Unknown Newspaper
1896

A Diabolical Crime

One of the most horrible and diabolical deeds in the annals of crime, was committed on last Saturday night near Blackhawk, in this county. Two white men, disguised, entered the quiet and happy little home of Mr. Samuel Cox, one of the county's oldest and most respected citizens, and while he was surrounded by his aged wife and little grandchildren, shot him to death. By long years of hard labor and close economy, Mr. Cox had saved up a little money a small part of which he generally kept in the house. The purpose was robbery. Entering one of the party threw Mr. Cox a sack and commanded him to put his money in it, but instead of so doing he picked up a chair and tried to defend himself with it. After killing Mr. Cox as they thought, the cowardly brutes shot his defenseless and aged wife, fortunately the ball inflicted only a slight wound, breaking a finger on the left hand.

Mr. Cox was wounded in the breast, and died from the effects of the wound last Tuesday morning at three o'clock.

The people are greatly excited over the dastardly crime, and no stone will be left unturned in bringing the guilty parties to swift punishment if the right parties are found, their guilt fully established, no power under heaven could save their necks from the noose.

The perpetrators of such dastardly crimes must not, and will not go unpunished, and the good citizens of Carroll County, while they will be careful not to punish with death innocent parties will with assistance of the law we trust, see to it that the death of Samuel Cox, an honest and respected man, his head white with old age, shall be avenged.

Later: John Catron and Hurshall Browning were indicted Thursday by the grand jury for the murder of Mr. Samuel Cox and Judge Campbell set the case for the first day of the next term of court. They died at the penitentiary at Parchman, Mississippi.

Note: Hurshall Browning was a cousin of the Cox family.