boyd’s father’s house and
the funeral announced for Monday.
But suspicions began to be whispered
that the murder was bogus, A lady said
she saw Boyd near sundown the day hs
was said to have been murdered, and
someiother person had seen him a little
before. As the body was not identified,
the Masons refused to participate in the
funeraL Besides, how could such a mur
der as this be committed on the highway
at midday, and no one know it? People
residing in the neighborhood did not
hear the firing of the guns.
A detective went down from Knox
ville to look into the case. He canvassed
the matter, and finally gave it as his
opinion that if the grave of that negro
boy were opened, his body would
not be found there. This was done and
tne suspicion confirmed. The new grave
at Sweetwater was then opened, and tbe
charred remains submitted to a scientific
examination by competent surgeons, and
it was pronounced to be those of a ne
gro, and not a white person.
The negro, it seems, had been ill f° r
some time before he died, bnt was get
ting better. ]The Doctor cautioned hi®
against eating too much, but when left
alone, he went into the cupboard, &
heartily, drank a quantity of buttermilk
relapsed and died soon. His mother
wanted to bury him at home, but Boy
wanted him to be carried to Sweetwater
and prevailed upon her to allow him to
do so with the remains of her son, b 0
bearing the expense.
There is no doabt in the pnblio mind
generally, of Boyd’s guilt and his
is coupled with infamy. Some still
lieve that he was murdered, but ®
persons ^iink be is new far oat of
way, and beyond rsaeti ot snfto***