Contributed by Paul Lemasters

“A Whole Family Murdered In Fentress County.” 

Horrible [Traged]y.  The Fiend at Large.  Another of those horrid deeds of blood, which once would have chilled the blood at the bare recital, but which have now become so common that they attract but a momentary notice and are forgotten, has just occurred in Fentress county, being nothing less than the brutal murder of an entire family of four persons–all female. 

The facts as we father them from the Kingston East Tennessean, of the 3d instant, are as follows: The murder took place on Sunday night, the 29th ult., at a place called Three Forks of Wolf.  The East Tennessean’s informant who is recently from the neighborhood of the tragedy, state that an aged widow lady by the name of GALLOWAY, together with her two grown daughters and a little girl some five or six years of age, was most foully and brutally murdered on the night of the 29th ult.  It appears the murderer was instigated to commit the deed for the purpose of plunder, as it was generally known in the neighborhood that Mrs. GALLOWAY had the day previous received some three hundred dollars, being the back pay and bounty on account of her husband who died in the service.  As the money was no where to be found, it is surmised the perpetrator of the deed got it. 

The murder is supposed to be GRUBBER, made good his escape.  The occurrence, it is said, has caused considerable excitement, and raised the indignation of the entire populace, as Mrs. GALLOWAY and her family were highly respectable, quiet and inoffensive people. Parties were in best pursuit of the murderer, and it was confidently
believed he would be overtaken and arrested. [Source:  Knoxville Daily Press and Herald, Knoxville, Knox Co., Tn, Sat., 5 Dec. 1868, Vol. II, No. 133, p1. 

“The Murder In Fentress County.” 

We published on Saturday a brief account gotten from the East Tennessean of the murder of a whole family in Fentress county.  The Louisville Courier of the 30th ult., gives the following particulars of what was evidently the same murder as that referred to by the Kingston paper, although the names of the murderers are differently given, and the accounts different in other respects: 

A little over a week ago a frightful tragedy was enacted in Fentress county, Tennessee, near the Kentucky line.  There lived in that section, a family composed of an old lady, some eighty years of age, and her three grandchildren — one a young lady, another a boy of twelve, and the third a small girl.  In the neighborhood was a man named LOGSDON, ill-favored of face and of little character, who in some way, became cognizant of the fact that the old lady had in her possession a considerable amount of money, the backpay of her dead son, who had been a soldier, and he resolved to secure it at all hazards. 

Proceeding one night to the house she occupied, LODGSDON, with knife and revolver, murder the grandmother and her granddaughters, and left the boy for dead also.  All the money he found, however, was $75; and with this he fled.  The boy, who fortunately survived, next day told the tale of the bloody work of the night, and the Sheriff of Fentress county, as soon as he could be notified, started immediately in pursuit of the murderer, with a warrant.  He passed through Clinton county, in this State, and together in two sheriffs made their way to Hustonville, Lincoln county.  Here they captured the murderer, at the home of his father, even before he had changed the clothes he wore when he committed the terrible crime, and which bore the blood stains of cruel murder. 

It was found that LOGSDON, on reaching his father’s house, had sent for a heavy lock, and that he had also sent a woman and a boy for powder and caps.  These parties were detained however.  It was evident he intended making a desperate resistance, but the officers experienced little or no difficulty in effecting his arrest.  He was taken back to Fentress county, where he will doubtless be made to suffer the extreme penalty of the
law.  [Source:  Knoxville Daily Press and Herald, Knoxville Knox Co., Tn, Wed., 9 Dec. 1868, Vol. II, No. 136, p1. 

“Murder Will Out.” 

A Horrible Tragedy Explained.  The Murderer Sentenced to Death.  Several weeks ago we gave to our readers an account of one of the foulest murders it has ever been our fortune to hear of.  A more detailed account is as follows: On the 20th of last No., a citizen of Fentress county went to the house of old Mrs. GALLOWAY, and band the old lady, her daughter and two grandchildren lying upon the floor with their heads split open with an axe and the floor deluged with blood and brains.  No certain clue to the hellish fiend could be found.  One of the children, a boy seven years of age showed signs of life, and was removed to a neighbor’s house.  Two days afterwards the little fellow showed signs of consciousness, and was asked, “who had done it?”  His reply was “Cal.” 

This information connected with other circumstances, directed suspicion to Calvin LOGSTON, who had about that time fled to his home on Green River in Kentucky.  He was pursued, captured and brought back to Fentress county, by which time the little boy, who seemed to have been preserved by a special providence, was so nearly recovered as to give a correct account of the whole bloody tale.  From his testimony it appears that LOGSTON came to the house with two women, his aunts, named BROWN, and demanded of “Granny” her money, with threats of a presented pistol.  Failing to get any he put up his pistol and seized an axe he found in the house and struck the old lady on the head, and then served the young woman and four year old boy in the same manner.  One of the women then seized a shovel and dealt the little witness a blow, which is the last thing he recollects. 

Upon the return of the prisoner of Fentress county the citizens erected an impromptu gallows for his accommodation, but by the efforts of Judge HOUK, Judge Lynch yielded jurisdiction  Failing to get a jury in that county, the venue was changed to Scott county, where after a long and laborious trial, the verdict has just been rendered of “guilty of murder in the first degree, without any mitigating circumstances,” and sentence of death pronounced by Judge HOUK, to take effect on the 18th Oct. proximo.  An appeal was taken to the Supreme Court and the prisoner and his guard arrived here yesterday.  For his prosecution appeared Messrs. DOWELL, Attorney General HUNEYCUTT and HENDERSON.  For his defense Messrs. YOUNG and SAWYER.  Although the prisoner is only 22 years of age, he freely confesses to eight murders.  [Source:  Knoxville Daily Press and Herald, Knoxville, Knox Co., Tn, Sun., 15 Aug. 1869, Vol. III, No. 36, p1.]