STATE GAZETTE
DYERSBURG, TENNESSEE
FORTY-SECOND YEAR NO. 2
JANUARY 10, 1907

THE TROY TRAGEDY -- There is a blood stained spot in a field near Troy; there is a new made grave at the Campground; there is a broken hearted widow at the HOLDER home, and there is a young man in the first flush of young manhood charged with pratricide, one of the blackest crimes in the calendar. Rev. B. L. HOLDER was born on the battlefield of Shiloh about 42 years ago. He married when but 17 years of age, his wife being 16. Some years thereafter, though with a family on his hands and though poor and uneducated, he determind to become a Cumberland Presbyterian minister. With a self reliance, he made his way through college, and entered upon his chosen work, much of which has been done in Obion county, where he was known and respected. His eldest son, Dolphus, while Mr. HOLDER lived at Beech, in No. 10, gave his father some trouble by forging names to orders. After this, Mr. HOLDER moved to Troy. The boys frequently ran off and went to different states. Dolphus finally ran off again and when he drifted back to Troy, his father refused him coming home. Dolphus knocked about Troy for two or three weeks, slept in livery stables and subsisted on what Lee, a younger brother, could bring him and finally through exposure, contracted pneumonia. During the preacher's absence, Dolphus was carried home, where Lee and his dear mother nursed him through the illness. In the summer of 1904, while the big tent meeting was in progress in Troy, Dolphus shot and came near killing John WELLS. HOLDER seems to have stuck to the boy through it. He helped him to escape and afterward, when captured, secured the $1, 500 bond with his own name and several friends. When the boy jumped his bond and left, for South America, never to return, Mr. HOLDER stated that he would pay the full bond himself. We are told he paid $500 on it recently. About a year ago, Mr. HOLDER traded his Troy property to Rev. D. T. WAYNICK for 125 acres of the BRIGHT or WAYNICK farm on the east side of Troy road and moved there. Down in the valley between STEPHENS' and LANCASTER's home, the branch made a loop in the road, two small bridges with a levee between them. This is the scene of the murder. About the middle of December, Mr. HOLDER bought a cheap single barrel shotgun from Rufus ROCHELLE, the Troy merchant, also buying "new chief"shells to go with it, bright yellow shells #5 shot. Mr. HOLDER, with his little children, came to Troy on Thursday morning, December 27th, paid a debt at Pressly & Kirby's, showed his children the Christmas toys and went home. In the afternoon he went hunting, returning after dark and placed the gun where it was kept-in Lee's room at the foot of the bed. A few minutes before 6 o'clock, HOLDER started for the Masonic installation of officers to be held in Troy. He was driving a blind mare and was in an old worn open top buggy. This is the last time his family saw him alive. Mr. Luther LANCASTER, at the back of his residence, cooking out lard, heard a shot, then another shot, a scream for help, a cry of Murder. In 4 or 5 minutes, a horse came from the shooting towards the HOLDER house. Mr. Jake BRANTLEY, who lives in the STEPHENS home also heard these shots. Uncle Warren BROWN, passing the bridge about 11 p. m. , saw a horse and buggy down in the branch where they had fallen from the bridge nearest Troy. Uncle Warren notified Mr. LANCASTER, who recognized the mare as being Mr. HOLDER's and took her down there. The family could give no explanation of the matter and Lee and his little brother, Earl, about 14 years, Mrs. HOLDER, Mr. & Mrs. LANCASTER and some 15 or 20 other neighbors searched for Mr. HOLDER. About daylight Friday morning, Mrs. HOLDER found her husband; he was on his back about 40 or 50 feet from the overturned buggy, his gloves and overcoat and one overshoe were on, his bowels protruded from two ghastly wounds in the abdomen, his hat was clenched in his hand, there was a hole in the top of his head and the skull was split almost from ear to ear and on each side of the head terrible blows had been inflicted. Shells were found and picked up;"new chief" yellow #5's. Tracks of the murderer were made with a #6 shoe, one of the tracks indicated a run down shoe. It was noticed that fresh tracks made by Lee HOLDER were identical in size and prints of the muderer's tracks. On Friday morning with the arrival of Sheriff FINCH, inquest proceedings were held before Justices of the Peace; W. H. PYLES anf James A. ???. Lee HOLDER was the first witness. He was stolid, indifferent and manifested no grief or feeling whatever. He denied that he had seen the gun since his father came from hunting on the preceeding evening;that he was in the house all the time, from the time his father left till he went to bed, "except two or three minutes that he had stepped out. " Earl HOLDER stated that Lee had been out of the house maybe 5 or 8 minutes after his pa left and before he went to bed. Mrs. HOLDER, in a conversation before her being supoenaed as a witness said that "lee had not left the house more than 10 minutes from the time his pa left till he retired, not more than 15 minutes unless someone had run back the clock. " About the first thing that was done Saturday morning was the swearing out by many prominent citizens of a warrant charging Lee HOLDER with 1st degree murder. He was taken to Union City by Deputy Sheriff BRICE and jailed. About noon Thursday, several hundred citizens marched to the HOLDER residence, determind to find the gun. James ORR found it under the barn, the stock broken off the barrel, the barrel bent, twisted, covered with mud, blood and human hair, being the lenght and color of Mr. HOLDER's. (lots of speculation of the progress of the murder.) Mr. HOLDER's body was buried at the Campground cemetery last Sunday. Talks were made by Revs. J. CALHOUN, McLESKY and BOYD. The sermon was preached by Rev. McLESKY.

