--The Abingdon
Virginian has the following account of a murder in
Lee county, Va. It says:
‘
On Sunday, the 5th inst.,
Mr. Francis Bishop, of
Lee county, was shot down in the main road by a soldier, and died immediately.
The facts as detailed to us are, that
Mr. Bishop and his brother-in-law,
Mr. McPherson, were riding up the road towards his (
Bishop's) home, on the road leading from
Cumberland Gap to
Jonesville, when they were halted by a soldier.
Upon inquiring the cause of the halt, the soldier replied that he had been placed there to examine all persons passing, to see whether they had arms.
Both dismounted and submitted to an examination.
Neither were armed.
After the examination the soldier said to
McPherson: ‘"You can go on, but I will detain this man,"’ alluding to
Bishop.
Bishop had a large sum of money in a belt around his body, which no doubt was discovered by the soldier in his search.
McPherson mounted his horse to leave.
At the same time
Bishop put his foot in the stirrup to mount his horse.
The soldier perceiving it fired upon him and shot him through the heart.
As he fell he caught hold of the pistol, jerked it out of the hands of the soldier, and handed it to
McPherson, who exploded five caps without firing the pistol.
He then threw a rock at the soldier, and luckily dealt him a stunning blow on the head, which brought him to the ground. --He then beat him severely over the head until he thought life extinct, and left him for dead, though he was not dead when last heard from.
The soldier had no authority to halt, and adopted that mode only as a blind to secure his prey the more certainly.
Mr. Bishop was a highly esteemed citizen of
Lee county, and a good man. He leaves a wife and twelve children--three of whom are in the service of their country.
’
