Yesterday, I posted a news item from the June 9, 1909
edition of The Evergreen Courant that described nine federal grand jury
indictments against prominent citizens in Monroe County, Ala. Those indictments
stemmed from a double slaying in January 1908 that involved H.C. Walston and
Lee English.
English was a well known Monroe County resident of the time
because he was the man who killed John S. McDuffie, one of the men involved in
the capture of the famous train robber, Rube Burrow. This connection to McDuffie
and Burrow is what originally caught my eye about the story and led me to post
it online yesterday. I’ve been researching McDuffie on and off for the past couple of
months.
Last Thursday, I e-mailed the June 9, 1909 Evergreen Courant article to Rick
Miller, the author of “Rube Burrow, Desperado,” a great book that came out in February. I
wanted to get Miller’s thoughts on the killing of McDuffie, and he, in turn,
sent me a copy of an article that he found in the June 30, 1904 edition of The
Monroe Journal newspaper. What follows is the complete text of that article.
“John McDuffie Killed by Edward English"
“News reached here at a late hour Tuesday
night of the killing of Mr. John McDuffie near his home at River Ridge on the
afternoon of that day by Mr. Edward English. There were no eye-witnesses of the
tragedy but from the best information it appears that Mr. McDuffie went to the
field where Mr. English was at work and renewed a quarrel which had occurred
some months ago.
“It is stated that Mr. McDuffie was armed
with a stout stick and advanced on English, when the latter drew his pistol and
fired four shots at close range, taking effect in Mr. McDuffie’s body causing
almost instant death. One or more shots took effect in the mule ridden by
McDuffie, killing it.
“The sheriff was notified and Deputy Jones
left at once for the scene of the killing. Mr. English surrendered to the
deputy without resistance and is now in jail. Up to a few months ago, Mr.
McDuffie and his slayer had been the best of friends.
“A rupture occurred in the early part of the
year over a business transaction and bad feeling had existed since. Their
friends had apprehended trouble for some time. Both men were well known
throughout the county. The families were well-connected, and the tragedy is
deeply deplored. Mr. McDuffie leaves a wife and several children who have the
profound sympathy of the community.”
Miller also included the following note along
the above article: English was listed as a boarder in the 1900 census of the
McDuffie household. English himself died in a shootout with an H.C. Walston in
January 1908, in which both men shot each other to death in a dispute over an
African American worker, Jesse Thompson. Three men who had accompanied Walston to the scene were
later indicted for murder, but acquitted in 1909.
In the end, if anyone out there has any more
information about the incidents describe above or yesterday’s post, please let
me know.
No comments:
Post a Comment