A YOUNG MAN -- identified as Al BENTON, of Ripley, Tenn. , had his head completely severed from his body by a freight train on the side track of the Frisco road, near the Coble House, Saturday night. It could not be learned how the accident happened. - Blytheville, Ark., Courier. He was a nephew of Mrs. Sam SIDWAY of this place and a son of the late Ben BENTON.

BUD SHIPLEY KILLED -- In attempting to board a Dyersburg Northern train, while in motion, Bud SHIPLEY missed his footing and fell under the wheels, both legs being cut off. The accident happened at Lenox at noon Monday. The unfortunate young man lived only a few hours. He was the son of L. H. SHIPLEY and well liked in his community.

THE RESOLUTION -- Of W. A. FOWKLES, Jr., to authorize a bond issue to build county roads, was adopted by the County Court without a dissenting vote. This means that Dyer County will soon enter an era of Progress that will mean much for it's future prosperity.

REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS -- LATTA & RICE to Tiger Tail Mill & Land Co. , land, $8,000. S. W. PORTER to C. A. TULL, lots 15th dist, $432.00 W. JOSLIN & wife to Mrs. Nannie TIPTON, lot 4th dist, $650.00. J. W. COMBS to J. O. CLERK, land, $1,050. W. W. CONNER to B. O. BURGIE et al, land 11th dist, $6,000. W. R. SELLERS to H. B. SELLERS, 4th dist, $2,200. W. C. BROWN to W. A. HUBBARD, land, $652.00 R. L. HUBBARD to C. C. BURR, $944.00. Sarah JONES to G. W. JONES, $1,000. J. R. LAMBERT to David VIR, $1,060. J. H. HOLMAN to A. J. FORESTER land, $20.00. A. A. TROY to J. A. LAVEASTER, $800.00. W. A. BOWEN to C. M. BOWEN 8th dist, $900.00.

LOCALS -- The Misses FERGUSON, of Caruthersville, after a pleasant visit to their cousin, Miss Nora MICHELL, have returned home. J. E. HARRELL has returned from Nashville and was accompanied by his daughter, Mrs. Allen MEADORS, who will be here several weeks. Dr. John D. SMITH, who was at one time a prominent physician of this county, died recently at his home in Paducah, aged 77 years. Tom FERGUSON spent Sunday in Memphis with his wife, who is there on a two weeks visit to their daughter, Mrs. Jas. L. McCALL on Orleans street. Mrs. P. C. LOVELACE entertained with lucheon Tuesday at her home, COSSITT Place, in honor of her daughter, Mrs. MAXEY, of Dyersburg. Memphis Commercial Appeal. A young man named A. L. DUNCAN in settling a board bill at McDAVID's hotel recently received a $10 gold piece in chane for a dollar. Later in the day when the young man discovered the error, he promptly returned the gold coinmuch to the gratification of Mrs. McDAVID. There is a new born baby boy at the home of Mr. & mrs. Will WILSON. R. Jessie MOSS of Memphis spent Sunday here with his parents, Mr. & Mrs. R. F. C. MOSS. T. A. JONES, who has been in the store of FOWLER, HARRELL & TARRANT for the past year, left Wednesday for Crystal Springs, Miss. , his old home, having accepted a position with the leading brokerage and commission establishment of that place. Robert PEERY, of Caruthersville, after a pleasant visit to his coisin, Mrs. G. W. JAMES, left for home Monday.

