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Ripley Tenn. July 8th 1848
To his excellency N. S. Brown
The undersigned would respectfully represent to your excellency, that they have been in formed and believe, that, on Sunday the 2nd day of July 1848 in the county of Lauderdale State of Tennessee on Island No. 30 in the Mississippi river a high, flug, tious and atrocious murder was committed on the body of David Songer at the house of John Johnson by a mob armed with Rifles, Muskets, pistols and Bowie knives, that the said mob went there with the intent to kill and murder the said John Johnson and one Henry Jones his tenant and whom they know to be at the house of said Johnson, that they shot five or six times at said Johnson who made his retreat but slightly wounded _ that after said mob had murdered said Songer by shooting him, they barbarously knocked him on the head with a hard
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" States warrant was issued on the information on oath of siad Johnson and a constant with unwarned posse wnet to the river and Island but the murderers made this escape into Arkan sas - A Coroner inquest was held on the body of [Songers?] and the verdict [was?] "murder"- said not also took said Henry Jones and two men by the [river?] of [Hanach?] ^who were at the hands of sd. Johnson and beat the said Jones until they left him for dead, they struck one of the [Hands?] on the back of the head with a Rifle gun inflicting a severe wound on the back part of his head thereby- and took him to Arkansas when they fled - The whole circumstances of this [?] considered, The [hope?] your excellency will [exicise?] the dis cretionary power vested in you by [laws?], by offering a reverend for each of siad Murderers, so far as they have ascertained - They are as follows, to wit: John Boothe aged about thirty five years, about 5 feet 10 or ^11 inches high, [?] made,
[Right Page] stoop shoulders, Samuel J. Bell aged about 35 years about 5 feet 10 inches high, fair haired & of sundy complexion & blue eyes William Biven, aged about 36 years is about 5 feet 11 inches high, black hair and eyes of a very dark complexion, very thin [?] Martin Normand, about 31 years of age, about 5 feet 10 inches high, ^four [?] with fiar hair and blue eyes, with very thick lips - Thomas Pullerton, aged about 40 years, red haired, inclined to be bald headed, blue eyes, about 5 feet 11 inches, high - Robert McGines aged about 30 yeras dark complicted [sic], black hair and eyes, about 5 feet 9 inches high, rather heavy madeHighlett White, aged about 30 years about 5 feet 10 inches high, [spand?] made, black hair & eyes - John Hutchison aged about 18 years, about 5 feet 7 or 8 inches high rather [spare?] made, black hair and eyes Alexander Wilson aged about 33 or 34 years, about 6, feet 1 inch high
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dark hair and eyes, [spare?] made - Seaborn Adkins aged ^about 35 yeras, dark: hair and eyes about 5 feet 11 inches high, heavy made - Joseph Williams aged 30 years, five feet 10 or 11 inches high dark complected tolerably heavy made - John Knight - aged about 20 years, about 6 feet high fair hair, blue eyes tolerable heavy made - And --- Hodges about 28 years old, about five feet 10 inches high, tolerably heavy made, fair hair - Very Respectfully G.S. Rutherford Isaac M. Steals Clerk of the [?] Court Jamie A. Rackey Edward Fisher Dept. Shff. H.C. Keller George J. [Black?] [Jesse?] L. Bryant [?] N.N. Richardson [?] R.H. Cohain M.D. William C. Fairo Clerk of the Circuit Court
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State of Tennessee Lauderdale County Mr. Wm Pervis & John Johnson do solemnly swera, that the above statement of the Murder of Daivd Songer and the after outrages are just and true, so help me God Sworn to and Debscribed [sic] before me the 8th day of July 1848 Joseph Nelson J.D.
