Source: Western Sun & General Advertiser, Volume 13, Number 29, Vincennes, Knox County, 17 August 1822
Murder-The following is a description of a man found murdered near Wrights’s ferry on White river, on the 9th inst.
He was a large man about six feet high, had on a homespun blue mixt coat, waistcoat, and pantaloons all of the same kind, net suspenders made apparently of the same materials as the cloaths. His shoes were made with pegs, mixt socks, a home-spun cotton shirt, a white fur hat, broad brim, and a band of narrow blue ribbon.
There was found in his saddle-bags a striped home-spun waistcoat, mixt pantaloons, one pair of white homemade socks with clocks, a cotton shirt homespun with some stripes of yellow & blue in the tail behind, about five yards of cotton netting, and two pairs of horseshoes. There was also, a drab cloth great coat-an old saddle, and the saddlebags, lying near to him.
A person supposed to be the one murdered was seen on Monday the 5th inst. on the road leading from Vincennes to the above-mentioned ferry, riding a large chestnut sorrel mare, and said he lived within nine miles of Shawneetown, Illinois, in company with a man having on a blue grounded roundabout, and riding a small sorrel-racking mare.
This man it is believed perpetrated the murder, as he crossed the ferry, the next morning after they had been seen together, very early, leading the mare (as is now ascertained) on which the murdered man had been seen riding, and offered her to the ferryman very cheap.
There was found in the hat of the murdered man a letter dated 1 August 1822, directed to a Mr. John -riston, Lawrence County, Ohio – Written by Silas Farley at the request of Saml. And Nancy McMullen in White county, Ills.-The deceased appears to have been killed by a blow on the back of the head-apparently with an Indian battle ax or knotted club, which perforated the hat and skull-and it would seem from the position in which he was found, lying on his saddle blanket, that they had encamped on the ground, and the blow was inflicted while the unfortunate man was asleep.
His inside coat pocket turned out, as by the sudden pull of a pocketbook; and his cloaths were so loosely in the saddle bags that they were no doubt pillaged also. The murderer has been pursued, and it is hoped may be brought to justice, and that his fate may be rendered a warning to other desperate men.
Since the above was in type, the party that went in pursuit of the murderer has returned with him, and he is now confined in the jail of this county-his name is Thomas McKinney, and the name of the murdered man is James Boyd-they were both citizens of White County, Ill.
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