Van Buren Press Crawford County, Arkansas June 25, 1887 A BLOODY MURDER The Assassin Captured. Clarksville, Ark., June 21. – The quiet of our town was broken this morning by a man riding on a horse wet with perspiration, and inquiring for the sheriff, stating that B F Truelove, living four miles west of this place had been ambushed and shot through the heart while plowing corn this morning. Sheriff Jett and a posse were soon mounted and off for the scene of the dastardly act. Everybody was excited and eager to know the correctness and cause of the murder, for this is the first one in the county for a long time. The sheriff returned in about an hour bringing with him as prisoner John Evans, who made a confession to the deed and on being interviewed in jail by the Gazette Reporter, made the following statement: I am John Evans, formerly of Wilson and Cannon Counties, Tennessee. I have been in this state and county about two years. I shot Mr. Truelove this morning. I went to make a crop on his place this year, and he being a very quarrelsome man, everybody predicted that he would whip me before the year was out. I said I guessed not. Everything moved on well until about two weeks ago, when I sold my crop to Monk Harris. Mr. Truelove and I settled up at that time, I owing him $3.50 which Mr. Harris assumed satisfactorily to Mr. Truelove. But Truelove and I owned a razor in partnership, worth about fifty cents. He demanded the razor. I told him to set his price and I would give or take. He swore he would do nothing of the kind, but he would beat hell out of me if I did not give him the razor. I did not do it but left him. He then told Harris that he would have the razor or my blood. He also told Richards and Shackelford that he was going to kill me, that no such damned coward as I should boast around him. That was several days ago. Yesterday I went to Truelove’s house to gear my mule to go to plowing. He was lying on the porch, raised up and asked me about the razor. I told him I would do what was right about it, but he commenced to abuse me and drew a stick over my head and threatened to “wear me out”. I then left the premises, went out in the neighborhood and borrowed a gun from a neighbor telling him I wanted to go a hunting. But I did not. I meant to kill Truelove. I loaded the gun with fine No. 1 buckshot and this morning I went to the field where he was plowing and told him I had come to settle that little business. He said, “alright, let yourself in,” and I shot him and started to town to surrender myself. I am 26 or 27 years old. Never had any serious trouble before. -Little Rock Gazette. Fran Alverson Warren e-mail: [email protected] 501-369-2703 http://www.crawfordcountyarkansas.net/