July 30, 1869
Horrible Murder. - On last Thursday a man by the name of Ticknor was murdered in Russell county, under the most horrible and revolting circumstances. He had caused to be arrested and tried a negro, Harry Wright, upon the charge of burning his barn and horse. Wright was discharged by the iron-clads, notwithstanding many of the citizens assert that the evidence was sufficient to have sent him on for trial. after his discharge Wright armed himself, and repairing to the field where Ticknor and two negro men were at work, he advanced upon him saying, "My time has come now," at the same time trying to shoot him, but the gun missed fire. He then struck Ticknor across the head with the gun knocking him down, when he literally beat his head to pieces with the large stones he threw upon it. The two negroes fled at the opening of the attack and gave the alarm. Upon pursuing him, it was found that he passed his father-in-law, a white man, with whom he quarreled and cut his throat, though not fatally. He was pursued to a point in the mountains near Glade Spring. Parties in pursuit of him fired upon a man whose name, we are told, is Nelson, wounding him in the arm. The above is all the information we are able to obtain of this horrible affair. As Wright was coming in the direction of Abingdon when last seen, it is probably he may try to pass into Tennessee. He is 25 or 30 years of age, 5 feet 10 inches, very black, with a thin moustache and no whiskers or beard, and wore when he left, a white hat blue jeans pants, and a light colored coat. A large reward is offered for his arrest.
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