SAM PARKER INJURED -- Sam PARKER, the jeweler, met with a painful and serious accident Monday while descending from the platform at the Compress, a board gave way and threw him to the ground, breaking his right leg above the knee.

COUNTY NEWS ITEMS: TRIMBLE -- Mrs. T. A. PIERCE was ill last week. Miss Eva PARK entertained with 6 o'clock dinner last week in honor of Chas. WOOLWINE of Nashville. Those present were Dr. V. MOORE of Newbern, Miss Georgia WAGNER, W. H. PARK, Miss Stella HALLENON, Mr. WOOLWINE and Miss Eva PARK.

COUNTY NEWS ITEMS: DYER COLLEGE -- School began December 31st with Miss Pattie DAVENPORT and Miss Mittie SMITH as teachers. Esra LEATHERS of Alamo, was the guest last Sunday of John HAYS. Claude DEATON, Sam MORRIS, Ollie DANKIN, Virgie HARWELL and Bertha SMITH are attending Halls High School.

COUNTY NEWS ITEMS: STOKES -- B. F. YOUNG has been on the sick list for several days. A little child of John LOVELACE was badly choked with some grains of corn a few days ago. T. W. SHONSE and family of Chestnut Bluff visited relatives here Sunday. Gaston CANADA and wife are taking their first lessons in housekeeping in the house recently vacated by Mr. HESTER near Holly Grove. Dr. Ernest O'NEAL left for Memphis a few days ago to finish his medical course in Memphis Medical College.

COUNTY NEWS ITEMS: LENOX -- Aunt Mary LOVELESS, who has been sick for several weeks, died last Thursday at 3 p. m. Her remains laid quietly away in the cemetery at McCulloch Chapell. Bud SHIPLEY, while trying to catch on to the Dyersburg Northern train between Lenox and the Obion River fell and the train striking one of his feet, came very near cutting it off. (Earlier in paper an entirely different version of the same accident.)

COUNTY NEWS ITEMS: CHURCH GROVE -- Will TACKETT and family are moving near Maxey. Mr. RICE will take the place vacated by him. The wedding bells rung before and during the holidays. Clay DAVIS brought home his bride, who was Miss Lizzie LAX. Also Charlie PEACOCK and Miss Lucie FLACK.

COUNTY NEWS ITEMS: NEWBERN -- Hamilton PARKS of Nashville, who has been visiting relatives here, has returned home. Mrs. John D. TODD of Dyersburg, has been visiting Mrs. Scrap BRADSHAW. Miss Maud JONES and Clint PITTS were married last Wednesday, Rev. BUTLER officiating. The Newbern College boys have returned to their respective schools after the holidays:Jack HASKINS, Ivor EASON, Sherwood WILLIAMSON, of University of Tennessee;Earl PARKS, Oscar DITMORE and Calvin MAXWELL of Cumberland University;Charles MULHEWIN, of Vanderbilt, and Nat PORTER, of Nashville Bible School. Hardee WYATT and Robert DRANE have returned from New Mexico where they were land hunting. Miss Linnie ATKINS has been visiting her brother, Samuel ATKINS, of Colorado Springs, is again with homefolks. Guy PARKS, of Memphis and Dr. Frank PARKS of Halls, have been visiting their father, B. R. PARKS, who has been quite ill. Joe McLESKY, of Fulton, is visiting his father, Rev. J. McLESKY. Mrs. Mary WALDRON is spending the winter with friends in the Bermuda Islands.

COUNTY NEWS ITEMS: MAXEY -- It seems it is hard for folks to get moved this winter. Steve GUNSFORD moved to Maxey this week. Leigh FLACK will move to Newbern soon. We are sorry to say Miss Bessie JONES has served her connection with the school here and will go to Martin Monday and enter the Hall & Moody School there. Miss Morgan McKNIGHT, Joe R. ENOCH & wife and Will HAMPTON were hunting birds in the neighborhood Friday.